About 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Calories are one of the main components of weight gain, and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Association describes this process as energy in and energy out. Energy in refers to the energy you get from your diet. Energy out refers to calories burned through physical activity. When the balance is tipped in favor of more calories coming in, your chances of gaining weight are higher.
Purpose
The purpose of a low-calorie diet is to achieve a balance between the number of calories you consume, the number you burn during exercise and the energy used for normal functioning, such as breathing and digesting your food. Most commercial diets include a low-calorie component as part of a comprehensive weight loss program. If you're not interested in paying membership fees, monthly dues or buying pre-made meals or diet books and videos, you can follow your own free low-calorie diet plan with information from authoritative sources like the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association.
Calorie Intake
The most important part of a low-calorie diet plan is to consume an appropriate number of calories, which is determined by your gender, age and activity level. According to the American Heart Association, moderately active women need between 1,800 and 2,200 calories a day, and men need 2,200 to 2,800 calories a day. By creating a 500-calorie deficit in your diet each day you can lose 1 lb. a week. Considering the fact that the actual number of calories eaten by Americans daily is upwards of 3,800 calories per day, creating that deficit will not result in malnutrition or starvation.
Tips
One of the biggest disadvantages to going on an organized diet is that you're likely to gain back any weight you lost. The American Dietetic Association offers free tips on reducing your calorie intake. They're easy to follow and do not have the same severe restrictions that make fad diets so difficult to adhere to. Using smaller plates and bowls improves your chances of eating less food. Also, it tricks your brain into believing you're eating more. It takes your stomach about 20 minutes to get the signal from your brain that you're full. Chewing and eating slowly prevents overeating. Never feel obligated to eat everything on your plate. When you feel full, stop eating.
Substitutions
Substituting low-calorie foods for those that are high in calories can reduce your total calorie intake and is completely free. Drink low fat or skim milk instead of whole milk. In fact, you can substitute most whole-milk dairy foods for low-fat or non-fat versions, including most hard cheese, yogurt, cream cheese and cottage cheese. Forgo pasta with a cream-based sauce for a serving with marinara sauce. Choose low-fat cold cuts and lunch meat, such as lean turkey or chicken, in lieu of high-fat salami, bologna and liverwurst.
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