Successful dieting requires you to plan your meals, grocery shopping and squeeze in time for exercise. Putting aside a few minutes a day to work on your diet plan is vital for your success. Count your calories, as well as the carbohydrate, protein and fat grams you consume. Knowing what you put into your body and where your calories come from can help you determine any flaws in your diet plan.
Balanced Diet
Having a balanced diet means that you provide your body with all of the nutrients it needs without getting too much or too little of any single nutrient. The three macronutrients your body uses for energy include carbohydrates, protein and fat. While carbs and protein provide 4 calories per gram, fat has more than twice as much: 9 calories per gram. Eat the right amounts of each nutrient. According to Mayo Clinic, about 45 percent to 65 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates, 10 percent to 35 percent from protein and 20 percent to 35 percent should come from fat. If you follow an 1,800 calorie diet, you should eat 202 to 292 g of carbohydrates, 45 to 157 g of protein and 40 to 70 g of fat each day. Stick to the lower end of fat grams for weight loss.
Portions and Food Groups
Read the nutrition facts label on the foods you eat to determine the proper amount of that particular food. Nutrition facts labels list the portion size and the portions per container. Even if the package looks small, it might contain two or more servings. For example, a breakfast bar might say that one serving has 200 calories, but there could be two servings in the package. By eating the entire bar, you consume 400 calories. A 2,000 calorie diet consists of about 2 cups of fruits, 2 1/2 cups of vegetables, 3 oz. or equivalent of whole grains, 3 cups of milk and 5 to 6 oz. of meat or beans, according to the University of Maryland.
Skipping Meals
Eat something for breakfast every day. Your body needs to refuel after fasting while you sleep. Skipping breakfast can cause you to snack on something unhealthy mid-morning or overeat at lunch. Eat three meals per day, and enjoy a healthy snack in between. Skipping meals can cause your body to go into starvation mode. When this occurs, your metabolism slows down and your body conserves the fat, protein and carbohydrates you eat, since it doesn't know when you will eat again. Eventually this can lead to weight gain.
Calories for Weight Loss
One pound of fat contains 3,500 calories. You should aim to lose a steady pace of 1 to 2 lbs. per week. Losing 1 lb. per week requires you to cut 500 calories from your diet each day. For example, if you consume about 2,000 calories daily, reduce it to 1,500 calories. You can speed up your weight loss by increasing your physical activity and exercising for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
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