Weight loss is not a mathematically complex formula: You must burn more calories through exercise and normal metabolic functions than you eat to lose weight. Every time you eat or burn 3,500 calories, you may lose a pound, MedlinePlus explains. Eating the right amount and types of foods can help you lose weight at a steady, medically recommended pace of 1 to 2 lbs. per week. Consult your doctor before beginning any new diet or exercise regimen.
Benefits
Your body needs a certain balance of calories and nutrients, particularly when you're trying to lose weight. As you reduce your calories, eat the proper type and amount of nutritious food to keep your organs and body systems functioning properly, the Helpguide website instructs. Calcium from the dairy group keeps your bones strong, protein gives you energy and the vitamins and minerals you receive from eating healthy food nourish your body and strengthen your immune system. Eating small amounts of healthy fats helps your body absorb vitamins, keeps your mind sharp and is keeps your skin looking healthy.
Calories and Amounts
Eat the proper number of calories to lose weight. If you eat too few calories, you may lose weight initially, but run the risk of malnourishment, feeling hungry all the time and not being able to sustain your weight loss, according to Columbia University's Go Ask Alice! health reference website. Use of an online calorie estimator or shave about 500 calories a day from your current eating pattern. If eating 1,600 to 1,800 calories per day is your target for weight loss, heed the recommendations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Dietary Guidelines for Americans and eat fewer than 200 discretionary calories, about 3 cups of milk products, 5 ounces of beans and meats, 5 to 6 oz. of mainly whole grains, 1 1/2 cups of fruit and 2 to 2 1/2 cups of fresh, canned or frozen vegetables.
Types of Foods
As you cut calories from your diet, eliminate unnecessary calories from unhealthy foods rather than calories from healthy foods. Examine your diet for foods high in sodium such as most processed and canned foods. Replace those foods with natural beans, whole-wheat breads and fresh vegetables, Helpguide advises. Eat healthy meats such as grilled chicken or fish, ground turkey or the occasional lean cut of beef rather than fried meats. Make vegetable, rice and grain dishes without adding oil. When you want a sweet dessert, eat fat-free sherbet, fresh fruit sorbets or 1 oz. of dark chocolate. Avoid going out to eat when possible.
Sample Meal Plan
Allot your calories relatively evenly among your daily meals. If eating 1,800 calories a day, give yourself 200 to 300 calories for between-meal snacking, 300 to 400 for breakfast, and 450 to 550 calories for lunch and dinner. Eat a variety of breakfast grains, including grits, oatmeal or cereals. Avoid cereals with added sugars and choose cereals with high fiber content, Helpguide recommends. Eat a lean protein, large salad or plate of vegetables and fruit for lunch. A well-balanced dinner can help you stay full and avoid excessive evening snacking. Make a pot of black or white beans. Serve in Mexican dishes such as fajitas or as a soup base. Use whole-grain or enriched pastas and top with vegetarian sauce.
Serving Sizes
When losing weight, eat the right foods in appropriate amounts to consume fewer calories than your body needs. A study published in 2006 in the journal "Appetite" and led by Robert A. Carels found that the participants regularly underestimated calorie content in healthy foods typically associated with weight loss. This tendency to underestimate calories may result in eating too much of a healthy food. Until you are confident in your ability to visually identify the right serving size, measure your food with measuring cups and spoons.
References
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
- Helpguide: Eating Right to Look and Feel Your Best
- Columbia University: Go Ask Alice!: Reduced Fat and Calorie Diets: How Low is too Low?
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- Helpguide: Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet and Sticking to It
- "Appetite"; Qualitative Perceptions and Caloric Estimations of Healthy and Unhealthy Foods by Behavioral Weight Loss Participants; R.A. Carels et al.; March 2006
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