The Internet has an unlimited supply of websites offering quick fixes to your weight-loss struggle. The truth is, though, that to drop the pounds by next week's pool party or hot tub extravaganza, you have to work with your body, not against it. Consuming foods that work together and ridding your diet of useless calories will lead to a slimmer, healthier body in no time.
Calorie Intake
The National Institutes of Health's October 2000 publication of "The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight Obesity in Adults" recommends cutting 500 to 1,000 calories from your current daily diet to lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week.
To keep you full and satisfied with fewer calories, eat ample complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are low in fat and high in fiber helping to create that full feeling. The CDC lists breads, cereals, grains, nuts, fruits, brown rice and most vegetables as examples of complex carbohydrates.
Specifics
Choose whole-grain bread, cereal, rice and pasta in order to avoid feeling hungry between meals. Being high in water and fiber content while being low in calories, fruits and vegetables also promote the feeling of being full and help you stick to a preset calorie limit. However, because the nutritious value of fruits and vegetables can be easily altered, eating them fresh is best for a low-calorie plan.
Eating leaner meats will lower your fat intake, an essential element to weight loss. Chicken breast and fish are naturally lean meats, yet Keri Glassman, weight loss expert for Women's Health, says you can continue eating red meat and lose weight. She recommends eating round, tenderloin or roast meats and warns to "steer clear of any meat that is heavily marbled in white."
Considerations
Alcohol consumption adds to your daily calorie count and displaces nutrients found in foods. Studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health prove that alcohol consumption is associated with obesity. To reach your weight loss goals in the quickest manner possible, it is advisable to monitor and lower your alcohol intake in order to stay within the limits of a lower-calorie plan.
Prevention/Solution
By consuming a variety of foods found throughout the food pyramid, you can stay satisfied and full throughout your 2 lb.-a-week weight loss regimen. The United States Department of Agriculture lists grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, oil and meat and beans as the components that make up the food pyramid. Eating the proper amounts of each food will help synchronize your body's functions and lead to greater and quicker weight loss.
Warning
Keep in mind that calorie intake dictates the speed of weight loss; therefore, all foods should be eaten within the confines of your calorie limit.
Severely limiting your intake of any of the major food groups for a prolonged period of time may lead to serious health issues.
Obsession with rapid weight loss may also lead to serious health issues. The National Institute of Mental Health states that eating disorders most commonly begin by eating either smaller or larger portions of food.
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