Daily Calorie, Protein, Fat, Carb Intake & Sources. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or improve any aspect of your body or health, setting up your entire diet plan correctly is an absolute requirement for reaching any of these types of goals. The problem is, between your daily calorie, protein, fat and carb intake and the food sources you’re getting these nutrients from, diet and nutrition tends to be the area people screw up the most. In fact, our diet plan is often the area we barely even care about in the first place. I hear it all the time. People tell me all about their workout routines and what exercises and muscle groups they train on what days and how much weight they lift for how many sets and reps and blah blah blah, but when I ask them about their diet plan, the answer is usually “it’s okay” or “I think it’s pretty good.”In reality however it’s often terrible, and it’s the #1 reason you’re not losing fat or building muscle or getting the results you want. ![]() The truth is, if your diet plan isn’t set up the way it needs to be for your goal to be reached, then your goal WILL NOT be reached. Simple as that. So, how should you eat to support your goal? How do you figure out what your daily calorie, protein, fat and carb intake needs to be and what food sources those nutrients should and should not come from? How do you set up your ideal diet plan? Here now is a free guide that contains all of those answers. As you will see, protein, fat and carbs definitely matter as well, but nothing influences your ability to lose weight, gain weight, build muscle or do anything similar as much as calories do. This is because everything we eat and drink (besides obvious calorie- free items like water) contains calories, and everything we do (exercise, getting dressed, breathing, digesting food, etc.) burns calories. The difference between how many calories we consume and how many calories we burn is the most important factor in every diet plan. There is a certain number of calories that your body requires every day in order for it to maintain your current weight. We call this your “daily calorie maintenance level.” It’s the amount of calories your body requires each day in order to do EVERYTHING it needs to do. Now, if your diet plan is made up of more, less or the same amount of calories as your maintenance level, 1 of 3 things will always happen. This is a requirement for building muscle. If you eat LESS calories than your maintenance level, you will lose weight. This is a requirement for losing fat. To get to pounds you'll need to eat less than calories a day. It doesn't matter WHEN you eat but you'll Lose your last 10 lbs. Working Out But Not Losing Weight. Gaining weight at the beginning of a new exercise program is actually quite common. If you want to lose weight, cardio can be a useful tool to use along with your diet. The question is, how much should you do, and how much is too much? Hi gourmetJo, This happened to me as well when I switched to a low fat vegan diet. Actually, I gained 2 lbs in the first month. And this was after decades of a. ![]() ![]() ![]() If you eat the SAME amount of calories as your maintenance level, your weight will stay the same. This is a requirement for maintaining your current weight. ![]() Diet Plan Guide: Daily Calorie, Protein, Fat & Carb Intake and Sources. The 1700 Calorie Diet: Slow and Steady Weight Loss Results. ![]() And these are really the most important things you need to know about your daily calorie intake and just creating a proper diet plan in general. These 3 simple facts are what most of the population fail to learn, understand, or just pay attention to, and it’s the #1 reason why their body isn’t doing what they want it to do. How do you estimate your maintenance level? The first step in figuring out what your daily calorie intake needs to be is estimating what your maintenance level is. There are quite a few ways to do this, but the easiest is to multiply your current body weight in pounds by 1. Somewhere between those 2 amounts will usually be your maintenance level. Women, people who are less active, or people who think they have a slower metabolism should use the lower end of their range. Men, people who are more active, or people who think they have a faster metabolism should use the higher end of their range. People who are unsure should just pick a number in the middle. Another way to estimate your daily calorie maintenance level is with the calculator below. Just fill it in and click “Calculate!”Calorie Maintenance Calculator. How do you adjust your daily calorie intake for your goal? Now that you have a good estimate of what your maintenance level is, it’s time to adjust it for your specific goal. Just eat your maintenance level amount each day. To ensure your daily calorie intake is indeed what it should be, all you need to do is weigh yourself about once per week first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything, and monitor if your weight is moving in the right direction at the ideal rate. For losing weight, 1- 2lbs lost per week is usually perfect. For gaining weight or building muscle, 0. So, if that’s happening, you’re perfect. Continue eating this daily calorie intake from that point on. But if it’s not, then you just need to adjust up or down in small 2. Yup, just that simple. Now that your daily calorie intake is set up, it’s time to set up the protein, fat and carbs that will supply these calories. Daily Protein Intake. The next most important part of your diet plan is your daily protein intake. Because as I explain in my