This How to Plan a Diet guide will help you keep your nutritional goals by calculating the recommended percentage of nutrition needed in a particular diet. A diet doesn't necessarily refer to losing weight, it may also be about increasing mass or optimizing health. It is advisable to consult with your doctor before embarking on any change in diet.
If you are planning on dieting, it is best to gain basic knowledge of nutrition, health and fitness. You should start preparing a set of goals to achieve as well as a list of foods you want to consume (and avoid) during your diet.
While on a diet, it is important to consume a minimum number of calories in order to ensure that your body receives adequate energy and nutrition. Typically, it is not healthy to consume 1,200 calories a day for women and a few hundred more than that for men.
Sticking with a Long Term Diet Plan
This video from Diet.com provides suggestions for how to stick with a long term diet plan and includes Stephen Cabral from StephenCabral.com commenting on a diet plan for the first phase in a 6-week workout plan, focusing on healthy and nutritional meals.
Top 5 Dieting Mistakes
This video from Diet.com discusses on the top 5 dieting mistakes that prevent weight loss:
Number 5. Eating too many calories—control portions! Not eating may cause fat to be stored as body doesn't expect food anytime soon. Number 4. Challenge yourself during exercise. Rather than focusing just on cardio training, try to hit a specific heart rate. Number 3. Strength training speeds up your metabolism. For every pound of muscle you build, you will burn an extra 50 calories a day. Number 2. Junk food can play "mind games," making you feel hungrier. Number 1. Eat regularly.
Step 1: Identify Your Goals and Motivations.
There are many different diet plans to choose from. A great option, if you can afford it, is to consult with an expert nutritionist or dietician to develop a diet tailor made for your specific needs. However, it is possible to set your own goals and follow them through.
What are your goals? If you want to lose weight, think about how many pounds you want to lose during your diet. If your goal is to gain mass, how much do you want to gain? Think about why you want to change your nutrition lifestyle. Do you want to become healthier so you can have enough energy to play with your kids? Do you want to alleviate medical conditions? Be as specific as you can about your goals and know why you want to achieve them.http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2009/10/this-is-not-diet.html
Step 2: Be Aware of What You Eat
During a diet, you will have to change your eating habits. This can be an uncomfortable thing to do. In order to keep on top of your activities, it is best to keep a food journal. Studies have shown that keeping a food diary can double the amount of weight you lose, during your diet.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708080738.htm Being aware of what you eat is a great way to get a handle on your habits, and begin to change them. Some good things to note in your journal could be:
- Reminders of the types of food you want to focus on during your diet.
- Recipe ideas that fit into your diet.
- Encouragements
- The goals you want to reach during your diet.
Step 3: Exercise
Diets should focus on creating a healthy lifestyle. Exercise is an essential part of this. Try to incorporate physical activity into your daily life. Experiment and find things that fit into your sensibilities—try yoga, jogging, pilates, weight lifting, or a combination of different exercise methods. Ride a bicycle instead of driving to work, take stairs instead of elevators.http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2009/10/this-is-not-diet.html
Step 4: Have a Sense Your Daily Nutritional Needs
There is a way to calculate the approximate amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat you should be eating each day. Recommended amounts of these nutrients are based on percentages of your total calories. These ranges are established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine as the amounts of nutrients needed to meet daily nutritional needs.
Carbohydrate: 45 to 65 percent of your total calorieshttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2005/2005DGPolicyDocument.pdf
Fat: 20 to 35 percent of your total calorieshttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2005/2005DGPolicyDocument.pdf
Protein: 10 to 35 percent of your total calorieshttp://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2005/2005DGPolicyDocument.pdf
Featured Video: The Truth about Diet and Weight Loss
Disclaimer
The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using the information presented here.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Eat small meals five to six times a day
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Eliminate junk food, not just for its high empty calorie content. Junk food can play tricks on your body that make you feel hungrier than you are, requiring that you consume more food.
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Fact:
Incorporate strength training into your routine. Strength training speeds up your metabolism. For every pound of muscle you build, you will burn an extra 50 calories a day.
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Fact:
Challenge yourself during exercise. Rather than focusing just on cardio training, try to hit a specific heart rate.
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Fact:
Practice portion control.
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Fact:
Don't skip meals. Not eating may cause fat to be stored as body doesn't expect food anytime soon.
