Any diet will help you lose weight, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, as long as you eat fewer calories than your body needs. But a good diet should include a variety of foods you enjoy eating, because in order for a diet to be successful, you need to be able to follow it for the rest of your life.
Healthy Eating Pyramid
The Healthy Eating Pyramid was designed by the Nutrition Department at the Harvard School of Public Health. Its recommendations are based on the most current scientific data linking nutrition and health. The Healthy Eating Pyramid is not a traditional weight loss diet because it does not offer portion size suggestions, but it does emphasize the importance of weight control and exercise. Harvard says if you are concerned about your weight and exercise regularly, you are more likely to make better food choices. The Healthy Eating Pyramid diet encourages you to eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and healthy oils. It also recommends you eat more fish and poultry and limit your intake of dairy foods to one to two servings a day. The diet also suggests you significantly limit your intake of red meat, refined flours, sweetened drinks and fried foods.
Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers has been successfully helping people lose weight for more than 40 years. Weight Watchers offers group support and teaches you how to make better food choices and control portions. The plan uses a point system to help you control calorie intake, rather than making you directly count calories. Each day you are allowed to eat a certain number of points. Foods are assigned points based on calories, fat and fiber. Naturally, low-calorie high-fiber foods have fewer points than high-calorie high-fat foods. While the plan is flexible, allowing you to eat what you want, you will likely choose to eat more of the low-calorie high-fiber foods in order to feel satisfied .
Calories Count
Controlling calories and keeping track of your intake helps you lose weight, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Calories Count is a free online weight-management program designed to help you get to a better weight and live a healthier lifestyle. The diet assessment tool determines the number of calories you need to lose weight based on your age, sex, weight, height and activity level. Once you know your needs for weight loss, you can use the online food calculator and food diary to count and control your intake. Calories Count also offers calorie-controlled meal plans with recipes and shopping lists to help those having a hard time figuring out what to eat.
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