Weight loss is a difficult task for most people, and for those who manage to lose excess weight, keeping the weight off may also prove to be a challenge. However, choosing a diet and meal plan you can stick with long-term is a great place to start when beginning any weight-loss program.
Background
Although quick weight loss is desirable for many people, losing weight at an appropriate pace will help you keep the lost weight off for good. Your weight-loss meal plan should consist of fewer calories than you typically eat. The American Dietetic Association recommends a weight-loss rate of about 1 to 2 lbs. each week for the first six months of your weight-loss program. Cutting calories by 500 to 1,000 each day will help you achieve this initial weight-loss goal.
Benefits
Meal plans are non-specific menus that allow you to choose which foods to insert in your plan. For example, a meal plan may include 3 cups of dairy foods or 2 cups of fruits each day. A benefit of using a meal plan to lose weight includes being able to interchange foods in your daily meal plan based on your food preferences.
Calories
Total daily calories allowed when following your weight-loss meal plan should ideally be 500 to 1,000 less than you typically consume for weight maintenance. If you're unsure how many total calories you should consume each day, a good rule of thumb for weight loss is 1,000 to 1,200 calories for most women and 1,200 to 1,600 for men, women who weigh more than 164 pounds or women who exercise regularly, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Diet Composition
Since weight loss is based on the total number of calories you consume, you don't necessarily need to drastically change the composition of your diet. The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005" recommends 45 to 65 percent of your total calories should come from carbohydrates, 10 to 35 percent from protein and 20 to 35 percent from fat.
Sample Meal Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's food guide pyramid provides a meal-planning resource that customizes meal plans based on each individual's unique characteristics, such as age, height, current body weight and weight-loss goals. For example, a food guide pyramid 1,400-calorie meal plan consists of 4 oz. of meat, eggs, beans, legumes, nuts or seeds, 2 cups of milk, cheese, yogurt or other milk products, 1.5 cups of fruits, 1.5 cups of vegetables, 5 oz. of grains, 4 tsp. of oils and 170 extra calories each day.
Member Comments