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.