Weight gain puts you at higher risk for health issues such as osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease and hypertension. However, 68 percent of American adults are fighting excess weight, the Weight-Control Information Network reported in 2010. The fastest healthy rate of weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs. weekly, according to the MedlinePlus online medical encyclopedia. If you want to meet this goal, eating a healthy diet is important; select a diet approach that matches your food preferences to lose unwanted fat --- and get your doctor's approval.
Low-Fat Diets
Fat is high in calories. A low-fat diet focuses on limiting fat intake to 20 percent of your total calorie intake, according to MayoClinic.com. For example, if your calorie intake is 2,000 daily, 400 calories or fewer should come from fat sources. Use caution when eating fat-free or low-fat products --- too many of any type of calories, even those from low-fat foods, results in weight gain.
Meal-Provider Diets
Meal-provider diet plans cater to busy dieters. These programs ship most of your daily meals to your doorstep. Items that are perishable, such as fruits and vegetables, are purchased from your local grocery store. These diet plans assist with weight loss, but are usually costly. And, unless you can afford to subscribe to such a diet indefinitely, eventually you will need to learn how to prepare nutritious foods to maintain your weight loss.
Low-Carb Diets
Low-carbohydrate diets are another approach used to lose weight quickly. With this plan, as little as 10 percent of your daily calorie consumption comes from carbohydrates. This diet approach works under the assumption that excessive consumption of carbohydrates, such as white flour, sugar and refined carbs, causes insulin imbalances. These insulin imbalances play a role in weight gain. If you follow a low-carb diet, make sure to consume lean protein sources. Otherwise, your consumption of saturated fat increases, which puts you at higher risk for health issues. There can be some risks to low-carb diets, so discuss it with your doctor first.
Healthy Lifestyle Diets
A healthy lifestyle diet requires dieters to make permanent changes to eating habits. Consumption of a variety of foods groups, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fat sources is encouraged. Dieters also examine their relationship with food to make behavioral changes that help keep the weight off. A healthy lifestyle diet, like most diet plans, advocates regular cardiovascular activity to increase fat loss and promote better health.
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