About 1 in 3 Americans were overweight in 2008, according to the "Journal of the American Medical Association," leading many people to try dieting as a way to lose weight. Dieting is easier and more successful if you pay attention to a few key aspects of a healthy, low calorie diet.
Low Calorie Food
Small portions of low calorie foods are a vital part of a successful diet plan. You must use more calories than you consume to gain weight. One pound of fat represents 3,500 calories. You need to ingest 500 fewer calories than you use each day for an entire week to lose a pound. Choose foods that are low in calories so you can eat more volume without consuming excess calories.
Exercise
Losing weight is all about using more calories than you take in and exercise helps you use those calories. Regular exercise is a key to dieting and has the additional benefits of reducing blood cholesterol levels and their subsequent risk for heart disease. Exercise 30 to 60 minutes for 5 days of the week to effectively lose weight and reduce cholesterol.
Nutrition
Conceivably a person could lose weight by eating nothing but junk food and candy bars as long as they use more calories than they consume. This poor diet might lead to a trimmer waistline but you would be depriving your body of the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly.
Time
It is sometimes encouraging to kick-start a diet with rapid weight loss in the first couple of weeks but rapid weight-loss diets often prove to be unsustainable or unhealthy. Losing more than 3 pounds each week for more than a few weeks increases your risk for gallstones, according to the Weight-information Control Network website, hosted by the National Institute of Health.
Sustainability
Consistent, wise choices over the long haul will result in more permanent weight loss. A key dieting concept is to choose foods you like, then prepare these foods in a healthy way and enjoy these foods in smaller amounts. You are more apt to stick with a diet you enjoy.
Routine
Get prepared for sustained weight loss by developing a routine. Get enough sleep. People who do not get enough sleep tend to be overweight, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Eat small meals on schedule to avoid great rises and falls of blood sugar levels. Purchase healthy foods and prepare them using low-calorie methods, like steaming or baking instead of frying. Prepare larger quantities of food and freeze remaining portions for later convenience.
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