Weight Loss Diet

The best way to lose weight is by changing your lifestyle. Educate yourself about calories and how much you need to eat each day to maintain your weight. This will enable you to lose as much weight as you need by eating the right foods.

Eat Your Veggies

• Eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Not only does this help fill you up so you're not as hungry, but it provides you with essential nutrients and important fiber. Try snacking on fruits and vegetables instead of junk food. Eating fruits and vegetables will also improve your energy level.

Eat Protein

• Eat lean protein such as chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy. The average person should eat approximately half a gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you need to eat about 75g of protein per day.

  If you are an athlete, you will need to eat more protein, up to 1g per pound of body weight. The more you work out, the more protein you should consume. If you only work out a few times a week, you can stay closer to about half a gram of protein per pound of body weight. A gram of protein is four calories.

Eat Fats

• Eat about 30 percent of your calories each day from healthy fats. The healthy fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Avoid trans fats and saturated fats. Each gram of fat is equal to nine calories, so it won't take many grams of fat to get about 30 percent of your calories. Good sources of fats are olive oil, nuts and fish.

Carbohydrates

• Start by determining how many calories you need to eat each day to maintain your weight. Then subtract 500 calories so that you will lose about a pound a week. Now figure out how many calories you need to eat each day from fat and protein; the remaining calories should be from carbohydrates.

  Each gram of carbohydrates is four calories. Make sure that you are eating healthy carbohydrates as much as possible. These come from whole grains, cereals, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, beans, fruits and vegetables. It's okay to occasionally eat other carbohydrates such as white bread and potatoes but try to limit them.

Exercise

• Exercising allows you to either eat more calories or lose more weight. You need to maintain a caloric deficit of approximately 500 calories per day in order to lose about a pound a week.

  A calorie deficit is when you consume fewer calories than your body needs each day. This results in weight loss because your body will burn fat to get the necessary energy to function.

  Exercise more to improve your overall health and to increase your weight loss. Be sure to start slow if you are new to exercising.

  As with any diet and exercise program, talk to your doctor to make sure that the program is right for you.