Calorie Controlled Diet Plans

Losing weight is generally a process of burning more calories than you take in. There are many ways to do this, but one of the most controllable is to keep track of the calories you intake. Calorie-control diets are varied, but a little bit of research will go a long way toward deciding which type of plan you want to follow.

Commercial Plans

• There are many commercial weight loss plans, but two of the best-known for calorie control are Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. With Weight Watchers, members are taught about portion control and ingredients such as fat and fiber content. They are then on their own in deciding what they can eat, within their point system of counting. In Jenny Craig, all the deciding is done for the members. Meals are prepared for members, so there can be no mistakes in overeating your calories. Members are encouraged to transition to preparing their own food once weight loss is established.

Free Online Plans

• There are also many free online weight loss plans, mostly concentrating on controlling calories and increasing exercise. Sparkpeople, one of the most well-known, is an entire community for weight loss. There are blogs, newsgroups, diet plans, logs and charts, virtual rewards, email and more. Fitday is another popular site, with many ways to track food, exercise, nutrition, goals and weight loss. The Discovery Channel and Self magazine are just two of the many commercial sites that offer free weight loss plans and tools.

Do It Yourself

• It is possible to lose weight effectively without joining any clubs or sites. Purchase a calorie-count book. Find out how many calories you need to take in for effective weight loss. Keep track of your calories consumed on a spreadsheet or piece of paper or journal. Chart your progress weekly. Eat healthy, control portions and exercise moderately. Finally, always consult your physician before beginning any weight-loss plan.