While some diets have so many rules they are seemingly impossible to follow, such as detailed calorie or carbohydrate/protein limits, some healthy diets can help you lose weight without all the fuss. The key to maximizing your weight loss is eating a nutritious, low-calorie diet consisting of well-balanced meals and limited sweets, salty foods and unhealthy fats.
DASH Diet Plan
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet program was first designed as a way to help people with high blood pressure reduce their daily consumption of sodium, or salt, and other unhealthy foods that can lead to hypertension. This easy to follow plan is recommended by several reputable health organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association. In addition the helping people lower their blood pressure through eating healthy, this diet plan has also been shown to help people lose 10 to 35 lbs. within a matter of just a few months, according to DASHDiet.org.
The DASH diet plan is a low-calorie, high-fiber approach to dieting. The main foods recommended in this plan include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts/seeds/legumes and lean meats. Salt, sugar and unhealthy fats are limited in this diet.
MyPyramid Program
It doesn't get much easier than the MyPyramid Plan. Created by the USDA in an effort to help make the Dietary Guidelines for Americans report a bit easier to read and follow, MyPyramid is a free online tool that allows you to get a customized diet and meal plan within a matter of minutes. Each personalized plan is based on your age, gender, body type and the amount of exercise you get each day. Your MyPyramid report will show you the exact number of calories you should be eating each day if you want to lose weight at a healthy rate, and it will tell you which foods to choose. The MyPyramid plan is designed to help overweight people lose weight at a rate of about one to two lbs. per week maximum.
Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic Diet plan is a long term approach to eating healthy, but it can help you lose weight in the short term as well. The basis of the Mayo Clinic Diet is the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid -- somewhat similar to the USDA's Food Pyramid with a few exceptions. This easy to follow plan allows you to eat an unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables, four to eight servings of carbohydrates, three to seven servings of protein/dairy, three to five servings of fat and up to 75 calories per day of sweets. It's just that simple. Like the MyPyramid plan, the Mayo Clinic Diet is designed to help you lose weight at a healthy rate of one to two lbs. per week.
Member Comments