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Personal Nutrition Plan

The 1200 calorie plan is designed for women who don’t exercise, don’t work in physically demanding environments, are postmenopausal and/or 55 years or older. If you are too hungry on the 1200 calorie plan you may want to move up to the 1400 calorie plan and add on more exercise.

The 1400 calorie plan is most commonly used by women who lead active lives, get exercise on a regular basis, are less than 55 years old and have a long history of dieting. This plan works well for most women.

The 1600 calorie plan is a good match for women who are over 5 feet 7 inches, very active and exercise 5-6 days a week.

The 1800 calorie plan is recommended for men who are active and less than 6 feet. If you are over 6 feet you lucky people get to eat some more. Add one more grain and dairy to boost your calories closer to 2000.

An important point to remember is that if you feel hungry (true hunger) on your plan or get lighted headed, it is important to add a snack. Feel free to add extra vegetables or fruit. If that doesn’t help, have an extra piece of low-fat cheese or a small amount of hummus. This should provide you with some extra fuel to make it to your next meal.

Below is a chart that outlines how many servings of each food group are allocated for the different calorie levels. Do your best to stay within the suggested guidelines. By keeping a food log, you will be able to easily keep track of what you are eating during the day. If you overeat at one meal, do your best to get back on track at your next meal.