1500 Calorie Diet Plan
[For lots of information about the ins and outs of following ANY low calorie diet see: 1200 calorie diet]
I created this plan to help you lose weight while still having a balanced and healthy diet. The diet plan allows for a significant amount of fiber to help you feel satisfied. Fiber-rich foods not only help to fill you up but with good choices these foods will allow you to eat a greater amount than you might otherwise with lower fiber, more energy-dense (higher calorie) foods.
Do keep track of your calories. This plan is just a guideline. The actual calories in each of the food choices can vary considerably. I recommend and use My Food Diary. You can read my review here.
1500 Calorie Diet Plan for Women
Servings/day
Fruit (3-4 svgs) Choose from:
4 oz. juice (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sliced/chopped cooked or raw fruit
(fresh, frozen, or canned.)
1 whole medium piece of fruit
1/4 cup dried fruit
Vegetables (3-4 svgs) Choose from:
4-6 oz. juice (1/2 – 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup fresh non-leafy vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1 cup fresh leafy greens
NOTE: Choose at least 5 total fruit and vegetable servings a day for a healthier diet. Have no more than 1 serving of fruit or vegetable juice per day
Whole grain breads and cereals (preferred) (3-6 svgs) Choose from:
1/2 cup high fiber dry cereal (about 80-100 calories with
4+ grams of fiber)
1 slice high fiber bread with at least 2 grams of fiber
~1/2 cup whole grain crackers (less than 100 calories with 2+
grams fiber)
1/2 cup cooked whole grain (brown rice, pasta, cereal)
1 SMALL whole grain muffin (about 150-160 calories providing 1/2 svg whole grain plus 1/2 serving fat)
Refined grain breads and cereals such as white bread (2-3 svgs)
Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or beans (2-3 svgs)
Choose from:
2 oz. lean meat, fish, or poultry
1/2 cup cooked dried beans (legumes)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. peanut butter or other nut butter
Low fat and nonfat dairy (3-4 svgs) Choose from:
1 cup skim milk or 1% milk
1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
1-2 oz. light cheese
1 cup low fat yogurt
Fats (1-4 svgs) Choose from:
1 tsp. healthy oil (such as olive oil or canola) or soft margarine
1 tsp. regular mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. regular salad dressing
2 Tbsp. light salad dressing
1/2 cup ice cream
Nuts and Seeds Choose from:
1/2 oz. nuts
1 Tbsp. seeds
Sweets/other (1-3 svgs) Choose from:
1 tsp. maple syrup, sugar, jelly, or jam
1 gingersnap
1 vanilla wafer
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Diet Plan by Lori Pirog, M.S. 2007-2011
For sample 1500 calorie diet menus:
{ 87 comments }
← Previous Comments
hi there. i am 35 years old the mother of the most handsome little 4 year old boy. i am about 5’11″ and about 400lbs. i am borderline diabetic and have been ambulatory since i had a blood clot in 2001 and then after i had my son and gained 150 lbs. i have tried to loose weight and exercise. the last time i was walking our driveway 5-10 times a day appox 1/4 mile long. ended up in the hospital again with a blood clot. i have had enough i am wanting to get the lap band however my doctor doesnt think i should, and wants me to go on 1500 calorie diet. my husband also needs to loose weight. our problem is we love food. (too much lol) and of course the food thats bad for us. we are just needing a diet plan that would be good for all of us to follow . my son is also overweight but again 4 years old. and a very picky eater. thank you for any help you can give!!
Stacy, James, and Daniel
Hi Stacy,
I’m glad you found my site! The 1500 calorie diet plan I provide is healthy and well-balanced. The basic balance of foods should be a healthy choice for your whole family. (Although each family member needs a different amount of calories of course and that’s up to you and your family doctor to determine.) What is important is that if you make gradual changes to your diet to include more healthy low calorie foods and less of the higher calorie unhealthy foods it will benefit your whole family.
As a mother, I’m sure you will want to model healthy eating habits for your handsome little son. That’s good because it will provide you with the motivation you need! Weight loss can be very difficult. Any one who tells you otherwise is not being truthful.
