6 Tips for Structuring a Weight Loss Diet Menu

There are literally hundreds of diets out there, each claiming to be more effective than the other. And yet you and I know that the weight loss diet menu that works for one person simply doesn’t for another. The important thing is to figure out what really works for you; and what helps your body to lose weight.

To pick the right weight loss diet menu for you, keep the following in mind:

Structuring a Weight Loss Diet Menu1. Go slow and steady

Slow but steady weight loss is better and more sustainable than quick and sudden weight loss. Keep this in mind and don’t opt for the diets that promise very rapid weight loss. Your goal should be to lose about a pound a week. This is not too much of a change for the system and the body will not look upon this as a period of scarcity.

It is when the body perceives times of scarcity that it starts to hoard fat stores, refusing to part with the weight. So pick a weight loss diet menu that doesn’t restrict calories very severely.

2. Avoid fad diet plans

Remember the fact that “going on a diet” and then “coming off the diet” means that you will not sustain your weight loss. Going back to “normal” eating after a diet means that you’re going to put on back all of the lost weight. So rather than picking a fad diet that tells you to cut out X or Y food group, opt for healthy meal plans that you continue to live with. So the weight loss diet plan should be balanced in terms of nutrition, varied enough to sustain your interest and tasty enough for you not to start to hate it.

3. Follow the rules

There should be certain thumb rules to follow with any weight loss diet menu: it should include no transfats, few or no sugary drinks (we often don’t realize the number of useless calories hidden in beverages). Each meal should include some protein, and a serving of fruit or veg. It should include plenty of plain, delicious water.

4. Keep it easy

Also consider whether the meal plans are easy for you to follow. Difficult and elaborate meals that require a lot of time and effort are probably not something that you may be able to sustain in the long run.

5. Portion control

Opt for a weight loss diet menu that recommends portion control rather than severe calorie restriction or the cutting out of any food groups. Remember the body needs a wide variety of foods to meet all of its nutritional needs, so pick a diet that recommends having everything in moderation.

6. Don’t stay hungry

If a diet makes you feel hungry and deprived all of the time, then it’s probably not that good for you. This means that your body is probably feeling the stress of under-nourishment and that your calorie restriction has been rather sudden or extreme. Such a weight loss diet menu may also mean that you’re likely to give in to a craving to binge at some point, which will undo all of your good work so far.