When most people hear the word "diet," they immediately think of weight loss. While it is true that weight loss is one purpose that a diet can serve, there are also others. Depending on an individual's needs and circumstances, he may also wish to gain weight in the form of muscle mass, or simply to improve the overall nutritional value of his diet. Each of these goals will require a unique diet composition, and it is important to understand the key differences.
Weight-Loss Diet
In order to lose weight on a diet, your primary consideration must be your caloric intake. To get an idea of your current caloric intake, make a note of every food and drink item that you consume over several days. Using a calculator and the nutritional information on these items, calculate the average number of calories you consume each day. To ensure that you'll lose weight, reduce this figure by 500. Eliminate all sweets, desserts and soft-drinks from your diet; this should constitute the bulk of your 500 calorie deficit. If it does not, proceed to decrease your portion sizes at each meal. Finally, increase the amount of protein that you consume on a daily basis through foods such as meats, fish and tofu; this will naturally decrease your appetite, streamlining the diet process.
Muscle-Building Diet
In order to increase your muscle mass through diet, you must increase your caloric intake while prioritizing protein. When constructing your diet, keep in mind that you should aim to take in at least 3,000 calories daily. The bulk of the calories should come from complex rather than simple carbohydrates, such as whole-grains. Further, you should aim to take in between 1 and 1.6 g of protein for every kilogram of body weight each day. This can be accomplished using protein-rich foods such as meats, fish, tofu, beans and nuts. To ensure that you're meeting these requirements, determine your portions using a calculator and the nutritional information available on these foods. Note that an increased-calorie diet alone will merely serve to increase your body fat; in order to see results and offset your increased food intake, you must complement the diet with a consistent program of resistance training.
Health Maintenance Diet
If you're simply looking to maintain your health, your diet should focus on optimizing your vitamin and nutrient intake. In constructing your diet, consult the USDA's food pyramid for guidelines on portion sizing and macronutrient distribution. For instance, a man of average height and weight should consume 2,600 calories daily, consisting of 2 cups of fruit, 3.5 cups of vegetables, 4.5 oz. of whole grains, and no more than 400 calories of extra fats and sugars. In addition, consider a daily multivitamin to address any deficiencies that may slip through the cracks.
References
- "International Journal of Obesity"; High Protein Intake Sustains Weight Maintenance After Body Weight Loss in Humans; M.S. Westerterp-Plantenga, et. al.; 2004
- "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition"; International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise; B. Campbell et. al.; 2007
- My Pyramid: My Pyramid Plan
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