Any sensible diet plan you choose is likely to be an effective means of losing weight, according to a 2008 study from the Harvard School of Public Health. All the major diet types in the study -- low-carb, low-fat and general low-calorie -- resulted in weight loss for participants. Weight loss boils down to a simple equation: eating fewer calories than you burn will result in losing stored fat.
Eat Everything
Eating everything sounds like a recipe for weight gain, not weight loss, yet it's important to your health to include all three types of macronutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Protein plays a vital role in tissue repair, while carbohydrates give you energy and keep your central nervous system functioning properly. Fats help you metabolize certain vitamins and keep your skin and hair in good condition. While nutritionists may differ on the exact proportions of protein, fat and carbohydrates you should eat, some of all three macronutrients are necessary for good health.
Choose Wisely
Although you need all three macronutrients, choose lower-calorie foods within these three categories to keep your overall calorie intake low. Lean protein sources, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated oils tend to have fewer calories and greater health benefits than fatty proteins, sugars and solid fats. Eat lean proteins like fish, skinless poultry, select beef and legumes more often than you eat richer foods, such as a well-marbled steak or bacon. Pick whole grains over processed grains. Use calorie-dense fats sparingly and as a flavoring for food rather than a main constituent of the recipe.
Keep a Food Diary
A study published in the August 2008 edition of the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine" found that participants who tracked their food intake daily lost twice as much weight on average as the non-tracking control group. Being aware of what you're eating helps you stay on the path to weight loss and keeps you from straying toward those diet-busting foods that are all too easy to eat without realizing how many calories they contain.
Practice Portion Control
Even lean foods can put weight on you if you overeat them. Calorie-dense foods, like peanut butter and pasta, require especially careful monitoring to avoid consuming more calories than you think you're eating. The U.S. Department of Agriculture came up with a new way of estimating your portions that can help you eat a balanced diet. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, take up another quarter with a lean protein and add whole grains or starchy vegetables to the last quarter of the plate. Keeping these ratios in mind when you serve meals and snacks helps you stick to your diet.
Get Your Exercise
Reducing the calories you take in accounts for a large part of the weight loss equation, but the other portion involves exercise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend 150 minutes of exercise per week for optimal health; that works out to just half an hour a day, five days a week. Think beyond the gym when you look at ways to add exercise to your day. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, includes all the other calorie-burning things you do in a day. Housework, shopping, playing fetch with your pet or going up a flight of stairs can burn calories, too.
Don't Undereat
It may seem tempting to cut calories very low, but low calories can leave you malnourished. It's difficult to fit in sufficient nutrition if you dip below 1,200 calories per day -- if you go below that line without medical supervision, you risk developing a nutritional deficiency. Undereating also leaves you prone to strong food cravings that could entice you off your diet plan. Uncomfortable or potentially dangerous symptoms, such as dizziness, faintness, nausea or shakiness, can also result from not eating enough sustenance.
Don't Deprive Yourself
You'll need to adjust your portions and modify your food choices, but if you deprive yourself of the fundamental enjoyment of food, you'll have greater difficulty staying with your diet and could suffer a regain when you shift from weight loss to weight maintenance. If you feel that your life is empty without chocolate or absolutely must have a piece of bread with dinner, choose sensible versions of these foods and enjoy them in moderation. If you make room for your favorite foods, you're less likely to cheat on your diet, so customize your plan to suit your tastes.
Don't Overdo Exercise
Contestants on television shows may lose large amounts of weight from hours of exercise, but they have the luxury of a schedule that allows them to spend those hours on a treadmill. They also have constant medical supervision. Exercise, particularly high-impact exercise, such as aerobics or jogging, can take a toll on your body if you leap into a new regimen too quickly. Pulled muscles, aching joints and exhaustion can result from putting yourself through intense workouts. Every pound of weight you lose takes the equivalent of 4 lbs. of force off your knees, but until you lose that weight, you're putting a great deal of stress on your knees when you run or jog. If you aspire to jog for miles or ride your bike across town, work up to it slowly. As your fitness improves and your weight decreases, you'll handle intense exercise with relative ease.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Information about Energy Balance
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Best Diet Is the One You'll Follow
- Texas A&M University; Exercise, Obesity and Weight Control; Jack H. Wilmore
- "Science Daily"; Keeping a Food Diary Doubles Weight Loss, Study Suggests; 2008
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: MyPlate Recommendations
- American Heart Association; Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis; James A. Levine
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Exercise Do Adults Need?
- "Arthritis and Rheumatism"; Weight Loss Reduces Knee-Joint Loads in Overweight and Obese Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis; Stephen P. Messier, et al.; July 2005
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