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Diet Advice for Women

Trying to lose weight? You're not alone. Every day millions of women around the world struggle to drop those extra pounds, yet far too many wind up losing little more than their patience. Improve your chances of dieting success with a few simple tips to keep you on track.

  1. By the Numbers

    • Success with dieting involves no big secret. In order to lose weight, you simply have to expend more calories than you ingest-3,500 calories per pound, to be precise. The problem is that most women do not know how accurately to track their calorie intake and underestimate how much they are actually eating. Make sure you are eating proper portion sizes by measuring everything you put on your plate and not going back for seconds. Cut 500 calories per day and you will lose about a pound per week, a healthy rate of weight loss.

    Bulk up on Fiber

    • You don't have to feel like you're starving while cutting calories. Eating foods high in fiber will keep you feeling full longer than the empty-calorie foods many of us often eat. Whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, pears, pistachios, berries and fibrous vegetables all have high nutritional value and fiber contents and will keep your hunger pangs at bay.

    Watch What You Drink

    • Think that diet soda won't throw off your weight-loss plan? Think again. A study at Purdue University showed that ingesting drinks containing artificial sweeteners can actually cause people to gain weight. The taste of sweetness without the calorie load signals our bodies to overeat. Instead of picking up that zero-calorie diet soda, drink lots of zero-calorie water instead.

    Enjoy Home Cooking

    • Restaurant meals tend to be laden with fat and calories and double- or even triple-appropriate portion size. If you have a habit of eating out or ordering take out, start making your meals at home instead. You can control the quality of the ingredients and your portion size at the same time. Bonus: You'll save money-cash you can spend on your new skinny wardrobe.

    Protein with Every Meal

    • Eating protein helps shut off your hunger reflex faster than fats or carbohydrates. Proteins help build and maintain muscle mass while encouraging fat burning and keeping you feeling full. Stock up on lean proteins like chicken, turkey, fish and nuts.

    Reduce Carbs, Increase Veggies

    • While low-carb diets were the fad for a while, a moderate amount of carbs are necessary to maintain a healthy weight. Problem is, most of us eat far more than a moderate amount of starchy carbs such as potatoes and bread every day. Save calories by replacing half the starches on your plate with vegetables.

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