Attempting a new diet every year can be draining physically, financially and emotionally. Building a diet plan based on what you already eat makes a diet more feasible. When you follow a diet of foods you are familiar with, you are more likely to stick with it and therefore make it a permanent lifestyle change. This means you have a better chance of losing weight, toning your body, improving your health and decreasing your risk of chronic diseases.
Step 1
Estimate the total number of calories you eat on an average day by writing down what you eat, how much of it you eat and the number of calories of all the things you put in your mouth. This will give you an estimate of how many calories and the types of food you are eating.
Step 2
Identify excessive servings, such as two candy bars a day, three cans of pop, two plates of spaghetti and large serving sizes at frequented eateries.
Step 3
Review your average food intake, subtracting the extra servings of candy, sodas and meals; at this point, you have not removed entire food groups, nor have you changed how your foods are prepared. Recalculate the caloric intake of your meals by subtracting the extra servings, which will no doubt yield about a 500-calorie deficit every day. Spend the next three weeks focusing on eating foods similar to this average day of consumption without the extra snacks and meals.
Step 4
Rearrange the time of day at which you eat fast-digesting carbohydrates such as doughnuts, blueberry muffins, white rice, baked potatoes and white bread. Schedule these meals to be eaten immediately after an exercise session, when your body can optimally process these blood sugar-raising foods.
Step 5
Begin measuring the foods you eat with a measuring cup, a measuring spoon or a kitchen scale. Scoop your rice with a measuring cup so you become more aware that you are putting 2 cups of rice on your plate instead of 1 cup; 2 cups of rice, potatoes or cereal are actually four servings of carbohydrates because one serving is equal to 1/2 cup. Reduce your portion size by one to two servings for all the meals in which you consume more than two servings of complex carbohydrates including rice, potatoes, bread and pasta.
Step 6
Switch over to 2-percent or 1-percent fat versions of dairy products instead of full fat selections. This decreases your saturated fat, cholesterol and caloric intake.
Step 7
Replace the vegetable oil in your cooking and baking with olive oil. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats, which help lower your blood cholesterol, reducing your risk of plaque buildup on the walls of your arteries.
Step 8
Eat an apple, orange, pear or a cup of sweet cherries prior to two of your meals, filling you up with nutrients and fiber while decreasing your sensation of hunger. This can help further reduce the number of servings of carbohydrates you need per meal from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup.
Step 9
Gradually add vegetables into your diet for two or three of your meals using 1/4 cup to 1 cup increments.
Tips and Warnings
- Incorporate one new change every three weeks, increasing the likelihood that you can maintain the change for the rest of your life.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen scale
References
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Your Clients Are What They Eat: Balancing Weight With Diet Part 1; Gary Miller, Ph.D.; January/February 2005
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Which is More Effective for Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight: Diet or Exercise; Linda Pescatello, PhD; September/October 2004
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