I share lots of tips, low calorie meal ideas, sample menus and more on this site. But what I want to succeed in doing most of all is provide a way for you to pick the kind of healthy foods that will work best for you and your family. Changing everything you do overnight is very hard and not likely to work. I’m going to be sharing a lot of new articles and information to help anyone who needs assistance to get started on a lower calorie yet healthy diet one step at a time.
So please explore the site. Ask questions whenever something doesn’t make sense. Not all that I share here will be relevant to you but a lot of it is. Do stay in touch with your doctor. (My information is for educational purposes only and cannot be medical advice.)
I’m sorry to hear that you have so many struggles. I hope I will hear more from you!
Lori
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for sharing your stories of trials and tribulations. I was put on some medication a while back that slowed my metabolism and I started gaining weight. After gaining 5 pounds in 6 weeks I decided I needed to nip that in the bud. I’m forever looking for ways to keep my weight where I want it (I’m 5’9 and try to stay between 135 and 140) and the flexibility of mixing and matching foods on this site helps. One thing I’ve found that helps me a lot is allowing myself to blow it for one meal a week. There is no way I could stick to a diet that required I never eat another peppermint patty, or drink another beer. I am very strict about what I eat, but for that one meal, usually out, with friends, I can have whatever I want. I find I can always be “good” until that next week when I can “falloff the wagon” for one meal again. The best part is that after eating healthy all week, on the meal where I blow it, I don’t feel as good as I do after eating right and after a month of blowing it big, now I find that I only eat a little bit of the bad stuff even though I’m “allowed” to eat as much as I want. Makes it even easier to try to keep my weight where it should be. Really glad to find this site that offers suggestins that I can mix up, there is no way I have the time or interest in following specific recipes and meal plans for the rest of my life. Thanks.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for sharing. I like your approach. I also allow myself one meal a week to eat whatever I want. As a nutritionist, I know all too well how much a healthy diet matters BUT I need to allow myself the treats and less healthy food every so often.
Lori
Lori-
You are AMAZING! I came across this site as I happen upon my 30th bday. I just need some extra encouragement. I started some meds last summer and have gained 11-13 pounds from increased appetite. I am 5’11″ and I weigh 174-176 pounds. I used to way around 161-163 and was comfortable with that. I really would like to be right about 158, which gives me some push room for the 5 pounds I bloat during my period.
I thought I would try the master cleanse to help jump start my weight loss, but that proved to be an energy sapping experience. I went from exercising 4-6 days a week, to barely being able to get out of bed on the cleanse, even though I was getting around 1100 calories a day. I don’t really recommend that method.
Anyway, I just want to try a 1200-1500 calorie diet a long with my pilates and aerobic dance to try and lose this 10 pounds. Let me know what you suggest.
Hi Kaye,
Thank you for your kindness.
As with many other people recently, I must ask for your patience in giving you a response. My house will be going on the market in just a few days and the last minute preparations are making me crazy! Honestly I would much rather give people whatever guidance I can with healthy eating and weight management BUT right now it seems that I am doing more cleaning, painting, fixing up, communicating with realtors, etc.
I will get back with you as soon as I can (hopefully within 2-3 days!)
Lori
Hi again Kaye,
I’m sorry to hear of your experience with the cleanse. I DO NOT recommend anyone try a cleanse for the very reasons you pointed out. Hope you are feeling better now.
I estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) to be about 1600 calories a day. I suggest that you choose that as your cut off for daily caloric intake. On the days you are doing aerobic exercise you will need to have a slightly higher caloric intake. My suggestions are to keep your metabolism from slowing down. Given your age and height you have a faster metabolism than someone who is shorter and older and therefore you have somewhat greater caloric demands to meet your basic physiological needs.
Doing what you can to keep your body from believing it is starving makes a big difference when on a weight loss diet. You will also feel better and have more energy if you don’t reduce your caloric intake too low.
I am guessing from what you shared that you are no longer on the meds that caused the weight gain? I hope so.
