Dieting may not be a lot of fun, but it is effective for weight loss. We know from the law of thermal dynamics that if we eat more calories than we use for energy in one day, we will gain weight. If we eat the same number of calories that we need to use in one day, then we will stay at the same weight. Therefore, to lose weight through diet you must eat fewer calories per day than you burn. Weight will begin to disappear as soon as you create a caloric deficit.
Step 1
Enter your current weight, height and age into a calorie calculator. Choose your activity level and gender and hit calculate. Record the number of calories given by the calorie calculator that you would need to eat daily to maintain your weight.
Step 2
Ascertain your body mass index (BMI) score. Use a BMI calculator. Enter your weight in pounds and your height in inches if you are using a standard BMI calculator or enter your weight in kilograms and your height in meters if you are using a metric calculator. Write down your score.
Step 3
Compare your BMI score to the dieting guidelines given by the American Obesity Association. Adopt a low-calorie diet if your BMI score is a 25 or more with co-morbid conditions, or a 27 without them. Adopt a very-low-calorie diet if your BMI score is a 27 or above with co-morbid conditions, or 30 or more without them. The American Obesity Association defines a low-calorie diet as one allowing for 800 to 1,400 calories per day and a very-low-calorie diet as being under 800 calories.
Step 4
Subtract the number of calories you are eating in your new diet from your daily maintenance number. For example, if your maintenance number is 1,700 and you are doing a 1,200-calorie diet, then you are creating a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day. Divide 3,500 calories by your deficit calories to figure out how many days it will take you to lose one pound, since one pound of fat is made up of 3,500 calories. If your deficit is 500 calories, then it will take you one week to lose one pound, and therefore 30 weeks to lose the 30 pounds. This will give you an idea of how many weeks you must diet to reach your goal.
Step 5
Follow the diet and weigh yourself after your estimated number of weeks from the previous step. Use sample menus designed by professional for guidance so you eat a healthy, balanced diet. Visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's web site for menus. Substitute foods from the menus with foods of the same number of calories on your menu if you wish, but be careful not to deviate too much or you risk missing out on important nutrients. Keep dieting until you have lost 30 pounds.
Things You'll Need
- Calorie calculator
- BMI calculator
- Low-calorie menu
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