Following a low-calorie diet plan might seem difficult, but planning is the key to simplifying the process and making it work for your lifestyle and schedule. It does require a time investment to follow a healthier eating plan and move away from high-fat and high-calorie convenience foods, but the payoff is worth it for both short- and long-term health reasons.
Benefits
Following a low-calorie diet plan that features fruits, vegetables and other fresh and whole foods has nutritional and physical benefits. Such foods can decrease risks of becoming overweight and obesity as well as heart disease, stroke, bone loss, kidney stones, cancer and diabetes. Following a calorie-restricted diet can also slow aging and extend your life span.
Nutrition
There are many definitions of a low-calorie diet plan, but not all of them are healthy. You could eat a bear claw and a carton of French fries every day for a week and still be following a low-calorie diet, for example, but your nutritional health would be poor and you likely wouldn't feel very good. Proper nutrition is key to feeling satiated and energetic on fewer calories. Try getting about 55 percent of your daily calories from complex carbohydrates, 20 percent from lean protein and 25 percent from healthy fats.
Foods
Many of the foods that are lowest in calories are also among the healthiest, with plentiful amounts of vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients. Such foods are low in energy density, which means they have high water and fiber contents but low fat and calorie contents. If you base your diet on foods with low energy densities, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and nonfat dairy, you may actually be able to eat more than you currently eat but still take in fewer calories. Look for natural, whole foods at the grocery store that are unprocessed or minimally processed and that have no nutrition labels or labels that include very few ingredients.
Cooking
The way you cook also plays a role in how many calories you eat daily. Restaurant, processed and prepared foods, for example, are often deep fried or sauteed in generous amounts of oil, which can add hundreds of calories and many fat grams to their nutritional totals. If you choose to bake, boil, steam, roast, grill or stir fry your foods, however, you won't use as much oil and will save calories. It's simple to save even more calories by flavoring dishes with fresh or dried herbs and spices instead of high-calorie condiments, creams or sauces.
Considerations
Before starting any new diet plan, talk with your doctor. You may need personalized recommendations about how to follow a low-calorie diet safely, especially if you are obese, have special nutritional needs or suffer from a chronic health condition.
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