article about the high protein diet, protein is the building block of muscle, it plays a huge role in controlling your hunger and keeping you satisfied, and, if weight loss is your goal, it’s the dietary key to ensuring that the weight you lose is fat and not muscle. These benefits are the reason why protein supplements are so damn popular and you’ll never hear anyone recommend a low protein diet. The question is, what does your daily protein intake need to be to get all of these benefits? What is your ideal daily protein intake? My article about finding your ideal amount of protein per day answers this question in detail, but the quick and simple answer is that most people looking to improve their body should usually be eating between 0. Most people should use their current body weight when doing this calculation (so a 1. What are the best sources of protein? Some common high quality sources of protein include. There are primarily 4 different types of fat (trans, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), and each has a significantly different effect on the human body. My article about Good Fats vs Bad Fats explains this in detail. The short version is that trans fat should be avoided completely, saturated fat should typically be limited to no more than 1/3 of your total daily fat intake, and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should comprise the majority of it. A definite extra emphasis should be placed on getting enough of a specific polyunsaturated fatty acid. My article about Omega- 3 Fish Oil Supplements explains why it’s so important. What is your ideal daily fat intake? In most cases, somewhere between 2. So, just figure out what 2. I’ll show you a full example of how to do this in a minute. What are the best sources of fat? Some common high quality sources of fat include. The reason we left carbs for last is because out of the 3 macronutrients that supply our daily calories (protein, fat and carbs), carbs are the least important. As my article about how many grams of carbs you should eat per day explains, carbs are extremely useful and a sufficient amount should definitely be eaten. However, protein and fat are the only macronutrients that are truly essential to the human body and MUST be present in our diet plan in order to live and function. Carbs aren’t, although we definitely live and function much better when we eat them. Here’s why this is important. That might sound confusing, but it’s not. Remember the daily calorie intake you calculated before? Subtract calories from protein and calories from fat from that amount. Whatever amount of calories are still left over, those calories will come from carbs. Here’s a step- by- step example. Since 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories, that means 6. To figure out how many grams of fat that would be, they’d just divide 5. So that. Since 1 gram of carbs contains 4 calories, this example person can see that they should eat 2. You’d just repeat this same process using your actual daily calorie, protein, fat and carb intake instead of the example amounts I just used. What are the best sources of carbs? Some common high quality sources of carbs include? Well, I can explain all of those answers in just 3 simple words: it doesn’t matter. Everything you’ve heard about a certain type of diet organization being beneficial for losing weight or building muscle is either a lie, a myth, or complete crap. My articles about why eating 5- 6 small meals per day is BS and why eating after 7 pm at night is fine explain why. So, the real answer to every question you have about how to best put your diet plan together is this. Whatever is most likely to cause you to consistently get the important stuff right. Well, after 1. 0 years of people asking me for it, I’ve finally created the solution. It. It contains the proven sample diet plans (and workouts) that I? Then go here to learn all about it: The Ultimate Fat Loss & Muscle Building Guide. Sample Vegan Diet Plan - 1. Calories. Here is a sample vegan diet plan. Protein (g)Fat (g)Carbs (g)Calories. Breakfast: Cereal: POST Raisin Bran. Soy milk, fluid. 1 cup (1 NLEA serving) (5. Cereals ready- to- eat, KRAFT, POST Raisin Bran Cereal Lunch: Burger: Vege. WORTHINGTON FOODS, MORNINGSTAR FARMS GARDEN VEGE PATTIES, frozen. Rolls, hamburger or hotdog, reduced- calorie. Mustard, prepared, yellow Snack: Oranges: raw. Cover, and then simmer for 5 minutes or in till all of the moisture is absorbed. Sprinkle cheese and toasted sesame seed on top and serve hot. PM Snack: Carrots, baby, raw. Carrots, baby, raw Protein (g)Fat (g)Carbs (g)Calories. Total: 6. 3. 0. 42. DAILY SHOPPING LIST2 tsp or 1 packet (1. Mustard, prepared, yellow. NLEA serving) (5. Cereals ready- to- eat, KRAFT, POST Raisin Bran Cereal. So far I think what I am doing is working. I am really pleased with this program. The reinforcement helps me keep my eyes on my my goals.. I really like the way that the meal plan is set up. It is easier than other plans that I have followed before (LA Weight loss).. I am feeling a lot better. I am also still excited about changing the way that I eat and how often that I exercise. This site is a really great idea for those of us that have our time budgeted to the max. I have lost 1. 