You can find myriad diet plans, systems, methods and schemes that promote a monolithic approach to weight loss. These diets promote a general concept, with many allowing you to tweak their program for your personal use. Even government agencies and health organizations suggest general guidelines to help you create a diet plan. Customizing a diet plan to meet your individual needs and goals is relatively simple with basic research and planning.
Set Personal Goals
Start creating an individual diet plan by listing your goals. Your goals might include weight loss, health maintenance or combating a specific disease or condition. If you wish to create a diet plan that addresses more than one goal, list your goals in order. For example, if you primarily want to lower your cholesterol, but also want to reduce weight, identify foods high in dietary fiber and high and low in cholesterol first, then create a daily diet plan that uses or avoids these foods as you plan your daily calorie count.
Determine Your Calorie Needs
You'll need to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb of weight. If you want to lose 2 lbs per week, that translates into burning 1,000 calories more than you eat each day. The United States Department of Agriculture provides specific calorie guidelines for individuals in its free publication, Dietary Guidelines for Adults. Download this publication to learn your specific recommended daily calories, based on your age, gender and activity level. Determine the amount of calories you will burn each day through exercise using a reference chart or using an online calorie calculator. Create your daily calorie goal using these numbers.
Consider Your Nutrient Needs
Meet with your physician or a registered dietitian to learn what types of nutrients you need to avoid or add to your diet, based on your personal health needs. For example, you may need to add more calcium and vitamin D if you are at risk for osteoporosis. If you are pregnant, you will need more iron. If you have high cholesterol, you'll need to choose foods low in cholesterol and high in dietary fiber. Athletes and bodybuilders will need more calories and carbohydrates.
Research
Learn how to read nutrition labels to learn how to create menus and daily meal plans that meet your calorie goals. For whole foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts, use an online calorie calculator. Nutrition labels provide amounts of nutrients in grams and milligrams, as well as percent daily value. You can use nutrition labels to find out the amount of carbohydrates and fat a food contains, the amount and types of fat and total calories of fat per serving, and the amounts of dietary fiber and vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, calcium and iron.
Put It All Together
Plan each day's meals and snacks in advance, so you don't have to play catch-up with your last meal of the day. If you have a breakfast high in carbohydrates, have a mid-morning snack of yogurt, nuts or another food high in protein. Choose fruits and vegetables that give you any specific vitamins and minerals you need, based on your specific health needs. Get your fat from healthy sources, such as fish, nuts or olive oil. Factor in the amount of calories you will burn on days when you exercise to help guide you in your daily calorie planning.
References
- "Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health"; Diet Therapy Definition; Crystal Heather Kaczkowski
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
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