low calorie diet

Obesity has become one of the most widespread problems in today’s world, since it affects people of all ages. Most people are overweight because of two reasons; the first cause of obesity is following a diet that is high in calories, fat and sugar and the second reason is leading a sedentary lifestyle. In case you are overweight and are trying to do something about it, it is best for you to follow a low calorie diet plan. Regardless of which diet plan you follow, you will need to cut down on calories, if you want to see successful results. On average, the daily caloric intake for men is between 1,600 and 1,800 calories a day and for women, it is 1,200 to 1,400 calories.

In order to lose weight, you will need to assess your total caloric intake for the day and then try to reduce the number of calories you consume everyday. You need to burn 3,500 calories, to lose one pound. So if you set a goal of losing one pound a week, the number of calories you consume each day, should be 500 less than the number of calories you burn everyday. You can use a two way approach to reach your goal. This means that you could burn off 250 calories a day, while exercising and you could reduce 250 calories from your food intake, by following a low calorie diet.

Several people skip meals, in order to lose weight faster. However, even when you are on a low calorie diet, to lose weight, you should never miss meals. Instead, you need to eat about 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day. Limit your portions for each meal and make sure that your meals do not exceed 300 calories each, because it is much easier for your body to burn off calories in smaller amounts, helping you to lose weight much faster. A good low calorie diet plan includes 5 meals a day, which are breakfast, lunch, late afternoon snack, evening snack and dinner. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it should also be the heaviest. Ideally, breakfast should include foods like skim milk, fruit, cereal, sandwiches made with brown bread, eggs and so on. Foods eaten during lunch and dinner could include whole wheat pasta, brown rice, pulses or beans, lean meat or fish, along with a salad.

The afternoon snack should have fruits and vegetables and the evening snack can have light food or beverages, like skim milk, yogurt, nuts, crackers and low fat cheese. Low calorie diets often include foods that are low in fat, but are high in nutrition.