To stay healthy, you could follow my 1500 calorie diet plan and simply add an additional 100- 300 calories a day depending on whether or not you are doing cardio/aerobic exercise. You might track your food and caloric intake for a week or more to get a sense of how you are doing with calories AND how you are feeling.
Try reading my reviews of various nutrition calculators and food diaries available online to see what might work for you. Some of the websites are free and others have a small charge. I use and like MyFoodDiary.
Once you have a sense of what you need to do to stay within your caloric range for weight loss, I wouldn’t obsess about the calories. That gets to be tedious. On the other hand if your weight loss slows down, then you might want to track again to see what is going on.
My guess is that losing the first 10 pounds may not be too hard. But taking off the last few pounds can be a real challenge! You can get back with me when you reach the remaining 5 to 10 or so, and I can give you more tips. For one thing, once you have lost 10 pounds, you can reduce your caloric intake to say 1550 because BMR changes with weight loss.
I’m wishing you the very best of luck Kaye. Hope you keep me posted about how you are doing.
Lori
I LOVED this. I teach an All Girls Fitness Class once a week to jr. high girls. I am trying to teach them to go three days at least without eating animals and that it DOES make a difference for the animals and human health. No matter what your reasons for not eating meat, (mine are directly related to cruelty and factory farming), this was a great idea and a great way to consciously shop for a Friday night. I appreciate that you shared, and it’s always nice to have menus.
Debby
Dear Lori,
Recently, I stumbled onto your website and I was wondering if you could please help me. I am an 18 year old girl, about 5 foot 6 inches to 5 foot 7 inches (I don’t know the exact height, but I know I am in between the two) am about 210 pounds and have struggled with my weight for what feels like forever. In thrid grade, I was diagnosed with Hoshimotos disease (it’s a constant flip-flop between hypo & hyper thyroidism) and the weight just came on from there.
I feel like I have tried everything. The only time that I had gotten to a proper weight (135lbs-150lbs) was when I was killing myself. I threw myself on a diet where I would bounce calories around day per day, 500 calories being the highest and only appearing on the menu once per month. Most days would be anywhere from 50-80 calories. Yes, you are reading that right, my per day caloric intake was either an apple or a hard-boiled egg. I went from a weight of 170lbs to 135lbs before I fell over and nearly died. I was hospitalized for over a month, most of that time being fed through IV’s (tons of calories!) until they trusted me with solid food. in 2 months, I had gained about 40 pounds. (from 135 to 175) And then came the depression from the weight gain, which caused overeating, and now I am a total of 75 pounds heavier than I EVER wanted to be. It’s hard to even get up in the morning, knowing that this is what I look like.
I WANT to be 135 pounds. I am willing to settle for 150. But I really don’t want to go back to the way I was eating, because I know it will eventually lead me right back to this point, not to mention that not-dying is a current goal of mine. I have a lot of questions, and I’m hoping that you can answer them.
1. From the BMR/RMR calculations page (I feel a little iffy about my calculations) I believe I’m supposed to be eating anywhere from 1430-1500 calories per day. Is that right or am I supposed to eat less?
2. I tend to lean more toward salty foods than sweet ones, is there any healthy salted foods that I can eat?
3. I work at an 8 hour a day, 5 days a week desk job and am often quite tired upon returning home from work. What sort of excercise would you recomend (considering how I own NO eqpt unless arobics tapes and dance videos count) besides a pretty standard after-dinner walk with the boyfriend? On my days off, what more strenuous workouts can I be doing? How many hours a week should I be excercising?
4. How long do you think it should take to get down to at least 150lbs?
Sorry for all the questions, and I really hope I am not bothering you, but I just have to know because I am afraid of falling back into old habits. Please, any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Haley
Hi Haley,
I am sorry to hear of your struggles with weight management. It’s good to know that you fully understand the serious consequences of not giving your body what it needs to survive and thrive! I may have some suggestions for you with respect to healthy eating for weight management. However, what I share are only suggestions. I am NOT an expert on Hashimotos as a physician might be. You need to keep your medical doctor informed about your dietary habits and your weight management concerns. Have you been receiving treatment in the form of medication for Hashimotos?
