The focus of most healthy weight-loss plans is combining regular exercise with healthy eating. Exercise is important because it helps burn calories, build muscles and tone the body, but following a healthy meal plan and reducing calories is also important to take off pounds. Be prepared for gradual progress, since it's necessary to save about 3,500 calories to lose one pound. Most importantly, make dietary changes that are appealing, lasting, convenient and affordable.
Step 1
Evaluate your current diet to determine what you can improve. To do it, keep a food journal for a full week and record everything you eat, from full meals to a single nibble of a chocolate bar. Eat the way you normally would, and record things promptly so that you don't forget about them later. When the week is over, use an online calorie counter and nutrition calculator to estimate the fat, calorie and sugar totals from the food you ate each day. Think about what you can eliminate or reduce from that diet and what you can add to be healthier.
Step 2
Create a customized meal plan. Among other factors, the Mayo Clinic recommends considering your budget and the foods that are readily available at local grocery stores when you build a plan. Tailor the details to your preferences. If you enjoy cooking, for example, find healthy recipes ahead of time and list them on the plan. If your schedule is always packed, brainstorm nutritious on-the-go options and consider making quick meals with precut veggies or fruit.
Step 3
Include healthy breakfast options for each day in your plan. According to "Cooking Light" magazine, breakfast boosts metabolism, provides sustained energy that may curb calorie consumption later in the day and includes vitamins and minerals. HelpGuide.org suggests substituting healthy alternatives, such as oatmeal with fresh fruit, for heavier choices, such as pancakes. Other smart options are a Greek yogurt parfait with homemade granola, high-fiber cereal or a vegetable omelet.
Step 4
Base most of your meals on whole, fresh and unprocessed foods, since they usually offer the most nutrients and the lowest levels of fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium. One strategy is to replace all refined grains with whole grains and all processed snacks and meals with fresh fruits and vegetables. Another option is to follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid, which proposes five healthy food groups.
Step 5
Shop at the edges of the grocery store, where most of the fresh produce and basic, nutritious items are located. Avoid the center aisles, which house processed and refined products. It's possible to make most healthy meals with a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator full of fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables; whole grains such as wheat bread, brown rice and multigrain pasta; low-fat dairy products like nonfat Greek yogurt and skim milk; healthy cooking oils such as olive and canola; and lean proteins like chicken breast, tofu, lean turkey, salmon, beans and lentils.
Tips and Warnings
- Flavor dishes with spices and fresh or dried herbs instead of fats such as butter, cooking oil and cheese.
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