Easy and Quick Diet Plans

Weight loss involves a combination of healthy eating habits and regular exercise. The key to weight loss is burning more calories than you consume every day. While it may be tempting to lose weight quickly, gradual weight loss helps ensure the weight stays off for good. With proper planning, healthy meals and daily workouts, you can lose 1 to 2 lbs. pounds each week. Consult your physician before beginning a weight-loss or new exercise program.

Setting Goals

While you may want to lose several pounds quickly, be realistic about your weight-loss goals. A realistic goal for one week of your diet plan would be around 2 lbs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a gradual weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week by reducing your daily caloric intake by 500 to 1,000 calories. Track your daily calories for one week to determine how much you eat each day. Remember to include all snacks, meals and beverages in your calorie total. Once you've determined how many calories you eat each day, look for ways to eliminate 500 to 1,000 calories. Avoid eating less than 1,200 calories per day. Eating too few calories lowers your metabolism and may lead to overeating.

Whole Foods

When looking for ways to eliminate calories from your daily total, replace unhealthy foods with better options. Focus on eating whole foods such as whole grains, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, lean protein and low-fat or nonfat dairy items. Whole grain examples include pasta, bread and brown rice. Choose lean protein such as turkey, fish, chicken or legumes. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber, which helps you feel full longer. Since calcium is a factor in regulating metabolism, eat low-fat or nonfat yogurt and cheese or drink a glass of skim milk to help manage your weight. Reduce your intake of unhealthy fats, processed foods and sugary beverages to eliminate empty and unnecessary calories.

Daily Exercise

Exercise is an important aspect of weight loss. Not only does regular exercise burn calories, it also improves your metabolism, mood and health. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 60 to 90 minutes of moderate exercise per day for adults looking to lose or maintain weight. Aerobic workouts, including running, jogging, cycling and brisk walking, burn a high number of calories and improve your cardiovascular fitness level. Strength training workouts increase your metabolism, while building lean muscle mass. Improving your lean muscle mass allows your body to burn calories both during and after a workout.

Sample Meal Plan

Start your day with a balanced breakfast of 1/2 cup of high-fiber cereal, a small banana and 8 oz. of skim milk. At lunch, eat a turkey sandwich made with 3 to 4 oz. of low-fat turkey, 1 tbsp. of mustard, lettuce and a slice of tomato on whole-grain bread, a small apple, baby carrots and 16 oz. of water. At dinner, eat a 3-oz. serving of salmon, 1/2 cup of brown rice, a spinach salad with olive oil dressing and 16 oz. of water. Include a handful of almonds for your morning snack and a fruit smoothie for your afternoon snack. Drink an additional 32 oz. of water during the day.