What Is a Good Meal Plan for a Person With a 36.6 BMI?

Choosing a weight loss meal plan can be difficult.

Using Low Calorie Diets for Weight Loss

Adopting a low calorie diet is considered to be one of the best weight loss plans available. The idea is that the fewer calories you eat and the more calories you burn, the more weight you will lose. Low calorie meal plans include vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens and fewer empty calories that are normally found in starches such as bread, rice and potatoes.

Using Low Carbohydrate Diets for Weight Loss

A low carbohydrate diet, such as the popular Atkins Diet, focuses on cutting out carbohydrates and eating more protein, which takes longer to digest and keeps a person feeling full, causing him to eat less. Protein also aids in fat burning, rather than calorie burning. Lean meats, cheese, eggs and nuts are all high protein foods for a low carbohydrate meal plan, while all starches, breads, pasta, rice and fruits are high in carbs.

Bottom Line

The New England Journal of Medicine reported a study that has proven low calorie meal plans coupled with exercise is the way to go. The reason it works better than low carb is because it gives a person a wider range of food choices, which is easier to stick to. So, while someone might see similar weight loss results with either meal plan, low calorie has been proven to promote better weight loss results over time.