A Healthy And Successful Weight Loss Diet by Carl DiNello

If you are like most people who are concerned about their weight, chances are you place far too much importance on watching out for the foods you shouldn't be eating, and not enough importance on the foods you should be eating. Daily nutritional allowances for vitamins and minerals are recommended for good reason. Without meeting these daily allowances, your body can't function properly.

To start, forget about any fad weight loss diet that promises instant weight loss, and requires you to eat one specific category of food for extended periods of time. There's no single type of food in existence that can provide you with the variety of necessary vitamins and minerals you need for healthy body function. Not only that, chances are you won't be able to stick to a fad diet for very long. Diets that require you to eat only one kind of food soon become so boring that you'll be back to your old eating habits in no time.

There's only one kind of weight loss diet that health professionals recommend for safe weight loss. It doesn't involve eating obscure foods, or only one type of food for an extended period of time. It's the same diet you have been hearing about all your life. The only diet for proper weight loss is a nutritionally balanced diet.

A nutritionally balanced diet will contain enough vitamins and minerals to help your body function well, and enough carbohydrates, protein, and fat to meet your energy requirements. This diet is high in healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The best part of eating a balanced diet for weight loss is the added benefit these foods offer by making you feel full without adding significantly to your calorie intake. Fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals are all low in calories. They are also high in vitamins and minerals

So when trying to lose weight, be sure you don't cut these healthy foods out of your diet. Just eat smaller portions of everything. To safely lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you will need to reduce your total daily calorie intake by 500 to 1,000 calories. It is important to distribute the remaining calories into carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Your body needs all three!

Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of energy, and are found in a wide range of foods that include whole grain breads, pasta, rice, and sweets. However, as far as the sweets go, they are high in calories but offer little, or no nutritional benefit. Leave them out of any weight loss diet. Be sure to meet your body's carbohydrate requirements with foods that are nutritious.

Protein provides us with the necessary material for tissue repair, and growth. Protein can also be a source of energy for the body, but only as a last resort. Some foods that are high in protein would be meat, fish, legumes, and whole grains. Remember, that when it comes to meat, red meat is high in fat. Unless you enjoy extremely lean cuts, it might be best to minimize your intake of red meat while on a diet. You will be far better off sticking to fish, legumes, and whole grains.

Fat intake should be as little as possible when trying to lose weight, even though it is true that your body needs a certain amount of fat to function properly. Fat is available in a wide range of foods, but you should stick with the healthiest sources which will come from fish, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

A solid weight loss diet will include foods from the different food groups that provide you with the highest amount of vitamins and minerals. To maximize the success of your weight loss diet you must add regular physical activity. If you follow a proper balance of diet and exercise, you'll be well on your way to successful weight loss.


About the Author
Carl DiNello is an Article Author whose articles are featured on websites covering the Internets most popular topics.

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