Commercial weight-loss programs and meal plans may help dieters lose weight, but they can be expensive and sometimes ineffective. Creating your own diet plan can save you money and provide balanced nutrition while you work toward your weight-loss goals. Tracking your calories allows you to manage your weight loss without paying membership fees or spending money on packaged foods provided by an expensive weight-loss program.
Step 1
Tell your friends and supportive family members about your weight-loss goals and your desire to lose excess body fat. The encouragement of these individuals can act as an inexpensive substitute for the group support that often plays an important role in expensive weight-loss programs.
Step 2
Track your average calorie intake for three or four days, using a calorie chart or online calorie calculator. Write down every calorie you consume throughout the course of the day. Include the calories in beverages, snacks, and the occasional candy or breath mint.
Step 3
Subtract between 500 and 1,000 calories from your average daily total of calories consumed. Cutting back on this many calories per day enables you to lose between 1 and 2 lbs. each week, providing a gradual and healthy rate of weight loss.
Step 4
Create a meal plan for each day of the week ahead of time. Write down a list of your favorite nutritious foods and the amount you may consume of each that allows you to stay within your daily calorie limitations. Include nutrient-dense foods. These foods provide an abundance of nutrients without adding an excess of calories. Select from fat-free dairy products, lean meats, fish, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Include about 20 to 35 percent of your total calories in the form of fats, 10 to 35 percent in the form of protein and 45 to 65 percent in the form of nutritious carbohydrates.
Step 5
Remove junk food and fattening snacks from your cupboards, refrigerator and desk drawers. Get rid of any empty calories that may tempt you to abandon your diet.
Step 6
Use a small notebook to keep as a diet log of the foods you consume on your diet plan. Check the labels on packaged foods and weigh or measure the ingredients you include in meals you make. Although this may seem time-consuming at first, this practice helps keep your diet on track and eliminates the need for expensive diet programs that provide packaged foods.
Step 7
Get moving. Increase your level of activity to burn more calories and boost your weight loss. Participating in aerobic activities and resistance exercise several times each week can help take your mind off food and encourage your body to burn fat for fuel.
Tips and Warnings
- Enlist the help of a diet buddy or weight-loss partner. Working together toward a common goal can provide encouragement and understanding, helping you to adhere to your diet.
- Talk to your doctor before you make drastic changes to your diet or attempt to lose a large amount of weight, especially if you have an existing health condition.
Things You'll Need
- Calorie chart or calorie calculator
- Notebook
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