5 lbs without really dieting. I'm signed up for a 1. November - I can now run 4 miles without much effort. I really think I can stick to it. The diary really helps a person realize how bad they are eating even when they don't think they are. I also just wanted to let you know that I am also trying to stay away from processed and frozen foods, and prefer organic food. My jeans have generally required a . My wife says I look like I've lost a little weight in the face. This is the best I've felt one week into any diet I've ever tried. I'm not getting hungry, not craving anything, and not stiff from wild workouts. I feel good and am very encouraged. In the morning get all my day time meals ready and work out on Mon. I lost a few pounds and now I don't fit into my wedding dress so.. I might have to wait till June 1st to really get into it. Which is a bummer cause I really liked putting my all into it. I'll still eat healthy but will have to wait to really lose the lbs. My son really enjoyed the stir- fry I made and my husband is looking forward to a change of lifestyle. I didn't expect a real person to answer!!! Lose 1. 0 Pounds in Just 1 Week? The military diet is currently one of the world’s most popular “diets.”It is claimed to help you lose weight quickly, up to 1. The military diet is also free. There is no book, expensive food or supplement you need to buy. But does this diet actually work, and is it something you should try? This article explains everything you need to know about the military diet. What Is the Military Diet? The military diet, also called the 3- day diet, is a weight loss diet that can help you lose up to 1. The military diet plan involves a 3- day meal plan followed by 4 days off, and the weekly cycle is repeated again and again until you reach your goal weight. Proponents of the diet claim that it was designed by nutritionists in the US military in order to get soldiers into top shape quickly. However, the truth is that the diet isn’t affiliated with any military or governmental institution. The military diet goes by several other names as well, including the navy diet, the army diet and even the ice cream diet. Bottom Line: The military diet is a low- calorie weight loss diet that is claimed to promote significant weight loss in just one week. How Does the Military Diet Work? The 3- day military diet is actually split into 2 phases over a 7- day period. For the first 3 days, you must follow a set low- calorie meal plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are no snacks between meals. Total calorie intake during this phase is roughly 1,1. This is much lower than the average adult’s intake, but you can check your own calorie requirements using this calculator. For the remaining 4 days of the week, you are encouraged to eat healthy and continue to keep your calorie intake low. Proponents of the diet claim that you can repeat the diet several times until you reach your goal weight. Bottom Line: The first 3 days of the military diet have a set meal plan and involve calorie restriction. The remaining 4 days have fewer restrictions. The Meal Plan. This is the 3- day meal plan on the military diet. Day 1. This is the meal plan for day 1. It amounts to around 1,4. Breakfast: A slice of toast with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Half a grapefruit. A cup of coffee or tea (optional). Lunch: A slice of toast. Half a cup of tuna. A cup of coffee or tea (optional). Dinner: A 3- oz (8. A small apple. Half a banana. One cup vanilla ice cream. Day 2. These are the meals for day 2, amounting to around 1,2. Breakfast: A slice of toast. One hard- boiled egg. Half a banana. A cup of coffee or tea (optional). Lunch: One hard- boiled egg. A cup of cottage cheese. A cup of coffee or tea (optional). Dinner: Two hot dogs, with no bun. Half a cup of carrots and half a cup of broccoli. Half a banana. Half a cup of vanilla ice cream. Day 3. Here is the plan for day 3, which amounts to around 1,1. Breakfast: A 1- ounce slice of cheddar cheese. A small apple. A cup of coffee or tea (optional). Lunch: A slice of toast. One egg, cooked however you like. A cup of coffee or tea (optional). Dinner: A cup of tuna. Half a banana. 1 cup of vanilla ice cream. Feel free to drink as much coffee or tea as you want, as long as you don’t add any calories from sugar or cream. Drink plenty of water too. The Remaining 4 Days. The remainder of the week also involves dieting. Snacks are permitted and there are no food group restrictions. However, you are encouraged to limit portion sizes and keep total calorie intake under 1,5. You can find a list of websites and apps to track your calorie intake in this article. There are no other rules for the remaining 4 days of the diet. Bottom Line: The first 3 days of the diet have a set menu, while the other 4 are less restricted. You are still encouraged to eat healthy and restrict calories for the remaining 4 days. Additional Foods Permitted. Substitutions are allowed during the 3- day phase for those with dietary restrictions, but portions should contain the same number of calories. For example, if you have a peanut allergy, you can swap peanut butter for almond butter. You can also swap 1 cup of tuna for some almonds if you are vegetarian. All that matters is that the calories remain the same. If you change the meal plan in any way, you need to be counting calories. Proponents of the military diet encourage drinking hot lemon water, but recommend against artificially sweetened beverages. However, there is no scientific reason why this would be a good idea. Bottom Line: If you have dietary restrictions, then you are allowed to substitute foods of equal calories. Is the Military Diet Based on Evidence? There have been no studies on the military diet. However, the average person is very likely to lose a few pounds due to the week- long calorie restriction. If fewer calories enter your fat tissue than leave it, you