Dieting can be difficult, especially if you aren't getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals to keep your energy level up. The Institute of Medicine has established guidelines for vitamin, mineral and protein intake based on age, gender and other conditions. Beware of diets that restrict your food intake so much that you have difficulty meeting these guidelines. The Michigan Surgeon General warns that diets restricted to 800 calories per week or less may lead to headaches, dizziness, kidney infections, irregular heartbeat, decreased metabolism or death.
Dieting Basics
The basic formula for weight loss is that 3500 calories equal 1 lb. of fat. Reducing your calorie intake by 500 to 1000 calories per day can result in a loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week, depending on your activity level. Foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains provide necessary vitamins and minerals without contributing excessive numbers of calories.
Protein Recommendations
The Institute of Medicine recommends that females age 14 and over get 46 g of protein per day, while the recommendation for males is 52 g for ages 14 to 18 and 56 g daily for men over 18.
To calculate more precisely, the formula is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day for the average person, male or female. You can use any of several online or offline unit conversion calculators to calculate your weight in kilograms and then multiply it by .8 to find the grams of protein you need per day. As you lose weight on your diet, periodically recalculate the formula. The USDA recommends getting your protein from lean meat and poultry and substituting meat with other protein sources such as beans, fish and seeds several times per week.
Vitamins and Minerals
Any diet program you use should allow you to meet the US recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals. Basing most of your meals on fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products provides most or all of your vitamin and mineral allowances. The USDA recommends choosing veggies high in potassium, such as tomatoes and dark green and yellow vegetables, such as beet greens and winter squash. Males 19 and older require 90 mg of vitamin C daily, while females in that age range need 75. Other requirements within that age range include 1.2 mg thiamin, 1.3 mg riboflavin and 16 mg niacin daily for men and 1.1, 1.1 and 14 mg, respectively, for women. Mineral needs include 400 to 420 mg of magnesium and 8 mg of iron for adult men. Adult women need 310 to 320 mg of magnesium, but the female iron requirement is much higher for women age 19 to 50 at 18 mg per day; this drops to 8 mg daily for women over 50. For complete vitamin and mineral requirements for your age group, consult the Institute of Medicine's Recommended Dietary Intake (see Resources).
Finding a Diet
Diet programs are only successful if you stick to them. The best overall long-term weight loss program offers the nutrients necessary to stay healthy. Consult your doctor to get personalized recommendations.
The USDA offers an online diet calculator based on your age, sex, weight and physical activity. To use this tool to find a diet that will help you get adequate protein, vitamin and mineral intake, visit the MyPyramid website (see Resources).This calculator reveals how much you should eat from each food group to maintain your current weight. To lose weight, reduce your calorie intake by 500 calories daily. Recalculate the formula as you lose weight.
Considerations
Pregnancy and breast-feeding significantly alter your daily protein, vitamin and mineral requirements. Check with your doctor before dieting if you are pregnant or lactating.
Get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. Eating healthy, well-rounded meals with a variety of fresh, natural foods and getting physical activity in daily can help you lose weight.
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