The Mayo Clinic suggests using a calorie counter to estimate the number of calories you need each day to maintain your current weight. Reducing caloric intake by about 500 calories a day can help trim about a pound a week. Eating meals that are nutritious but low in calories can help you lose weight.
Breakfast
Considered the most important meal of the day, breakfast reduces hunger later in the day and lowers the body's insulin response which can be responsible for increased fat storage and weight gain, says Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, RD, LD. She adds that skipping breakfast can actually increase the risk of obesity.
According to MayoClinic.com, breakfast cereal that contains at least 3 g fiber per serving and no more than 13 g sugar and has 120 calories or fewer is an excellent meal choice to help lose weight, especially if you add low-fat milk.
A 2007 article by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service stated that calcium from low-fat dairy enhances both loss of unwanted pounds and fat itself. A cup of low-fat yogurt combined with a serving of berries or melons makes a low-fat, nutritious meal.
Lunch
Lunch can be almost as difficult to squeeze into a busy schedule as breakfast, but wise food choices during the midday hours can help fuel your body and encourage weight loss. According to the food magazine Eatingwell.com, lunch helps provide energy for the rest of your day and prevents overeating at dinner due to low blood sugar levels.
Meal choices at lunch include salads with lots of leafy green vegetables, some protein and low-fat dressing. Think chicken salad with broiled chicken breast atop romaine and red leaf lettuce and spinach or tuna salad atop iceberg lettuce and shredded cabbage. Sprinkle some low-fat cheddar on top for extra calcium.
When out and about, the 2010 USA Today Weight-Loss Challenge recommends heading for the Subway nearest you for their 6-inch Turkey or Veggie Delight with fat-free dressing.
Dinner
Dinner might be the time to fulfill the daily nutrient requirements that went unmet. Protein is helpful to keep the number of carbohydrates, which can be your downfall, to a minimum while helping to rebuild fatigued muscles. The goal is to pack as much nutrition into this meal as possible while maintaining a low calorie count.
The USA Today Weight-Loss Challenge suggests any of a number of 500-calorie meals including steak and pepper tacos, peanut and chicken stir fry which incorporates 2 cups of vegetables, and even spaghetti and meatballs that calls for low-fat meatballs made with ground turkey.
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