If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight in the form of fat. Losing fat requires you to do the opposite--eat fewer calories than you burn, or create a negative calorie balance. Reduce your body fat to improve your health and achieve a more toned, athletic body. Use a fat loss diet for females that will help you create a leaner, shapelier body.
Significance
More than half of American adults considered to be of normal weight--according to their body mass index, or BMI--actually have too much body fat, according to an April 2008 report by the Mayo Clinic. Too much body fat puts you at risk for chronic conditions and diseases related to obesity, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Women with a body fat level greater than 30 percent are considered obese. While body fat levels vary depending on age and body type, an average body fat level for women typically falls between 22 and 25 percent, while levels of 14.5 to 19 percent are well above average, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Strategy
Use an online resource to figure out how many daily calories you need to maintain your weight, on average. For example, a larger or more active person needs a greater number of calories daily--and women usually need fewer calories than men. Create a calorie deficit to lose fat. Decrease your food intake and increase your physical activity. Subtract 20 to 30 percent from your maintenance level for the best fat-loss results, recommends "The Body Fat Solution" by Tom Venuto. For instance, if you need 2,200 calories a day to maintain your weight, consume about 1,760 calories to optimize your fat loss. While this strategy may result in a slow rate of weight loss, it's safer than trying to shed pounds too quickly. If you lose too much too fast, your body may burn off muscle along with fat, giving you less-than-optimal results.
Food
A fat loss diet for females should emphasize nutritious, low-calorie foods that offer satisfaction. While you can create a caloric deficit by eating unhealthy junk foods, you'd have to trim the portion sizes so extremely you would never feel satisfied or energized--and your health could suffer because of nutritional deficiencies. Focus on lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains. Stay away from foods with added sugars, saturated fats, trans fats and refined flours. Such calorie-dense foods usually inhibit your ability to maintain a caloric deficit because they don't fill you up.
Considerations
The best diet strategy for fat loss really depends on your schedule and personal preferences. While eating several mini-meals with an equal number of calories throughout the day can help ward off hunger and keep your metabolism burning, this may not fit your schedule. Regardless, eat every three to four hours--even a small snack, such as a handful of nuts--to prevent overeating from extreme hunger. Avoid skipping meals. Eating 10 to 25 g of protein with each meal or snack can help your feel full longer and support any exercise efforts you pursue.
Misconceptions
Starving yourself is not the way to lose body fat. Starvation diets actually cause your body to slow down and conserve calories, warns MayoClinic.com. Very low-fat diets also aren't the best way to shed fat--you need fat to help with hormone production and vitamin absorption. Instead, a fat loss diet should focus on essential fatty acids found in such foods as salmon, flax seeds, walnuts and mackerel. Unsaturated fats--such as safflower oil, olive oil, almonds and avocados--also promote fat loss when eaten in moderation, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Normal Weight Obesity: An Emerging Risk Factor for Heart and Metabolic Problems
- Sarasota County: American College of Sports Medicine Body Composition for Men and Women
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good
- "The Body Fat Solution"; Tom Venuto; 2009
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