I need a bit of time to give you a better response. I hope to do that tomorrow. Thanks.
Lori
Hi Hailey,
I’m back. Please understand that any suggestions I might share about healthy eating and weight management will be influenced by Hashimotos. So I don’t know what will work. Although I would imagine you have read quite a lot about your condition, I found some excellent resource information that might give you some more insight:
http://thyroid.about.com/od/hypothyroidismhashimotos/Hypothyroidism_Underactive_Thyroid_Hashimotos_Disease.htm
Without Hashimotos, I estimate your BMR to be about 1785 calories. However, when your thyroid gland is not functioning well – either hypothyroidism (your BMR will be lower) or hyperthyroidism (your BMR will be higher), it becomes difficult to predict what you need. So I am unable to answer your questions about how much exercise would be appropriate or how long it might take for you to reach 150 lbs. These would be good questions for your physician.
If your physician is not helpful, you may want to consider finding another qualified physician. I hope you will take a look at the information on the About.com website to see how there are different approaches to managing the health of someone with Hashimotos/Hypothyroidism.
Yes, aerobic tapes and dance videos do count for getting exercise and burning calories. How much you burn will depend on how vigorous the dance or how long you participate.
I’m like you in that I prefer salty foods to sweets. Although I believe it is best to not consume too much salt, I do enjoy eating healthy lightly salted foods such as nuts (in moderation), whole grain crackers such as reduced fat and low sodium triscuits, and 94% fat-free Orville Redenbacher popcorn. Vegetable soups, lean deli meat sandwiches on whole grain bread with leafy greens or veggies, and some stews can be healthy low calorie choices and they tend to be salty. Or you might sprinkle a bit of feta cheese crumbles on low calorie cut veggies such as tomatoes, zucchini, or cucumbers for a healthy low calorie snack. These are just some ideas.
I wish you the very best in getting your questions answered by a qualified physician!
Lori
Hi Lori,
I am so glad I came about this site. I am 26 years old, 5’4″ and 180#, which is the highest weight I have ever been. After reading over both your 1200 calorie diet as well as the 1500 calorie diet, I believe I should begin with the 1500 calorie diet and change as I lose weight? Is this correct? Also a question – I love salads and am aware that you need to be careful about the dressings. Do you have any suggestions about appropriate calorie and fat content to constitute a “low cal” or “low fat” dressing?? Thank you so much for making this site!!
Lauren
I should also let you know that I have been wearing a podometer and trying to get my step count to 10,000 steps per day, as well as trying to do elliptical and light weights at least three times a week. I didn’t know if this changes anything. Thanks again
Hi Lauren!
First of all let me say that it sounds like you are off to a good start. Yes, I would not begin with anything less than 1500 calories. I estimate your BMR to be close to 1600 calories so that might be even better for a starting place. It’s easy enough to add 100 calories or so to the base of 1500 calories. Yes, as you lose weight your resting metabolism will drop. You might reassess where you are when you have lost 10 lbs. or so.
Two suggestions about salads. There are many different kinds of salads and many other easy to prepare low calorie meals and snacks that you could eat. Do rotate what you eat and include some variety to keep you from getting tired of what you are eating and to keep you healthy. I have lots of tips on this site to get you started and lots more coming! There’s a great blog I follow written by a guy from Italy who shares fabulous ideas for salads. Let me know if you’d like the web address.
As for salad dressings there are several options. If you want to continue to eat creamy dressings a good way to do that is to dip your fork in the dressing (on the side) BEFORE you poke through the salad greens. This will greatly reduce how much dressing you eat. By having the dressing on the side you can monitor how much you take. Or you could simply be careful about how much you add and then mix up the salad to distribute. Go easy because 2 Tbsp. can have from 120 to 160 calories or more!
Something else you might try is to just squeeze some freshly cut lemon juice over your salad. Or if you are eating at home you could make your own salad dressings quite easily but you will still need to go easy on how much you add to your salads. Would you like some recipes?