lose fat. Period. However, proponents of the diet claim that it has a certain weight loss advantage due to the “food combinations” in the meal plan. These combinations are said to increase your metabolism and burn fat, but there is no truth behind these claims. Coffee and green tea do contain compounds that can slightly increase metabolism, but there are no known combinations of food able to do this (1, 2, 3, 4). And, if you look at the overall foods included in the meal plan, it simply doesn’t seem like a fat- burning diet. Foods high in protein boost metabolism more than other foods (5, 6). But most of the meals in the military diet are low in protein and high in carbs, which is a bad combination for weight loss. Some people also claim this diet has similar health benefits to intermittent fasting. However, there is no fasting involved in the diet, so this is false. Bottom Line: The military diet can help you lose weight because it is very low in calories. However, it has no special advantage that makes it more effective than other calorie- restricted diets. Is the Military Diet Safe and Sustainable? The military diet is likely safe for the average person because it’s too short to do lasting harm. However, if you were to follow this diet for months at a time, the strict limit on calories could put you at risk of nutrient deficiencies. This is especially true if you do not regularly eat vegetables and other quality foods on your days off. Additionally, eating hot dogs, crackers and ice cream every week has the potential to cause metabolic issues. Junk food should not be a regular part of your diet. In terms of sustainability, this diet is fairly easy to do. It doesn’t rely on long- term habit changes and only requires willpower for a short amount of time. That being said, it probably won’t help you keep the weight off for very long because it doesn’t help you change your habits. Bottom Line: The military diet is likely safe for healthy people, but it shouldn’t be done for extended periods of time. It probably does not lead to lasting weight loss. Can You Really Lose 1. Pounds In a Week? This diet became popular because it claims you can lose 1. Theoretically, this rate of weight loss is possible for overweight people who severely restrict calories. However, most of the weight loss will be due to loss of water, not fat. Water weight drops rapidly as the body’s glycogen stores decline, which happens when you restrict carbs and calories (7). This looks good on the scales, but that weight will be regained when you begin eating normally again. Bottom Line: It is possible to lose 1. However, most of this will be water weight, which is regained when you start eating normally. It Can Work, But Not For Long. If you want to lose a few pounds quickly, then the military diet can help. But you are likely to regain the weight back very fast too. This is simply not a good diet for lasting weight loss. If you’re serious about losing weight and keeping it off, then there are many weight loss methods that are much better than the military diet. More about losing weight. Diet Plan Review: Best Ways to Lose Weight. The TV ads, filled with celebrity endorsers and regular people holding out their enormous . Although an FTC rule now requires testimonial ads to cite typical results, the looming question still remains: Which of these diet programs are worth your money? To find out, Money. Watch analyzed eight of the biggest diet plans. Three are support- only plans that don't require you to buy their food, and five are food- delivery plans. We interviewed leading nutritionists and weight- loss professionals, pored through clinical studies, and tallied up membership fees and food costs to determine the ones most likely to help you slim down and to see how much you'd pay to drop 2. Our favorite for value and efficacy is Weight Watchers, designed to help you change your eating habits for good. Nutrisystem is the least expensive meal delivery plan we reviewed (Medifast is cheaper, but you have to provide one meal a day on your own). And the silver- spoon award undoubtedly goes to In The Zone Delivery, a white- glove service for people who'll spare no expense to drop the pounds. Here's how the plans stack up. See the handy chart at the bottom of the page for a side- by- side comparison. Weight Watchers. Cost: Choose the 3. If you won’t go to meetings, try three months of online- only services for $5. The skinny: The oldest national weight- loss program, its members rave about the encouragement they get at weekly meetings led by former Weight Watchers dieters. Nutritionists praise the portion- control points system: Each food is assigned points based on its serving size, calories, fiber, and fat; and no foods are forbidden. Your point allowance is based on your weight, height, gender, age, and activity level. A recent clinical study in the New England Journal of Medicine linked group counseling sessions to weight- loss success. That explains why Weight Watchers has impressive short- term results. A 2. 00. 5 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed participants lost an average of about 5 percent of their body weight (1. Two years later, they had kept about half the weight off. To help members stay on track, Weight Watchers encourages them to attend meetings until they’ve stayed within 2 pounds of their goal weight for six weeks. After that, you get free lifetime membership. The company says members using its online tools in addition to attending meetings lost 5. How much can you expect to lose? Up to 2 pounds per week. Cost to lose 2. 