The Atkins plan, South Beach diet and Weight Watchers are all diet plans in which someone else has done the thinking for you and decided how you should eat each day. This is fine if you like everything about a particular diet plan---but you're likely to fail if you don't. Instead of relying on someone else's idea of what you should eat, create your own diet plan specifically designed around your favorite foods and meals. You will be more likely to stick with a diet if you have planned it around your preferences, and your weight-loss goals will be easier to reach.
Step 1
Calculate how many calories you need to eat each day in order to lose weight. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends keeping a food diary for one week, writing down everything you eat or drink. Check calorie charts or a calorie book for your total calories consumed each day and average out the total for the week. Subtract 500 from this total to get the amount of calories you should consume to lose a healthy amount of weight every week.
Step 2
Make a list of your preferred foods, those foods you can't live without and those that you simply like. Check the calorie count for each dish or food. Make decisions based on your desired calorie count about how often you should eat each particular food.
Step 3
Investigate alternative methods of cooking favorite dishes that may be high in calories. Bread chicken in panko and bake it instead of making fried chicken or cook your favorite meatloaf recipe with ground turkey instead of fatty hamburger. Experiment with lower fat and calorie ingredients to create new versions of old favorites.
Step 4
Make a chart for the week showing every meal and snack that you will eat. Place your favorite foods on the chart first, mixing up the days so you get at least one treat every day. Fill in the rest of the meals with healthy low-calorie meals and dishes. Include only foods that you are certain that you will eat, but use a large variety of different foods to help prevent boredom with your food plan and give you necessary nutrients. Keep each day's total under or at your calculated calorie limit.
Things You'll Need
- Calorie charts or book
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Food scale
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