You increase your risk of obesity and weight-related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease if you eat more calories than your body needs, according to MedlinePlus. However, you will improve your chances of living a long and fit life if you commit to eating a nutritious diet that is also proven to help you drop pounds.
Daily Calories
If you're trying to lose weight, be safe and realistic when setting goals. For long-term success, am for a gradual loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week by dropping 500 to 1,000 calories from your normal daily diet, recommends MayoClinic.com. However, if you are a woman you shouldn't take in fewer than 1,200 calories and if you are a man you shouldn't drop below 1,500 calories unless requested and supervised by a doctor. Otherwise you risk developing health problems related to malnutrition.
Nutrient Needs
About 45 to 65 percent of your total calorie intake should be from carbohydrates. Focus on eating mostly complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans, and lower your intake of added sugars such as those in candy. Your daily protein intake shouldn't drop lower than 10 percent or be higher than 35 percent of your daily calories. Focus on eating mostly plant-based protein sources such as beans and nuts and choose mostly lean cuts of meat. The rest of your calories -- 20 to 35 percent -- should come from fat, but mostly unsaturated fats found in foods such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils. Saturated fat, mostly derived from animal products, should be no more than 7 percent of your calories and trans fats from foods such as commercially baked goods should be no higher than 1 percent.
Eating Frequency
Snacking between your three daily meals may reduce how many total calories you eat because it can prevent you from getting too hungry and overeating, according to the Weight-control Information Network. Prepare nutritious, low-calorie snacks such as lite yogurt cups, rice cakes, fresh fruit and whole grain crackers so that they will be readily available when you're low on energy and feeling hungry.
Tips
Eat only when you're hungry, not because you are bored or stressed. Other outlets, such as writing in a diary and playing a game of basketball, will hold you over until your next meal. When you are eating, do it slowly and concentrate on your level of satiety. Your body shouldn't register feelings of fullness for about 20 minutes, so you may inadvertently eat more than you really need if you're busy reading a magazine or watching television during meals, according to the Center for Young Women's Health.
Considerations
An effective diet isn't one that you only have to follow for a week; the pounds will return when you go back to the eating habits that caused you to put on extra weight. Your new diet will have to be part of a full lifestyle turnaround. Consult your doctor if you believe that underlying emotional or physical issues are preventing you from sticking to a well-balanced diet.
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