Healthy Weight Loss Diet
See below for a nutrient-dense weight loss
plan containing 1600 calories, based on dietary advice from the USDA Food
Guide Pyramid. For the fastest possible weight loss, please pay attention
to the recommendations for what types of food to eat within each food
group. For example, eat whole grains rather than processed grains. Also,
heavily refined white flour foods are not healthy diet-options as they
upset our glucose metabolism, leading to a higher risk of insulin disorders.
Also, avoid trans-fats in foods like margarine, pies, candy and cakes.
Also, please note that eating too few calories can cause weight reduction
to slow down or stop altogether (weight loss plateau), and will deprive
you of the necessary nutrients (vitamins and minerals) to maintain good
health.
Table 1. Adapting Dietary Guidelines For
1600 Calorie Diet
| Food Group |
1600
Calorie Diet |
Vegetables
Food Serving Sizes: 1 cup chopped raw
or cooked vegetable, 1 cup vegetable juice, 2 cups leafy salad greens. |
4 servings |
Fruits
Food Serving Sizes: 1 cup chopped raw
or cooked fruit, 1 cup fruit juice. |
3 servings |
Grains
Food Serving Sizes: These each count
as 1 ounce-equivalent (1 serving) of grains: half cup cooked rice,
pasta, or cooked cereal; 1 ounce dry pasta or rice; 1 slice bread;
1 small muffin (1 oz); 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal flakes. |
5oz |
Dairy Foods
Food Serving Sizes: These each count
as 1 cup (1 serving) of milk: 1 cup fat-free milk or yogurt, 1.5 ounces
natural cheese such as Cheddar cheese or 2 ounces processed cheese. |
3 cups |
Meats/Meat Substitute
Food Serving Sizes: These each count
as 1 ounce-equivalent: 1 ounce lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1 egg;
quarter cup cooked dry beans or tofu; 1 Tbsp peanut butter; half ounce
nuts or seeds. |
5oz |
Fats/Oils
Representing the amounts that are added
to foods during processing, meal-preparation cooking, or at the table.
Note: Maintain your total intake of fats/oils at between 20-35 percent
of calories, with most fat coming from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated
fat, such as oily fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. |
22g |
Discretionary Calorie Allowance
The discretionary calorie allowance
is the remaining amount of calories in each food pattern after selecting
the specified number of nutrient-dense forms of foods in each food
group. The number of discretionary calories assumes that food items
in each food group are selected in nutrient-dense forms (that is,
forms that are fat-free or low-fat and that contain no added sugars).
If as part of your eating plan you choose foods with a higher fat
or sugar content than those recommended, these extra calories should
be taken from your remaining calorie allowance. |
132 Calories |
Why Choose a Healthy Weight Loss Diet
The reason for choosing a healthy weight
loss diet is because a healthy body loses weight faster than a less healthy
body. For example, for a fast efficient metabolism we need good nutrition.
A weight loss diet plan that fails to provide sufficient nutrition can
leave you tired, prone to cravings and unlikely to lose weight.
Choose a Realistic Weight Loss Diet
If you really want to reduce weight, choose
a realistic eating plan that you can follow for months rather than a short-term
low-calorie diet. Weight reduction doesn't happen overnight, and besides,
you need time to learn healthy eating habits otherwise you'll regain all
the weight you lose when you stop dieting. Weight reduction is a steady
process which requires all sorts of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients
to sustain it. So follow a healthy diet that offers reliable steady weight
loss.
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