Great decision to wear a pedometer! I has helped me a LOT! Doing the elliptical machine and light weights are also great choices.
I wish you the very best!
Lori
Hi Lori,
I am 22 years old, 5’7, and weigh around 145-150 lbs. I’m looking to lose 15-20 lbs. I’ve been going to the gym 4 times a week (doing cycling classes, zumba, and elliptical), as well as watching what I eat (cooking more, keeping a food diary, etc.). While I lost a little at first, it’s all come back now and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve looked through your site and am trying to determine which calorie diet would be right for me. What would your suggestion be? If you have any other suggestions about how I can lose the extra pounds, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks so much!
Aimee
Hi Aimee!
It seems like 1500 calories would be a much better bet than 1200. Your BMR at your current weight, height, and age is about 1511. When you’re doing a lot of exercise it will likely help if you add some additional calories to the 1500 calorie base to compensate for the additional calorie burn. I know that may not make sense but it does seem to help weight loss to stay on track and keep people from hitting a plateau.
It can also help to cycle your calories up and then back down every so often. I like to keep tabs on what I eat during the week and then let myself eat what I want on Friday night (without stuffing myself!). That seems to work well for many people but not everyone. Some people do better cycling their calorie intake every 3-4 days and others don’t cycle calorie intake at all. That’s why there are no hard and fast rules about this. Everyone is different. See what works for you.
I do have a few other tips that may help.
Do strive for having variety and balance with what you eat. I prefer to cut calories across the board with all food groups but low carb works better for some people and low fat for others. Just don’t go to an extreme either way. It’s all to easy to miss important nutrients when an entire category of food is nearly eliminated. (The exception to this is sugar!)
When it comes to breads and cereals do choose whole grain whenever possible ( a whole grain is listed first in the ingredients). Just because a package front says whole grain does not mean a product is made primarily with whole grains (more than 50%). Three to six servings of breads and cereals is enough. If you are like me it’s all too easy to get carried away with this food group! Do strictly limit your sugar/sweets intake and watch for added sugars!
Fruit matters and the sugar in fruit is not typically a problem. However your best bet by far when you want to fill up on more food with healthy and low calorie food is to choose vegetables. A serving of fruit averages about 60 calories whereas a serving of vegetables averages about 25.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck,
Lori
Hi Aimee,
I’m in the same boat!!! I lost 75 pounds 2 years ago, and get to the gym 3-4 times a week. I have still been watching what I’m eating, but I’ve gained some of the weight back. My friend who is a personal trainer suggested the 1500 calorie diet and I’m getting started! Good luck to you!
I also have problems with keeping my diet exciting…once I get in a habit of knowing how much calories, fat, fiber, etc is in something, I get in a rut and have trouble finding new things to eat or recipes to try!!!
Hello. I am 43 years old, 5’9″ and just hit 200lbs…yuck! I have always been up and down with my weight. At my lowest, I was 135 and this is my highest. I usually change weight based on stress and it can go either way. My husband passed away in December and I just would eat anything at anytime…confort eating. I know what I was doing/did, but didn’t care. Now, I realize I have to do something about it. Physically, I have feet and back problems that drastically stop me from much exercise. What do you recommend?
Hi Sharleen,
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I can’t imagine what that must be like especially when you are still so young! I can totally understand doing what you needed to do to comfort yourself and not caring…That you are READY to re-examine your approach is good.
Although you are asking me about weight loss, I would first like to make a suggestion. If you have access to an appropriate support group I would strongly encourage you to give one a try. Sharing your struggles with other people who have been through a similar life experience would be best. Otherwise any group of genuinely caring people would be helpful. I am a firm believer that many weight management struggles stem from having an overwhelming amount of stress to handle.
Your feet and back issues do present a challenge with respect to getting exercise. However, having spent a great deal of time in assisted living facilities and nursing homes (helping my parents), I know with rare exceptions, there are ways to do some form of exercise no matter what your situation. You might look into doing some form of seated exercise if that is possible.
As for weight loss, you can lose weight without exercise. The benefit of exercise is that you will lose less lean body mass and more fat. You’ll also feel better.
