Eating a healthy diet is important whether you are trying to gain weight or lose it. Eating foods that are good for you helps to ensure that your body stays healthy. When you lose weight, a healthy diet helps you lose fat. When you gain weight, healthy foods help you to gain lean muscle mass instead of fat.
Components
A diet to lose weight and a diet to gain weight must include all six of the major food groups: grains, fruits, lean protein, vegetables, milk and oils. A diet that doesn't include all of these groups each day isn't a healthy diet.
Features
The number of calories in your diet plays a big part in whether your diet will help you gain or lose weight. The more calories you eat, the more likely you are to gain weight. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. This means that to gain 1 pound a week, you must eat 500 more calories than you burn every day, and to lose 1 pound a week, you must eat 500 calories fewer than you burn. In both weight-gain and weight-loss diets, men need a minimum of 1,800 to 2,000 calories daily and women need a minimum of 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, according to Rutgers Fitness.
Time Frame
If you are trying to lose weight, you can do so safely by losing 1 to 2 pounds per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you lose weight any faster, you risk losing lean muscle mass and water. If you are trying to gain weight, the safe rate is 1 pound gained per week. This rate allows your body to compensate for the weight gain at a safe pace without undue stress.
Considerations
Eating a healthy diet isn't the only thing you need to gain or lose weight. You must also exercise, according to the University of Iowa. For healthy adults, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends exercising at least 30 minutes per day on most days of the week. If you are trying to lose weight, you should exercise for 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week. This exercise can include aerobic activity and strength training.
Warning
If you have certain medical conditions, starting a weight-gain or weight-loss program might not be appropriate or you might need special considerations. For example, if you are on blood thinners for heart disease, you should avoid leafy green vegetables and foods high in vitamin K. You should always talk to your doctor before you start a weight-gain or weight-loss program.
References
- American Academy of Family Physicians: What it Takes to Lose Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Eating for Healthy Weight
- University of Iowa: Healthy Weight Gain
- Rutgers Fitness: Healthy Weight Gain Guidelines
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity & Public Health Guidelines
Member Comments