2,000-Calorie Diets

For a big-boned individual, 2,000-calorie diets are the perfect ways in which to lose weight and maintain recommended body weight. Though such diets offer substantial calories for maintenance of health, you must make sure your calories are come from all food groups, rather than only one.

Breakfast Plan

For breakfast you can have a maximum of two eggs boiled or scrambled, two pieces of bacon grilled or merely heated in the microwave, but definitely not fried and a couple of slices of whole grain or wheat bread. Toast the bread and have it with a serving each of sweet preservative such as jam and reduced fat margarine. Wash it down with 1 cup of skimmed milk, with the option of adding a nonfat chocolate powder for paste.

Lunch Plan

You can have one large pita bread or one flour tortilla, top it with 1 ounce of cheddar cheese or sliced and skimmed mozzarella, and a couple of slices of turkey breast or ham. Instead of this you can have a vegetable salad with a few pieces of chicken and a low-fat cheese dressing or 20 pieces of baked potato chips, two small beef hot dogs or a pretzel. No matter what you have, remember to have a medium-sized fruit like a pear or an apple, and wash the meal down with water or any zero-calorie drink.

Dinner Plan

For dinner you can have 3 ounces of any cut of steak. But remember to remove any detectable signs of fat and definitely roast it or grill it, but do not add oil to it. You can have one small potato baked with one pat of margarine, half a cup of baked beans, and two slices of whole grain bread or half a cup of rice. Always include a small salad consisting of chopped lettuce, plum tomato, cucumber, shredded cheese and some dressing in your dinner menu.

Snack Plan

Apart from one slimming shake made of one cup of skimmed milk blended with half a cup of frozen strawberries taken before bedtime, you also have the option of having any other under-200 calorie snack any time during the day. This could be a bagel with nonfat cream cheese, a medium sized fruit or some crackers with little tuna.

General Measures

On a daily basis, any 2,000 calorie diet plan should generally contain at least 1 1/2 cups of fruits and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables, spread across the day's meals. Consumption of grains should be limited to 6 ounces while not more than 5 ounces of meats, fish or any other proteins should be taken. Milk, used with cereals or tea and coffee or otherwise, should not exceed 3 cups while not more than 5 teaspoons of cooking or dressing oil should be had during one day. Drink lots of water, exercise regularly and have plenty of rest to make this diet plan work.