Being busy is no excuse for bad eating habits. In fact, you can eat well and lose weight without having to worry about counting calories or following complicated menus. It's also not true that you need to spend countless hours cooking special dishes in order to stick to a diet. Many simple dishes, with few ingredients, are good choices for both your waistline and your wallet.
Diets that Don't Require You to Count Calories
Many popular diets, like Atkins or South Beach, don't require you to count calories. This can be an advantage to busy people, as counting calories can be a time-consuming task. To avoid calorie-counting, choose a diet plan that limits specific types of foods. Atkins, Sugar Busters and South Beach limit simple carbohydrates. The Food For Life diet limits animal proteins, and the Mayo Clinic diet cuts down on saturated fats. As long as you avoid those "forbidden" foods, you are usually free to eat without worrying about calorie consumption, simplifying the process.
Diets with Food Delivery
If you don't want to spend more than a couple of minutes in the kitchen and still eat gourmet-like meals, diets with a home-delivery option might be your best bet. Each program works differently, but you can usually choose your meals for an entire week in advance by logging on to the company's website. Then, each morning or once a week, somebody will deliver the meals to your doorstep. You can then reheat the meals as needed when it's time to eat. Some companies offer only main dishes, like lunch and dinner, while others will also include breakfast and snacks. Medifast, for example, offers a complete home-delivery program that is low in calories and low in fat. Eat only the meals provided and you can lose up to 5 lbs. a week. Other home-delivery companies include The Biggest Loser, eDiets and Bistro MD.
Prepackaged Diets
While home-delivery diets might be a tasty and convenient choice, they won't fit into everybody's budget. A similar but cheaper alternative is to buy diet frozen foods. Certain companies, like Weight Watchers and Lean Cuisine offer ready-to-eat meals that are low in calories and fat. For example, you might get a single serving of pasta or turkey breast with mashed potatoes. Simply pop one of these boxes into the microwave and your meal will be ready in minutes.
Diets Based on Vegetables
Non-starchy vegetables are not only very low in calories, but they also contain no fat and lots of fiber. Fiber is essential when trying to lose weight, as it will fill you up and help you overcome cravings without adding too many calories. Vegetables are quick and easy to prepare. You can steam them or cook them in the microwave. Try stocking up on frozen vegetables as well for those days when you don't even have time to boil veggies. Always have a side of vegetables with every meal. This will naturally reduce your appetite, so you'll end up eating less of other foods that are higher in calories.
References
- "The Busy Person's Guide to Permanent Weight Loss"; Melina Jampolis, M.D.; Thomas Nelson; 2008
- Diet.com: Frozen-Food Diet
- Diet Delivery Reviews: Popular Home-Delivery Diets
- "Food for Life: How the New Four Food Groups Can Save Your Life"; Neal Barnard, MD; Three Rivers Press; 2004
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