Your BMR seems to be approximately 1636 calories/day so you might follow the 1500 calorie diet plan I have on this website and add an additional 100-150 calories or more.
Take care of yourself,
Lori
Thanks, Lori. I do have a very supportive family and my stress level has come down from what it once was. I will check with my doctors in regard to some excercise. As a note…by very large family has decided to do a family “biggest loser” from now until Christmas and will hopefully, be supporting each other throughout individual weight loss goals. Wish me luck!
Hi Sharleen,
How wonderful that your family will be doing the biggest loser program together! That’s great! I do wish you lots of luck and know that I am here if you or any one in your family has questions about weight loss.
It would be nice to hear how everyone does.
Best wishes,
Lori
hi my name is miranda i just found ur site while tryin to find a good diet for me i am 19 years old about 5’3 and i weight 210lbs i gained most of my weight while i was pregnant but when i was 7 month pregnant my daughter passed away and fast food became my best friend plus o am a very picky eatter since feb. of this year ive gained over 40lbs most night i cant sleep cause i cant breathe i dont have the energy to move most days i really need some help to get myself motivated so i can be healthy again
Miranda, my heart goes out to you with your loss. If I could I would give you a big hug. If I could I would tell you that everything will eventually be o.k. I know that a part of your heart will always ache for your baby girl. You do need some help to get past where you are now.
Finding support where you live would be best but there is always the internet for additional help. Have you looked to see if there is a forum online where you can talk with other women who have experienced something like you? I did a quick check and there seem to be many possibilities. I don’t know anything about it but I see there is one site called BabyandBump.com that has a section for mothers who have experienced stillbirth and miscarriage. Do be careful if you decide to participate. Only stick with a group that is loving and supportive!
What I think you need most right now is the love and support. You can get back to healthy eating and some day weight loss when you are feeling better.
Remember that you and your life matters. Treat yourself with love and care (but not with too much food)!
Hugs,
Lori
Hi Lori!
First, I wanted to say that I’m really glad I found this website. I’m 22 yrs old, about 5’5, and I weigh a very disturbing 218 lbs. I have struggled with my weight since middle school, but things got out of hand in college. Now that I have graduated (woo-hoo!!), I’m no longer staying up late studying and grabbing whatever I can find to eat. I’m considering military service, but in order to do so, I need to get my weight down to around 165 and get used to running. I think starting with a 1500 calorie diet would be best, but I’m not sure. I don’t want to start with good intentions, then unintentionally fall off the wagon (lol).
Thanks for any help and suggestions!
Cammy
Hi Camille,
First of all I’d like to say good for you for considering military service. I admire that! Yes, you will need to lose some weight but with the motivation you seem to have I’m sure you can do it!
Based on my estimation of your BMR, you might be best off with a calorie intake of about 1800 calories (at least at first). I don’t have an 1800 calorie plan on my website yet but you could follow the basics of the 1500 calorie diet plan and simply add some additional calories as you feel necessary to stay satisfied and keep going without giving up!
You mentioned the need to ready yourself to run. Have you considered joining a running group? I took a class given by our local parks and recreation group to train to run a half-marathon when I was 54 years old! I thought there is no way I can do this. But everyone was very helpful and encouraging. If you have the right group it can make all difference. (I’ve now run 2 half-marathons. Not fast but hey I did it!)
Go for your weight loss goal and your dreams. Don’t ever give up on yourself. You can do it!
I’m here to help,
Lori
Hi, I just came across this website. It seems as though it will be helpful however , I have a few questions. When I ststarted losing weight. I was basically giving a guideline on how many calories I was ablt to intake. Now that I have lost a great, amount of weight I am stumped. I am pretty active however, I do not excersice regularly
because my job is physically demanding. I am 5’7 and I was 253 now I weight 200. I have been stuck here for sometime. I think my food intake has a lot to do with it. I just need to know with a physical job and at this weight will a 1500 calorie diet be helpful in me continuing my weight lose. I do desire to be about 145 to 135. also lastly
my scehdule is very busy I currently have 3 jobs. therfore I need a meal plan that will be comperable to my crazy schedule. well thanks for you time I do hope you can enlighten me with some information that will help me past my stucky stage. oh and I am 25!
