Dieting to lose weight cannot be done on the fly. A weight loss diet menu is tantamount to your successful weight loss. A prepared menu can help you plan your eating times, shop for the appropriate food and make adjustments for meals taken out in restaurants. Doctors at the American Medical Association report that fad diets don't work. Instead, dieters should plan healthy balanced meals with fewer calories to lose weight.
Step 1
Determine how many calories you can eat and lose weight. Each pound is about 3,500 calories, so if you reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories per day, you can lose one pound per week. Reducing calories by 1,000 per day can result in a two-pound loss per week. Make sure to make adjustments for extra calories burned by additional exercise you add in your day.
Step 2
Divide your meals into groups according to a food pyramid, such as the one provided by the Mayo Clinic, to guide your food choices. You should include five servings of vegetables per day, three servings of fruits and carbohydrates and two servings each of proteins and fats.
Step 3
Choose food servings that provide the nutritional ingredients needed to maintain metabolism and healthy heart, muscles and energy levels. Balance your meals with whole grains, lean proteins and healthy monounsaturated fats.
Step 4
Write down what you will eat for each meal and include the calorie and nutritional values of each food that will be included in the meal. Use a calculator to add up the amounts. Juggle the ingredients to lighten a meal or include more nutrients in a meal that is incomplete. Make sure to include snacks in your daily diet plan.
Step 5
Shop for your menu ingredients after you have eaten a meal and certain you will not cave in to extra food that is not written down on your list. Shop for food once a week so that you can lessen the temptation to splurge. Buy only the food that is written down to stick to your menus.
Tips and Warnings
- Picture each meal on the plate and plan meals that will take up half the plate with fruits and vegetables, and the other half divided between protein and carbohydrates.
- Talk to a doctor or nutritionist if you are having trouble with any side effects from your diet menu to make sure you don't have any medical problems that may be aggravated by certain foods. Certain eating changes can cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate too much or give you headaches or reflux.
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