If you need to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you expend, or burn. A moderate, reduced-calorie, low-fat diet may help you lose weight, and you can choose healthy foods to meet your nutrient needs. Talk to your doctor if you are overweight or before starting any new diet or exercise program.
Strategy
To increase the probability that you can stick to your diet, a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet should not be too extreme. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that you cut your calories by no more than about 500 to 1,000 per day for a rate of weight loss of about 1 to 2 lbs. each week. Make small changes in your diet by substituting lower-calorie or low-fat foods for high-fat ones, or by reducing your portion sizes.
Choosing Foods
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, says you can reduce your hunger while cutting calories to lose weight by choosing foods that are low in calorie density, or that have few calories, but a large portion size. You can reduce your calories and fat by choosing low-fat and fat-free milk products instead of full-fat, fresh fruits and vegetables instead of fried vegetables or french fries, lean chicken instead of fatty beef, and broth-based soups instead of creamy or cheesy soups.
Meeting Nutrient Requirements
When you reduce your calorie and fat consumption, be sure to emphasize healthy foods to be sure you get all of the nutrients you need while staying within your limits for calories and fat. Fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, peas and lentils) and whole grains (oatmeal and whole wheat bread) provide essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Even though you are limiting your fat intake, remember to get some omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils, walnuts or flaxseed because these fats are essential for good health.
Recommendations for Fat
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services say the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for calories from fat is between 20 and 35 percent of your total calories. Most people will have the most success sticking to their diets when they keep their fat within this range. Although it may be tempting to reduce your fat even further, fat intake under 20 percent of your total calories can increase your risk for vitamin E deficiency.
Role of Exercise
If you are going on a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet to help you lose weight, remember that your physical activity levels also affect whether you lose weight. You can speed up your weight loss by burning extra calories through exercise, and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimate that a 154-lb. person would burn about 280 calories by walking for half an hour, or 480 calories by participating in aerobics for a half hour. Get your doctor's approval before starting an exercise program.
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