Sample Diet Plan to Lose Weight

With obesity a major problem, people are constantly looking for the best diet plan for losing weight. Although popular diets such as Atkins, NutriSystem, and Weight Watchers have been known to produce results, they have also been very difficult to maintain. In addition to being expensive, such diets are easy to break away from, with a return to bad habits. Thus, the best diet plan is one that not only works, but can be sustained.

Speeding Up Your Metabolism

The key to dieting is to speed up your metabolism. Instead of cutting calories and starving yourself, you should actually eat more often in smaller portions. Eating six to eight small meals a day that your body can easily process is a great way to speed up your metabolism. An increased metabolism helps break down the food you eat rather than storing the extra calories as fat. If you skip meals, you are actually slowing down your metabolism; then when you do eat, your body does not break down all the food. On top of that, by eating something small every 2 hours, you are preventing yourself from getting so hungry that you overeat. Overeating forces your body to store calories as fat.

Eating Healthy

In addition to eating more often, your diet should consist of healthy choices. A good example of a healthy small meal is a cup of light yogurt and a bowl of fruit. Not only is this nutritious meal delicious, but it will provide your body with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Make sure you check the labels of all the foods you put into your body. Replacing juice and soda with water is a great way to reduce your daily sugar intake. Avoid food that is high in saturated fat, trans fat, simple carbohydrates, and sugar. This type of food will be too difficult for your body to process. Stick to food such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, low-fat yogurt, unsalted nuts, egg whites and whole wheat toast. Most people know the difference between healthy and unhealthy food. The key is to put that knowledge into effect.

Staying on Course

One of the most difficult tasks when dieting is to not abandon the good habits you've acquired and regain the weight you lost. Due to the strictness of some diets, it becomes impossible not to give in to temptations. This is why you should allow yourself one small meal a week to eat whatever you desire. By succumbing to your cravings once a week in a small dose, you will be able to better maintain your diet the rest of the week. You might be motivated to sustain your habits, knowing that you will reward yourself in the near future.