Diets may help you shed pounds in the short-term, but long-term healthy weight loss requires lifestyle changes you can live with. If you're overweight, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can lower risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. Instead of going on yet another diet, try making small changes to your current eating and exercise habits.
Fad Diets
Diets that promise unrealistic results can set you up for failure. Fad diets often claim that you can lose a large amount of weight in a short period of time without counting calories or exercising. Any diet that eliminates entire food groups, such as a no-fat or no-carbohydrate diet, should be suspect. Your body needs a variety of nutrients, which can only be gotten from eating a variety of foods. The diet industry is big business -- be wary of any weight loss program that requires you to buy expensive supplements, pills or prepackaged meals.
Diet vs. Lifestyle Changes
When you start a diet, it's often with the intention of losing weight and then going off the diet. But if you go right back to your old habits, you might regain all the weight you lost -- and then some. Instead of going on a diet to lose weight, start to make small changes to your current habits that will have a more positive and lasting impact on your health. Make small changes versus drastic ones. Instead of trying to drink 10 glasses of water every day, try to drink one more glass than you already do. Use portion control and moderation, not denial. If you don't allow yourself a small treat, you run the risk of feeling deprived and binging on the foods you miss. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends eating 100 to 200 calories of your favorite treat each day.
Weight Loss Tips
If you want to lose weight start with realistic goals. If you have a lot of weight to lose, it can be overwhelming. Instead of trying to lose 50 lbs., try to lose 5 percent of your current body weight. Even a 5-percent weight loss will increase your energy level and lower your risk of serious health problems. Try keeping a food journal as it will help you keep track of exactly what you're eating. Eat slowly to allow your brain time to get the message that your stomach is full, which can take 20 minutes. Make sure your kitchen is stocked with healthy food choices; if you keep junk food in the pantry, you're going to eat junk food.
Your Healthy Diet
To lose weight, you need to eat a balanced diet that is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, low-fat dairy products and unsaturated fats. The number of calories you need to eat depends on your goals. Try to eat between 12 and 14 calories per pound of your goal weight. If you want to weigh 140 lbs., eat between 1,680 and 1,960 calories. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating more vegetables, reducing added sugars and fats, eating whole grains rather than refined flours, choosing low-fat instead of full-fat dairy products, eating lean animal protein and increasing plant protein intake from legumes, nuts, seeds and soy and consuming more fiber.
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