Despite all the fad diets, supplements and weight-loss gimmicks on the market, the only way to ensure weight loss, or even weight gain, is to track the number of calories you expend and take in each day, report doctors at the Mayo Clinic. The three main sources of nutrition come from carbohydrates, protein and fat, all of which contain calories. Carbohydrates and proteins contain about 4 calories in every gram, while fat grams have about nine calories each. To set up a healthy diet, take time to calculate daily allowances based on caloric intake.
Step 1
Find a calorie counter that also includes nutritional information such as the one provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Input your age, height and weight in a calorie calculator such as the one provided by the Mayo Clinic to figure out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight.
Step 2
Take in 500 fewer calories per day to lose 1 pound per week. This is one of the easiest ways to calculate daily allowances and avoid major eating upheavals. Write down everything you eat each day for a week to calculate your daily average, and then subtract 500 of those calories to figure out how many calories you can eat and lose weight. Use a food intake and physical activity assessment tool every day to track the amount of calories you eat and expend.
Step 3
Check food labels to ascertain calorie counts on packaged food. Consider the serving size to get an accurate count. For example, if one cup of cereal provides 140 calories and you eat one and half cups, multiply 140 by 1.5 to get 210 calories, and don't forget about the milk. Watch for what seem to be single-serving packages that actually contain two or more servings.
Step 4
Distribute the daily allowances into healthy categories. Dieticians at Ask the Dietician report that daily recommended allowances should break down to include 50 percent of the day's calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat and the remaining 20 percent from protein.
Step 5
Design a plan based on the number of calories you need to eat to lose weight and maintain your nutritional needs. Set up your meals according to calories. For example, if you decide on trying a 1,500-calorie a day plan, design meals that include 500 calories each or plan to eat three 300-calorie meals and two 100-calorie snacks.
Tips and Warnings
- Write out your menu at least one week ahead of time so that you can shop for the foods on your list and stick to your plan.
- Prevent a decrease in your metabolic caloric burn rate by balancing calorie reduction with increased exercise. Decrease calories by 250 per day and increase exercise to burn an additional 250 calories per day.
Things You'll Need
- Calorie counter
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