0 pounds: $1. For the online- only option, plan on spending $7. Cost per pound of weight loss: $4 or $8, not including food Worth the money? It’s economical and has a proven track record. The optional meal delivery service, e. Diets Fresh Prepared Meal Delivery, costs $1. The skinny: You can choose from among more than 2. Online tools let you set goals, plan menus and generate shopping lists. There’s no face- to- face support, but you get support through online message boards, and you can reach a registered dietitian and personal trainer by phone at any time. The optional meal delivery service offers freshly prepared, calorie- controlled meals delivered in a cooler. But telephone support has some evidence in its favor: “A couple of studies have shown that telephone support is just as effective as live support,” says Christine Gerbstadt, M. D., spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. How much can you expect to lose? Cost to lose 2. 0 pounds: For online membership, $5. For meal delivery, which includes online membership, $1,7. Cost per pound of weight loss: $2. Meal delivery: No — for about the same money, other services offer better track records. Southbeachdiet. com. Cost: $5 a week after a free seven- day trial with a minimum commitment of four weeks, plus the cost of the South Beach Diet book. The skinny: Southbeachdiet. Arthur Agatston. For the first two weeks, you eat three extremely low- carb meals a day plus two snacks. After that, you gradually add “good carbs,” such as fruits and whole grains. You can customize menus, search a database of more than 1,0. There’s online support from staff dieticians and members plus daily motivational emails. However, the advantage disappeared over the long term. How much can you expect to lose? Cost to lose 2. 0 pounds: $5. Cost per pound of weight loss: $2. Worth the money? The skinny: The Zone diet is mostly meat, fruits, and vegetables. Home- delivered “gourmet” frozen meals have a ratio of 4. You eat three meals per day plus two Zone protein- powder snacks. A 2. 00. 7 study of 1. Journal of American Medical Association found the Zone diet helped people achieve modest weight loss after one year, comparable with those on the Atkins, Weight Watchers and Ornish diets, and improved cardiac risk factors. How much can you expect to lose? A sales agent told us that the program fee will soon change to $3. Meals average $5 a pop; the total cost for 3 meals and two snacks a day runs $1. The skinny: Premium- priced Jenny Craig offers nutritionally balanced packaged food; you order by phone and pick it up at a Jenny Craig center or have it delivered through Jenny Direct (for a $6. You eat three Jenny Craig meals plus a snack per day, and supplement with fruit, vegetables and dairy. Once a week, you get a weigh- in and pep talk with a consultant — who is not a dietician and who earns commissions from selling you products. There’s also round- the- clock phone support and online tools that include a menu planner, activity planner and progress tracker. Jenny Craig has a good track record for short- term weight loss (up to one year). In a UC San Diego clinical trial of 4. Jenny Craig), Jenny Craig clients lost 1. How much can you expect to lose? Yes — it’s got reasonably priced meal delivery and in- person support. By eating a little more some days and a little less on others, you’ll supposedly prevent your body from becoming used to the same number of calories every day. Phil and The New York Times. Some plan users have complained of a lack of choices and menu flexibility compared to other plans, but a company spokesman says they offer more than 1. How much can you expect to lose? Yes: It’s a reasonable price for well- made food with slightly faster average weight loss than with Jenny Craig. Nutrisystem. Cost: $3. There’s also a $1. Walmart. The skinny: This meal- delivery service, endorsed by Marie Osmond and Dan Marino, emphasizes foods with a low glycemic index. The underlying premise is that controlling blood sugar levels leads to weight loss. The heat- and- eat prepared meals and snacks contain 5. Jenny Craig, you add fruits, vegetables and dairy. Support is available through phone counseling, weekly e- classes with a dietician and tracking tools. For example, a study by the Obesity Research Center at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York found that postmenopausal women who followed a 1,2. How much can you expect to lose? Cost of losing 2. Cost per pound of weight loss: $6. Worth the money? Yes: For a meal- delivery diet system, Nutrisystem is more economical than Jenny Craig. Medifast. Cost: $7. The skinny: Although today’s program is not as stringent as the original liquid fast Medifast launched decades ago, the low- fat, relatively low- carb plan is designed to bring about rapid weight loss by coaxing your body into a “fat- burning state” known as ketosis. With the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, you eat five small meal replacements a day that are about 1. The 7. 0 meal replacement choices include shakes, bars, soups, pudding, oatmeal, chili, pretzel sticks, cheese puffs, and scrambled eggs. Does it work? A common concern with such low- calorie diets is that you’ll quickly regain the weight, but in a small clinical trial published in the journal Experimental Biology, after 1. How much can you expect to lose? Support- Only Plans. Plan. Cost. Cost per pound of weight loss. Avg. 1. 45 to $1. Nutrisystem$2. 99 to $3. Medifast$7. 5/week$1. This article was updated by Eileen P. Gunn. More on Money.
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