Dieting: How to Get Started and Succeed
When it comes to losing weight, the first word that comes to mind is “diet”. If you’re trying to slim down and want to approach dieting knowing what you’re doing, then keep reading through this guide. It’ll provide you with the necessary information to get started with dieting so you can lose weight. Just keep in mind that no diet works overnight, so it’s essential to 100% commit to a long-term plan in order to see success.
What is Dieting?
Dieting means reducing the amount of calories you eat and exercising more so you create a calorie deficit. Once you reach a 3,500 calorie deficit you’ll lose 1 pound of fat.
How to Get Started?
The easiest way to get started with dieting is to keep track of what you’re eating. A 1,300 calorie diet for women and 1,800 calorie diet for men is generally recommended, although this will vary from person to person. To track your calories, start by reading the nutrition labels on all foods that you eat. Pay attention to calories and serving size, because most people think that a serving size is much larger than it really is (for example, one serving of cookies is generally 2 instead of 6).
Write down all of the calories that you eat, either in a notebook or on a fitness app on your phone. As you go through the day you’ll be able to see how many calories you have left so you can plan accordingly for lunch, dinner and snacks. It’s also important to note that any calories you burn through exercise will contribute to your overall deficit, so make sure you track those as well. Some nutritionists recommend to eat the calories you burn back, but this is an individual decision.
What to Eat?
It’s recommended to pack your diet full of healthy and natural foods that are low in calories and saturated fat. It’s also recommended to try and cut out sugars and junk foods that go through a lot of processing before they hit your plate. Of course it’s alright to indulge sometimes, but your diet should be mainly made up of foods that are good for you.
Healthy Diet Foods:
– Vegetables (green beans, broccoli, corn, cauliflower, carrots, peas,etc.)
– Fruits (melons, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples)
– Lean Meats (ground beef, steak, turkey bacon)
– Fish (salmon, tilapia, shrimp, cod)
– Cheese (cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese)
– Proteins (chicken, tofu, beans, tempeh)
– Carbohydrates (quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat pasta)
Unhealthy Foods:
– Sugar (cake, candy, pies)
– Junk Food (fast food, fried food)
– Soda
– White Flour (white bread, pie crust, bagels)
Ways to Exercise:
Last, but not least, exercise should always be a part of a healthy diet. Three or four days of exercise per week is generally enough, although it’s up to each individual what they want to do. Some great exercises to try include:
– Walking
– Jogging
– Running
– Boxing
– Cycling
– Jump Roping
– Dancing
– Elliptical
– Swimming
Seeing Results:
If you stick with eating less and exercising more for a long time, then you’re going to see weight loss in time. The key is to realize that a healthy diet should be long-term rather than something you do for just a few weeks. This way you’ll remain at a healthy weight and will be packing your diet full of healthy foods on a regular basis! For more information, we highly recommend your check out this weight loss site, Honest Dieting. It has lots of strategies and easy to use advice.