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Weight Loss Diets

Do you need to lose a few pounds? The fact is, a lot of us do. Some two thirds of us these days are overweight or obese. However, it can be very difficult to do, especially if you go about it the wrong way.

Unfortunately, a lot of popular weight loss diets focus on deprivation as a means to lose weight. However, this is not the way you going to really lose weight and keep it off. Experts agree, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to do it slowly, steadily and healthfully. How you exactly do this is kind of up to you, since the best diet is the one you're going to stick to for life.

One popular method these days is weight loss diets with prepackaged meals. These are a good idea, because they focus on foods that are healthy, and the foods themselves are designed to control hunger and cravings while providing adequate nutrition. What's good about these diets is that you don't have to think to lose You simply eat the prepackaged meals presented to you (sometimes supplemented with additional foods like fruit, vegetables or dairy, depending on the plan), follow an exercise plan, and you lose the weight.

However, since the focus of many weight loss diets is usually to keep the weight off, perhaps the best way to lose weight is to design a diet that has an adequate amount of calories and is healthy. However, it contains foods you like and that are best for your body, so that you can stick to this "diet" (really a lifestyle change) for life and therefore keep the weight off.

Some simple truths

There are some simple truths when it comes to getting and keeping the weight off. Number one, you cannot follow a restrictive "diet" forever. It's not realistic and you're going to fall off the wagon at some point. Most people that go on very strict diets (including very low-carb diets) eventually go off them because they simply can't maintain the deprivation.

A second rule of thumb is that your diet is going to have to be comprised of truly healthy foods for the most part in order for you to get and maintain a good weight. Yes, you can eat ice cream, and other "treats," but only in moderation and only after you've learned portion control and how to avoid binging.

So one of the things a diet should do is to retrain your taste buds to taste real food. That means, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables (without added sugar, fat or salt), lean meats, fish, whole grains, beans and legumes, low-fat dairy, and good fats like olive oil, nuts and seeds.

Set your calorie intake

Depending on your level of activity, you're going to need between 1500 and 2000 calories a day to lose weight in a healthy way. Build your diet of the above foods based upon what you like (and with the help of a nutritionist, if you don't feel you know enough yourself), then stick to it. It's going to be tough going at first, but you will get used to it and eventually begin to enjoy the taste of real food without a lot of extra salt, fat or sugar added to it. Eventually, your body will get used to you eating less, too, so that your body will tell you when you really need to eat, instead of simply when you want to.

Any diet is going to make you feel "deprived," at first

Yes, that's true, you probably will feel deprived at first, even though you're getting enough calories and good food, but this will go away as you continue on your diet (remember, really a lifestyle change and not a diet that's going to end at some point) and begin to enjoy the taste of real food.

Exercise

An exercise program is important to any weight-loss regimen, because most overweight people are also too sedentary. Embarking on a reasonable exercise program (check with your doctor first to determine your fitness level and health concerns) will burn calories, build muscle, and burn off fat. All of these things will contribute to weight loss. Again, this isn't something you can do over the short term, but it's something you're going to have to build into daily life. Eventually, you should want to build up to at least 30 minutes a day, every day, and it should be a mix of cardiovascular and strength training exercise.

Treat yourself -- occasionally

Everyone is going to cheat occasionally on a diet, but the trick is, don't let yourself stop completely. Instead get back on track right away. To avoid binging, allow yourself one small treat of about 200 calories every couple of days, built into your total calorie intake. That's one small scoop of ice cream, one small candy bar, etc. Whatever your weakness, go ahead and have it. Then stop and go back to your diet. This will help keep you from binging from frustration because you can't have what you really want. You'll probably find that you don't like these things as well once your taste buds adjust and you're not eating so much sweet or salty stuff anymore, too.

To learn more

Browse this website, using the menu at left, to find out more about specific diets that might help you start out. Remember that no good diet in the end is going to deprive you of anything you really want forever, and nothing that does is going to last. Focus on health, nutrition, exercise and patience, and you should be well on your way to slimming down.