Eating a healthy diet is important to maintaining a healthy weight and protecting against disease. Choosing low-fat foods, monitoring calorie intake and choosing healthier food options will assist in planning a well-rounded meal plan. It's also important to partner with your doctor to consider special dietary factors based on your circumstances.
How It Works
Planning a healthy diet requires learning how many calories to cut for weight loss. A pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, according to MayoClinic.com. If you want to lose a pound of fat, you will need to burn an additional 3,500 calories weekly, or 500 calories a day. Lose 2 lbs. weekly by cutting 7,000 calories weekly, or 1,000 each day.
Cutting back on calories doesn't have to mean major changes, according to MayoClinic.com. Often skipping a high-calorie indulgence or changing to a low-calorie version of your favorite foods will do the trick. Calculating portion sizes is also important to losing weight.
Benefits
A healthy diet has many benefits, including weight management, weight loss and decreased risk for health problems. Achieving a healthy weight also can reduce the risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease, according to MedlinePlus. It can also make you feel better.
Considerations
Calories are important, but it's also important to choose the right foods. Eat four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits daily, recommends MayoClinic.com. Consuming four to eight servings of carbohydrates daily is also important. Eat three to seven servings of lean dairy and protein sources daily and three to five servings of fat. Choose healthy fat sources. For example, instead of choosing margarine or butter, cook with olive oil. Eat nuts or avocados instead of fried foods.
Misconceptions
Some people think dietary changes are the most important factor in weight loss. Physical activity is also important to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. Adults need a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes of weekly exercise, according to MayoClinic.com.
Burn calories more quickly by choosing high-calorie-burning activities. For example, ice skating burns 511 calories an hour, rollerblading burns 913 and jumping rope burns 730, according to MayoClinic.com. Playing singles tennis will burn 277 calories, and using a stair treadmill burns 657.
Warnings
The quickest you should lose weight is 1 to 2 lbs. weekly, recommends MayoClinic.com. Partner with your doctor to plan healthy meals based on your situation. She will evaluate your health and make healthy eating and weight-loss goal recommendations.
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