It's no secret that the amount of calories you eat in comparison with the amount you burn is a balancing act. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight, but if you consume fewer, you will lose weight. The hard part of eating comes with balancing your nutrition. If you are trying to lose weight, pick a diet that is nutritious and calorie-controlled.
Choosing Healthy Diet for Weight Loss
The first thing you must consider before choosing a weight loss program is its safety and effectiveness. According to David Nieman, author of the book "Exercise Testing and Prescription," a good weight loss program has a few distinct characteristics. A healthy amount of food should be encouraged. For women, this should be at least 1,200 calories per day, and for men, 1,600 calories per day. The program should also be nutritionally sound, not sacrificing essential vitamins and minerals. The goal of the program should be a slow and sustained weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week; any more than this can be unsafe and unrealistic for the long term. Finally, your program should be aimed at long-term weight maintenance -- keeping the weight off.
DASH Diet
The DASH diet is an eating plan aimed at improving your health by reducing your intake of fat, cholesterol and sodium. Originally founded to reduce blood pressure, this diet also can result in weight loss. The website MayoClinic.com encourages dieters on the DASH diet who want to improve their health and lose weight by limiting caloric intake to 1,600 calories per day.
To follow the DASH diet, limit your fat intake to 27 percent or less in calories, with saturated fat consisting of less than 6 percent of calories. Also limit your cholesterol to 200 mg and your sodium to 1,500 mg per day. While on this diet, emphasize your intake of whole grain carbs, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, legumes and unsaturated sources of fats, such as olive oil.
Calorie Tracking
Tracking your caloric intake is the first weight loss mechanism you should use. Keep a journal or use an online program to monitor your caloric intake each day. If following the DASH diet, you can also use a program to record the amount of fat, sodium and cholesterol you are consuming. Work to hit your caloric goals each day. Eating 500 calories less than your body needs each day can result in a weight loss of one pound each week.
Exercise and Weight Loss
The best weight loss mechanism you have is exercise. Physical activity makes it easy to reach a caloric deficit because it burns calories and fat. For weight loss, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends exercising for 45 to 60 minutes five to seven days per week at a moderate intensity. Try to accumulate 300 minutes of exercise per week, burning 2,000 calories. Your program should be based on aerobic activity that uses large muscle groups in a dynamic manner such as walking, jogging, swimming or biking.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Caloric Balance
- "Exercise Testing and Prescription"; David Nieman; 2007
- "Your Guide To Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH"; United States Department of Health and Human Services; 2006
- MayoClinic.com: DASH Diet
- MayoClinic.com: Counting Calories
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; Mithcell Whaley et al (editors); 2006
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