Although some diets that depend on starvation or food deprivation might help you to lose weight quickly, they are often depriving the body of essential nutrients necessary to maintain optimal health. In order to be healthy, it is important to maintain a balance in your food choices that will enable you to get adequate nutrients, but still lose weight.
According to www.health.gov, national dietary guidelines for Americans recommend that women age 19 to 30 from sedentary to active should consume 2,000 to 2,500 calories daily, respectively. Similarly, recommendations for men are 3,000 to 3,500 daily. Calorie recommendations for each decade before or after these age ranges drop or rise by 100 per day. Eliminate 500 calories daily to lose 1 lb. of fat per week (3,500 calories in a pound of fat). The majority of your foods should come from nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Some processed foods can be eaten on low-calorie diets, as long as you stay within your chosen target range.
On a low-fat diet, just 20 percent of foods you consume should come from fat, and you should get the majority of these from polyunsaturated fat. Because carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram, you will lose weight fast by restricting fat from your diet. To be successful on a low-fat diet plan, eat foods such as fruits vegetables, plain potatoes and whole grains. Avoid processed foods, butter, cheeses, fatty dairy products, cakes, candies and other products that contain hydrogenated oil. Foods that contain polyunsaturated fat that can be eaten in limited quantities (a handful or less) are nuts, sesame seeds and sunflower oil.
On a diet and exercise program, you are more able to eat foods that you crave because you can work them off through an exercise session. Eat foods that are healthy, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and limit fats to 20 to 30 percent of the diet. On this diet, you can usually eat the recommended number of calories and still lose weight because you burn the calories through exercise.
To lose weight quickly, use a combination of aerobics and weight training, and work out 30 to 60 minutes three to five times per week at up to 85 percent of your training (maximum) heart rate. Subtract your age from 220 to determine your training heart rate. Activities that will help you to lose weight are stepping, biking, fast-walking, running, elliptical, dancing, kick boxing and weight training.
The glycemic index diet is based on eating foods that are low on the glycemic scale in order to lower blood glucose levels and encourage weight loss. This diet measures foods based on how high the blood sugar goes in response to the food. A study performed in Canada at the University Toronto and St. Michaels Hospital found that foods that are high on the glycemic index did lower blood glucose levels more than participants who ate a high-fiber diet. Glucose is obtained from carbohydrates and used for energy. Any excess glucose not used is stored as fat. Some low-glycemic foods are vegetables, nuts, fruits, flaxseed, quinoa, vegetables and fruits. Cereals, rolls, doughnuts and bagels are high-glycemic foods, and foods such as pineapple, instant oatmeal and cheese pizza are in the mid-range.
The South Beach Diet encourages both healthy eating and weight loss. The first phase of the Diet (2 weeks) is restrictive of carbohydrates, and includes foods such as eggs, chicken, nuts, vegetables, fish and cheese. Avoid potatoes, fruit, bread and processed foods. Phase 2 includes unlimited protein such as meats and eggs, and vegetables are 1/2 cup or more per day. White breads, potatoes, rice and processed foods are still not allowed; however, some whole grains, beans, pita and oatmeal can be eaten during phase 2. Fruits are allowed in phase 2 as well. In the phase 3 maintenance part of the diet (lifetime), food choices should remain healthy. Processed foods, or non-nutrient-dense food like cakes, candies, white bread and high-fat foods, should be kept very limited in your overall diet.