Hi Matt!
What calorie intake did you have originally for your diet? That will help me to give you an idea of what you may need to do next. Also, you may want to read the articles I wrote about overcoming a plateau. Click on the articles link on the top of any page then scroll down to access these articles.
Thanks,
Lori
Hi Lori,
I am so glad I found this website. I do fine with my weight until I start to exercise and then the pounds creep on. I am 5’7″ and weigh 132lbs . But—-I am very small framed. Tiny boned. Just celebrated my 50th b-day. I would love to get my 42″ hip line to be more in proportion with my other body measurements bust 34″, waist 27″. I have been exercising consistently for several months (always good in the nice weather and then I fall off during tax season–when I don’t have much time to exercise) I have been able to get my exercise time up to 1hour a day sometimes as much as 2 hours (if I bike ride) I would say I exercise 5 days a week. THe other 2 days I may take a stroll–but just to move, not to sweat.
My food intake is good overall—I am allergic to wheat/corn/nuts–(about 6 years now) so I am not munching on junk food. I haven’t had pizza or chocolate in those 6 years.
I do eat whole grains–rice-for my pasta, bread, waffles…3-4 servings for fruit and vegies. I try to stick to lean meats–splurge on red meat once a week. I am not a calorie counter–but a visual eater. Dinner plate–1/2 veg, 1/4 whole grain/starch, 1/4 meat. Fruit sometimes or a salad. Color is also important in creating the meal. I don’t do dairy–milk products–too mucus producing for me, so I use rice milk. I will use cow cheese, but just sprinkled on certain foods. I will use real butter, but sparingly.
I do crave carbs—especially granola. An organic granola that I found on the shelf at the market. It seems to be my sweet treat.
I need a suggestion getting these inches off. Can I do this without counting the calories, but using the serving suggestions and portion control? If not, is there an easy way to count calories? I would like to see this 42″ hipline go to a 36″. Fingers crossed. Looking forward to hearing from you when you get a minute. Thanks for the time you put into this site. It’s wonderful
Hi Sue,
I understand why you might want to have more “ideal” proportions. But I am wondering if your measurements may be “normal” for your age and family. It can be awfully hard, if not impossible to fight nature, I’m sorry to say.
Your weight falls well within a normal range. You have what seems to be a well-balanced and nutritious diet. As for the weight coming on with exercise, that’s not uncommon. A bit more weight might be expected with even slightly greater muscle mass. The other pounds are likely the result of a higher caloric intake brought on by the hunger from exercise. That happens to me as well. Unfortunately the only way to combat that is with close attention to caloric intake.
I’m like you. I find calorie counting to be tedious. I also prefer to choose healthy portion-controlled servings over calorie counting. No, there is no easy way to count calories unless you were to follow a specific week long sample menu to the letter. And then repeat as necessary. Although I do have sample menus on this site, I encourage people to adapt the menus to suit their needs.
The only other way to easily track calories is to eat all processed food with calorie counts on nutrition labels. I can see that you are already aware that this is not a good idea, unless it is only for a short time.
My best suggestion for you is to find an appropriate exercise program that can help to possibly improve your weight distribution. I have an older sister who is slim and trim and about your height at age 60. She has been doing a tough exercise regime called P90X. And she is the strongest and fittest she has ever been. I tried the program when I was visiting her last week and it is hard! There is a shortened version that I am considering getting for myself (35 minutes a day instead of an hour and a half).
Wish I had better suggestions for you. It can be hard to get the body we want instead of the one we have! I know.
Good luck,
Lori
Oh one more thing Sue. I can’t tell from what you shared if you are pre-menopausal or post. Your hormones will influence where the extra weight is deposited in addition to your genes. Because you mention your hips as being the issue, my guess is that you are pre-menopausal?
I need some reciepes to follow.
Hi Patashley,
I hope to provide more recipe information soon.
Thanks,
Lori
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