Make your own diet plan

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Subject: Make your own diet plan

You want to loose weight, you want to be healthy, you want a diet that's sustainable?

1 You need to get you calories right for you and your goals. Too low and you metabolims drops, too high and nothing happens, or you gain weight

2 Your body need protein, and when you are in a calorie deficit, you need more protein. 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories. You want you protein to do cell mainteinance (muscles hair, skin the lot), maintain you muscle levels (so you don't get scrawny as well as burn more calories sitting around. when you are in a deficit you body will use protein for fuel, and not look after you skin, hair, maucles and other organs, so you need to eat more protein when in a calorie deficit to allow some is used for fuel and some for maintenance

3 You need fat, I know it's calorie dense, but it's also really important for health, as an anti imflamatory, cell rpduction, hormone productions, even your brain is 60% fat. It's also a fuel, and as long as you meet point 1 (your calorie target) then its fine. You need both saturated and unsaturated fats (just avoid hydrogenated fat (trans fats), this doesn't occur naturally and you body doesn't know how to deal with it)

4 Vitamins and minerals and these are found mainly in you fruit and veg, but meat and dairy too. Fruit is a god source, but comes with natural sugar. Sugar is sugar, its a simple carb. Eat a complex carb and your body will convert to a simple one, sugar. Problem is, to meet point 1 (calories) with enough of point 2 (protein) and 3 (fats), then too musch fruit is going to make it hard. 1-2 peices is fine, don't go crazy on juice. green leafy veg are rich in vitamins and minerals, but without the calorie burden. I'm not saying just eat green veg, but mix it up, don't have too much of one thing, but keep it in goal with your calorie targets

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Step 1. How many calories.
Be realistic, depending on how old you are you bone structure changes, become more dence, all the way through you 20's so if you are 28 don't dream of when you were 18, your structure has changed. Lets say you calorie goal is 9 stone (14 lbs per stone) so 126 lbs

Step 2. Set you calorie target.
The simplist way is to take you target weight, say 126 lbs and times by 15 = 1890 Calories
Another way is to look up a BMR calculator and feed in your age, height and target weight, then apply the Harris Benedict formulea

To lose weight you need to eat below maintenance, but not too low, or you body responds by lowing your metabolism, and you want this high. I would suggest no lower that 75% of your (realistic) target weight 75% 1890 = 1417.5 Calories, I'm going to say 1400 for ease

Step 3. How much Protein
Aiming for at least 30% of your calories from protein would allow plenty for maintenenace, as well as some spoare for fuel. 30% 1400 = 420 Calories. There are 4 calories per gram of protein, so 420/4 = 105 grams of protein a day

Step 4. How much Fat
Agains aiming for 30% of your calories from fat will allow plenty for fuel as well as functions such as cell and hormone production. These should be a mix of satuarted and unsaturated. 30% 1400 = 420 calories , but fat is energy dense and has 9 calories per grams, so 420/9 = 47 grams or fat a day

Step 5 The rest from carbs
The remaining 40% should come from carbs, and look for vitamin and mineral rich sources. Don't worry about the odd bit of bread or pasta, if the rest is from fruit and veg, be practical. 40% of 1400 = 560 Calories and like protein, carbs have 4 calories per grams so 560/4 = 140 grams or carbs a day

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Summary

Instead of counting calories, try counting the protein fats and carbs you are consuming. If you make sure you get enough calories whilst getting enough protein fats and carbs with a good range of vitamins and minerals, you should have a weight loss sustainable diet that gives you good health with good nutrition and a sensible healthy calorie deficit.

In the example above we had a realistic target of 9 Stone, 126 lbs = 1890 Calories maintenance and a deficit target of 75% = 1400 calories

30% Protein 420 Calories = 105 Grams
30% Fats 420 Calories = 47 Grams
40% Carbs 560 Calories = 140 Grams