The Strengths of 1,350-Calorie Meal Plans

Weight Loss

Using a 1,350-calorie meal plan will help you safely shed pounds if you’re an active overweight woman or weigh more than 164 pounds, notes the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. If you’re sedentary and weigh less than 165 pounds, you may require slightly fewer calories to slim down. Overweight adults who shed excess pounds often experience increased energy and self-esteem.

Reduced Disease Risk

Shedding pounds using a 1,350-calorie meal plan could increase your life expectancy. Weight loss using calorie restriction improves cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood pressure and insulin resistance in overweight women, report researchers who conducted a study published in the “International Journal of Obesity” in 2011. Women who participated in this study cut their usual calorie intake by 25 percent -- during a period of six months -- to achieve weight loss and reduced disease risk factors.

Fat Loss

Following a 1,350-calorie meal plan can help you shed excess body fat. A study published in 2013 in "Obesity" found that reduced-calorie diets lead to fat loss, and reduced-calorie diets combined with exercise cause even greater body fat losses. Choose from a variety of cardiovascular workouts, such as walking or biking, and resistance exercises -- such as weightlifting -- to maximize fat loss while eating 1,350 calories a day.

Sample 1,350 Meal Plan

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 provides healthy, sample meal plans at various calorie levels you can use in your weight-loss endeavor. Using these sample meal plans as a guide, a 1,350-calorie meal plan consists of 1.5 cups of vegetables, 1.5 cups of fruits, 5 ounces of grains, 4 ounces of protein-rich foods, 2.5 cups of dairy products, 4 teaspoons of oils and 71 additional calories daily. One ounce from the grains group includes one-half cup of rice or pasta, or one slice of bread. Lean meats, seafood, poultry, eggs, soy products, nuts and seeds are included in the protein foods group.