Phase 2: Create Your Weight Loss Diet Plan
(If you somehow got here without reading Phase 1 first, you're going to be a little lost. It's ok, just go back and read it here:
Phase 1: How To Lose Weight)
In Phase 1 of The Lose Weight Diet, you learned how to lose weight. You learned that the key to weight loss is being in a calorie
deficit, which means you are burning more calories than you are consuming. You learned that to do this, you just need be about 500
calories below your calorie maintenance level. You also learned that while this was the most important part of weight loss, making sure
these calories are coming from the right food sources is also pretty important.
Now, in Phase 2, you're going to learn how to put this information to use and create your own weight loss diet plan. The very first
thing you're going to need to do is figure out what your calorie maintenance level is...
Calculate your daily calorie maintenance level.
Your daily calorie maintenance level is the key number in creating your weight loss diet plan. It is based on many factors and is
specific to each person. For example, you and your friend might be the same height and weight, but you might have maintenance
levels that are hundreds of calories apart. Since the effectiveness of your weight loss diet plan depends a lot on this number, it is
important that you figure it out as accurately as possible.
For the most part there are really only 2 methods of figuring out this "magic" number. The first is pretty close to accurate, and the
second is as accurate as can be.
1. Here's the method for getting the "pretty close estimate" of your calorie maintenance level. It requires putting your gender, weight,
height, age and activity level through a 6th grade level math formula. However, I have assumed that no one actually wants to sit around
doing 6th grade math. I was right, wasn't I? So, I've included a calculator for it instead. All you need to do now is just fill out the
quick form below and hit "Calculate!" and you will instantly get your estimated calorie maintenance level. Go ahead and try it...
2. While the above method is probably accurate enough for most people (it was actually very close for me), I can't say for sure if it
will be as accurate for everyone. And, since this is the number that will be at the heart of your weight loss diet plan, I'm going to
mention the second method. It's not so much a "method" as it is a "test."
Basically, you would start eating a certain number of calories each day and then closely monitor what your weight does when
consuming this many calories. For example, if you maintained weight eating this certain number calories per day, you have found your
maintenance level. If you gained weight, lower your calorie intake a little and see what happens then. If you lose weight, then you
know you're already below your calorie maintenance level.
If you want to give method #2 a try, I'd suggest using your current calorie intake as the number of calories to start the "test" on.To
figure this number out, pick a day and eat like you normally would. The only difference is you will be keeping track of the number of
calories in everything you consume. At the end of the day add it all up. Do this for a few days and then take an average of all the days.
This average is the average amount of calories you are currently taking in each day and would make a perfect starting point for method #2.
Which method you decide to use is up to you. Feel free to use both, by the way.
Create your weight loss diet plan.
Now that you know what your daily calorie maintenance level is, it's time to officially create your weight loss diet plan.
To do this, just subtract 500 from your calorie maintenance level.
For example, if you figured your maintenance level to be 3000 calories per day, you would now start eating 2500 calories per day instead.
It's really as easy as it sounds. Just subtract 500 from your daily maintenance level and then start eating this new amount of calories
each day. By doing so, you would officially be in a calorie deficit. And, as you know, a calorie deficit is what makes weight loss happen.
You're also going to want to try to eat 5-6 smaller meals per day (once every 2-3 hours) and spread those calories out evenly among
them.There are three reasons for eating 5-6 smaller meals instead of 1-3 big meals or just randomly throughout the day. The first is
that it will help speed up your metabolism. The second is that eating so frequently will help keep you satisfied and less likely to eat
something you shouldn't. The third is that you will be supplying your body with the nutrients it needs consistently throughout the day.
All that's left to do now as far as your weight loss diet plan goes is make sure that the calories you are consuming each day are
coming from the right food sources...
