Rules for a Healthy Weight Loss Diet

Want to know what makes a weight loss diet a healthy one? Check out the rules below that indicate that the diet you are following is, in fact, a healthy weight loss diet that will not only yield results, but will keep your body in great shape as well:

They control calories, not restrict them

A healthy weight loss diet helps you to control your calorie intake, but it won't restrict food intake to the point that you are starving. The average healthy man or woman needs between 1800 and 2200 calories to survive, and your weight loss diet should reduce your calorie intake by no more than 300 to 500 calories. Any more than that, and you're getting into starvation or crash diet territory!

They promote healthy eating

A good diet promotes the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Any diet that tells you to cut an entire food group from your menu is NOT a healthy diet, as your body needs a balance of all foods in order to get the right amounts of protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

They're practical

The best and most effective diets are the ones that you can sustain for a long time. Bad diets include foods that are very expensive, hard to find, only available online (supplements, for example), and foods that require a lot of time and effort to prepare. Any good diet should be simple and practical enough that anyone can keep up with it, without a degree in fitness or nutrition.

They are well-researched

If there is any diet that "Doctors don't want you to know about" or which promise "Miracle weight loss results", run like they are the plague! The best diets are the ones that have years of scientific research behind them, that follow the USDA dietary guidelines, and which have been proven to be effective. That doesn't mean that all new diets are going to be scammy or poor choices, but you should always question diets that stray too far from conventional wisdom.

They encourage eating the right foods

Your body needs a few important things to live and function properly. Protein is needed to build muscles. Fiber is needed to improve digestion. Vitamins and minerals are needed to keep your body working well. Your diet should always promote the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with seeds, nuts, whole grains, and lean proteins.

They discourage consumption of the wrong foods

Sugar, trans fats, processed food, artificial ingredients, and poor quality foods should all be a no-no on your diet, or else it's not as healthy as you'd like to think. All of these foods are "wrong", and they cause health problems, poor digestion, raised blood sugar, an increased risk of cancer, and weight gains. For a diet to truly be considered as "healthy", it needs to help you eliminate all of the bad foods from your diet.

They control sodium

Sodium is a nutrient you may need a lot of if you are a marathon runner or you do hours of cardio every day, but the average person needs a lot less sodium than they regularly consume. Diets like the DASH diet limit your intake of salt, which helps to reduce the stress placed on your cardiovascular system. The healthiest diets avoid salt-heavy foods!

They promote exercise

Any diet that claims to help you lose weight WITHOUT exercise is not a diet you can trust! Exercise and diet are two halves to the key of weight loss, so for your diet to be truly "healthy", it must push you to do exercise!