If you're sick of losing weight and then gaining it all back again when your diet is over, stick with a diet plan you can actually maintain. This way, you can lose weight and keep it off permanently. Instead of making a pact to practically starve yourself for a week or cutting your favorite foods out of your life, making attainable changes in the way you eat won't make it so easy to cheat and go back to your old eating habits.
Step 1
Do the math. Instead of vowing to eat less, then breaking your promise by your midday snack, calculate the amount of calories you must cut back on to lose weight. For example, cutting 500 calories out of your diet every day will help you lose approximately one pound per week, according to MayoClinic.com. Do not, however, consume fewer than 1,400 calories per day for men and 1,200 calories per day for women.
Step 2
Write your meals and snacks down in a food journal to keep tabs on what you're eating, suggests the University of Maryland Medical Center. You may be less likely to chow down on that piece of cake if you have to write it down first.
Step 3
Eat small, nutritious meals and snacks about every three hours instead of eating large meals only two or three times a day, says Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Step 4
Keep your refrigerator stocked with whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy products and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat as many meals at home as possible so you won't be tempted by restaurant meals that are high in sodium and saturated fat.
Step 5
Eat high-protein, low-carbohydrate snacks like fruit and low-fat yogurt or soy cheese, says Dr. Peeke. These snacks are filling, so they will help keep you energized and keep you from feeling hungry and deprived.
Tips and Warnings
- Team your diet plan with a daily exercise routine to lose weight and stay healthy.
- Consult your doctor before making changes in your eating plan if you have health problems.
Things You'll Need
- Journal
- Whole grains
- Lean protein
- Low-fat dairy products
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Low-fat yogurt
- Soy cheese
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