Protein
Protein isn't just an important part of The Lose Weight diet, it's an important part of every diet. As far as food sources go, the best
sources of protein tend to come from anything that used to be alive, or anything that came from something that used to be alive. Some
high protein foods include:
chicken
fish
lean cuts of meat
turkey
eggs and egg whites
milk
Protein can also be found in all types of nuts, seeds and beans. And of course, there are always protein supplements in the form of
powder, shakes and bars.As far as how much protein you should include in your weight loss diet plan per day, that depends on the
person. For example, the average person who doesn't exercise at all needs less protein than someone who does. Something in the range
of 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight would be alright in this case. For example, if the person weighed 180lbs, you would
do 180 x 0.5 = 90 grams of protein per day.
However, someone who does exercise should eat somewhere in the range of .6 - 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. In
this example a person weighing 180lbs would look to eat between 108 - 180 grams of protein per day. People really into weight training
(and other athletes) are typically the ones who stay closer to the higher end of that equation.
The only other thing you need to know about protein is that 1 gram contains 4 calories. So, for example, if you were to eat 100 grams
of protein per day, that would account for 400 calories. (100 x 4 = 400)
Fat
Despite any crazy ideas that have been put into your head, there are 2 different types of fat. Good fat (polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated) and bad fat (saturated and trans). Bad fat can be found in all of the usual junk foods that you already know you
shouldn't eat. Good fat on the other hand can be found in the following foods:
fish
nuts
olive oil
flax seed oil
As to how much fat should be included in your weight loss diet plan... about 30% of your total calorie intake should come from fat.
Most (if not all) of this fat should come in the form of the "good" food sources listed below. Very little (if any) should come from the
"bad" sources.
Also keep in mind that 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories. So, for example, if you needed to eat 80 grams of fat per day, that would
account for 720 calories.
(80 x 9 = 720)
Carbs
Now that you know how much protein and fat your weight loss diet should include, it will be pretty easy to figure out how many
carbs you should eat.Quite simply, the rest of your diet should be carbs. Once you factor protein and fat into your total calorie intake,
whatever calories are left over to reach the number of calories you figured you need to eat per day those calories should come from carbs.
One carb contains 4 calories. So, for example, after factoring protein and fat into what you calculated your total calorie intake should
be (500 below maintenance level, remember?), let's say you are 1200 calories below that number. In this example you would need to
eat 300 carbs per day. (1200 ÷ 4 = 300)
And, just like fat, there is a good type of carbs you should eat (complex carbs), and a bad type of carbs you should try to limit as
much as possible (simple carbs). Some sources of "good" carbs are:
beans
brown rice
100% whole wheat bread
whole wheat pasta
sweet potatoes
oatmeal
fruits and vegetables
The bad type of carbs are found in typical snack/junk foods like crackers, pretzels, chips, cookies, etc. as well as white bread,
white rice, white potatoes, pasta and any candy, drink or food containing sugar. While you should try to limit these "bad" carbs as
much as possible and get most of your carb intake from foods on the "good" list, eating a baked potato or some pasta once in a while
won't kill you.
Remember...
Remember, the most important part of The Lose Weight Diet is making sure you are 500 calories below your calorie maintenance
level. Everything you just read about protein, fat and carbs was to give you an idea of how to divide those calories up so that your
weight loss diet plan is as balanced as possible. The guidelines mentioned aren't just ideal for weight loss, they're also ideal for good
health in general.
The end of Phase 2 of The Lose Weight Diet
You have reached the end of Phase 2. Right now you should not only know how to lose weight, but you should also know exactly
what your specific weight loss diet plan should be so YOU can lose weight. You know how many calories you need to eat, and you
know where those calories should come from. For the most part, you're done. Take a breath. It's a good feeling, isn't it?
All that's left now is some final information to not only make sure you continue losing weight, but to make sure you keep the weight
off once it's gone. That's what Phase 3 will explain. Also, any questions that may have popped into your head during Phase 1 and 2
(for example, how do you know how many calories/protein/carbs/fat are in certain foods?) will be answered in Phase 3. So... let's go...
Phase 3: Continue Losing Weight And Keep It Off >>> |
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