How to Create Your Own Diet Plan
Determine the amount of calories you need., Understand the breakdown of a healthy diet., Understand the role of fats in your diet., Limit salt and sugar., Research different diet plans for ideas.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the amount of calories you need.
Your daily caloric intake depends on your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level.
Generally, the more active you are, the more calories you'll need to maintain your current weight.
The US government recommends between 1,600 to 3,200 calories per day for adults.
On average, most adults need about 2,000 calories.To lose one pound per week, cut 500 – 750 calories from your weekly diet. 2 pounds per week will require anywhere from 1,000 – 1,500 calories less than your normal diet.
Activity levels have a huge impact on the number of calories you can consume.
Males can typically consume more without gaining weight.
For instance, if you're sedentary, you might only be able to eat 1,800 calories without gaining weight; but if you're very active, you might need 2,200. -
Step 2: Understand the breakdown of a healthy diet.
A good diet needs variety and balance.
Deciding how much protein, fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, and carbs is an important process when building your diet.
Eating protein-rich items like beans, eggs, fish, legumes, meats, milk, nuts, and soy, and helps you grow, self-repair, and develop.
Try to get 10 – 35% of your daily calories from protein, which equals about 200 – 700 calories from protein.Fruits contain vitamins and antioxidants, they're fat-free, reduce the risk of multiple health issues, and are essential to a balanced diet.
Aim for about 2 cups of fruit per day.Veggies — whether fresh, frozen, or canned — contain many vitamins (e.g.
A & C), potassium, and fiber, with minimal negative aspects and numerous health benefits.
The amount you should get per day is about 2 – 3 cups, the same as your fruits.You need carbohydrates for energy and to bolster your immune system, so aim for 5 – 8 ounces a day.Eat whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice, and avoid processed carbs like white bread and products with added sugar.Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy options to satisfy your dairy requirements.
Get 3 daily cups of any calcium-rich option like milk, cheese, or lactose-free dairy., Fats often get a bad name because of the association with actual body fat.
There are good fats, however, that are absolutely essential to functions in your body like maintaining body temperature and combating fatigue.Depending on the authority, fats should be 30% or less of your diet.Knowing which fat is which can help a diet be successful.
Good fats in your diet should come from a variety of sources like sesame, olive, and canola oils, soy beans, and nuts.
You should also get omega-3 fatty acids from fish like salmon, tuna, and bluefish.Bad fats — trans and saturated — can cause cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
These fats are often in processed oil form or solid at room temperature like red meat fat, shortening, and butter., Too much salt (sodium) leads to fluid retention, which causes stress on the heart, and can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke.Similarly, excess sugar leads to obesity and a litany of health-related issues.Sodium should be minimized to 2,300 mg or less per day.Some high-sodium foods to minimize are pizza, soups, taco mixes, and salad dressing.Limit your added sugars to no more than 24 grams (6 tsp) for most women or 36 grams (9 tsp) for most men.Added sugars go by a variety of names, many sounding the same: dextrose, fructose, lactose, maltose, sucrose.
Other common sources are maple syrup, raw sugar, corn syrup, powdered sugar, brown sugar, and granulated sugar., Most of the industry-leading diet plans have been vetted by dieticians, doctors, and myriad other experts.
Look into the rules, restrictions, and science behind the diet to be sure it’s legitimate, and apply portions of those diets as a reference.
Some popular diet plans include:
Vegetarianism, Paleo, Atkins diet, Zone diet. -
Step 3: Understand the role of fats in your diet.
-
Step 4: Limit salt and sugar.
-
Step 5: Research different diet plans for ideas.
Detailed Guide
Your daily caloric intake depends on your age, sex, weight, height, and activity level.
Generally, the more active you are, the more calories you'll need to maintain your current weight.
The US government recommends between 1,600 to 3,200 calories per day for adults.
On average, most adults need about 2,000 calories.To lose one pound per week, cut 500 – 750 calories from your weekly diet. 2 pounds per week will require anywhere from 1,000 – 1,500 calories less than your normal diet.
Activity levels have a huge impact on the number of calories you can consume.
Males can typically consume more without gaining weight.
For instance, if you're sedentary, you might only be able to eat 1,800 calories without gaining weight; but if you're very active, you might need 2,200.
A good diet needs variety and balance.
Deciding how much protein, fruits, veggies, grains, dairy, and carbs is an important process when building your diet.
Eating protein-rich items like beans, eggs, fish, legumes, meats, milk, nuts, and soy, and helps you grow, self-repair, and develop.
Try to get 10 – 35% of your daily calories from protein, which equals about 200 – 700 calories from protein.Fruits contain vitamins and antioxidants, they're fat-free, reduce the risk of multiple health issues, and are essential to a balanced diet.
Aim for about 2 cups of fruit per day.Veggies — whether fresh, frozen, or canned — contain many vitamins (e.g.
A & C), potassium, and fiber, with minimal negative aspects and numerous health benefits.
The amount you should get per day is about 2 – 3 cups, the same as your fruits.You need carbohydrates for energy and to bolster your immune system, so aim for 5 – 8 ounces a day.Eat whole grains like oatmeal and brown rice, and avoid processed carbs like white bread and products with added sugar.Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy options to satisfy your dairy requirements.
Get 3 daily cups of any calcium-rich option like milk, cheese, or lactose-free dairy., Fats often get a bad name because of the association with actual body fat.
There are good fats, however, that are absolutely essential to functions in your body like maintaining body temperature and combating fatigue.Depending on the authority, fats should be 30% or less of your diet.Knowing which fat is which can help a diet be successful.
Good fats in your diet should come from a variety of sources like sesame, olive, and canola oils, soy beans, and nuts.
You should also get omega-3 fatty acids from fish like salmon, tuna, and bluefish.Bad fats — trans and saturated — can cause cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
These fats are often in processed oil form or solid at room temperature like red meat fat, shortening, and butter., Too much salt (sodium) leads to fluid retention, which causes stress on the heart, and can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke.Similarly, excess sugar leads to obesity and a litany of health-related issues.Sodium should be minimized to 2,300 mg or less per day.Some high-sodium foods to minimize are pizza, soups, taco mixes, and salad dressing.Limit your added sugars to no more than 24 grams (6 tsp) for most women or 36 grams (9 tsp) for most men.Added sugars go by a variety of names, many sounding the same: dextrose, fructose, lactose, maltose, sucrose.
Other common sources are maple syrup, raw sugar, corn syrup, powdered sugar, brown sugar, and granulated sugar., Most of the industry-leading diet plans have been vetted by dieticians, doctors, and myriad other experts.
Look into the rules, restrictions, and science behind the diet to be sure it’s legitimate, and apply portions of those diets as a reference.
Some popular diet plans include:
Vegetarianism, Paleo, Atkins diet, Zone diet.
About the Author
Denise Harris
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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