More than 60 percent of women over the age of 20 are overweight, according to a 2010 report published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association." To lose weight and keep it off, you need to eat fewer calories than your body needs and find a diet you can live with for the rest of your life.
Mediterranean Diet
The Harvard School of Public Health says the Mediterranean diet will help you lose weight and keep it off. In addition to helping you lose weight, the Mediterranean diet can also improve your heart health and lower your risk of cancer, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, according to MayoClinic.com. The diet discourages sweets and foods made with refined flours, but rather consists of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. These high-fiber, nutrient-dense foods will help you feeling satisfied on fewer calories. As a source of protein, the Mediterranean diet recommends you choose more fish and poultry and limit your intake of red meat to a few times a month. The Mediterranean diet also encourages you to use healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil and fatty fish like salmon and tuna, instead of high saturated fat foods like butter.
DASH Diet
The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was originally designed to help people lower their blood pressure, but it has also been shown to be an effective weight loss diet. It places a heavy emphasis on fruits and vegetables that contain potassium and magnesium, which help to lower blood pressure. Citrus fruits, cantaloupe and tomatoes are good sources of potassium, while high levels of magnesium are found in soybeans, potatoes and spinach. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables are very low in calories and high in fiber. It takes your body longer to digest fiber, so eating fruits and vegetables aids in hunger control by making you feel full longer.
Most women do not get enough calcium in their diets. DASH recommends you consume three servings of dairy foods a day because calcium helps to lower blood pressure. But calcium also promotes bone health, which will keep osteoporosis at bay. DASH also includes whole grains, legumes, healthy fats and lean sources of protein in the diet.
Calorie-Controlled Diet
To lose 1/2 pound a week, you need to decrease your caloric intake by 250 calories each day, says FamilyDoctor.org. A calorie-controlled diet can help you manage your intake to promote a healthy weight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid Plan provides a personalized calorie-controlled meal plan based on your age, sex, height, weight and level of activity, and includes specific recommendations on what and how much to eat from each food group. It also includes information on serving sizes and how to make healthy food choices from each group. When counting calories, use food labels and measuring utensils to help you stay within your calorie limit. Tracking your intake with a food diary can also help keep you focused and accountable. MyPyramid offers a free online food diary called the MyPyramid Tracker.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Healthy Weight: The Bottom Line
- MayoClinic.com: Mediterranean Diet: Choose This Heart-Healthy Diet Option
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: MyPyramid Plan
- "Journal of the American Medical Assocition"; Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2008; K.M. Flegal; 2010
- FamilyDoctor.org: What It Takes to Lose Weight
- The DASH Diet Eating Plan: The DASH Diet Action Plan
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