Doctors' Healthy Weight Loss Plans

Doctors and dietitians agree on many principles and guidelines when it comes to healthy weight loss. It helps to be familiar with these guidelines when you're searching for an effective plan. A good weight-loss plan is one you can customize to suit your individual needs.

Evaluate Yourself

Confirm that you are overweight, and establish a reasonable target weight based on your body mass index. Access the National Institute of Health body mass indicator (BMI) calculator. Enter your height and weight, and find your category based on the ranges provided.

If your BMI exceeds the "Normal" range, enter lower and lower weights to determine how many pounds you need to lose to get to a normal level, i.e., to get your BMI below 25. That is a reasonable long-term goal. Break that number down as needed to create attainable short-term objectives.

Assess your current eating habits and the amount of physical activity you do. Identify obvious flaws, which, if corrected, are likely to lead to sustainable weight loss. For example, if you know your diet includes certain high-calorie foods that are low in nutritional value, plan to change your eating habits in that regard.

You may decide that excessive time spent in front of the TV or computer should be swapped for time spent exercising. Remember that if your plan will require a significant increase in exercise, consult your doctor before taking action.

Decide whether you are willing and able to accept this challenge on your own. Some find that required behavioral changes are easier when their plan is based on a formal program in which there is interaction with and support from others. Others do fine flying solo.

Plan Basics

Doctors agree that for a weight-loss plan to be successful it must be based on an accepted formula that states "if daily energy intake is less than daily energy expended, weight loss will occur." Since dietary energy is measured in calories, this is called creating a "calorie deficit." If you have been gaining weight, you have a "calorie surplus," which must be eliminated in addition to creating the desired deficit.

A pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. Assuming you have eliminated any calorie surplus, here's how to lose about one pound per week. Add exercise to your daily routine so that you burn an extra 250 calories a day, and cut your daily food and drink intake by 250 calories. It really is that simple, though admittedly it's much easier said than done.

Plans to Avoid

Doctors also agree that plans based on supplements, plans that strictly limit food choices and those that promise quick weight loss (more than 3 lbs. per week) are not recommended ways to lose weight. Such plans can even be dangerous.

Very rapid weight loss can cause health problems such as gout or gallstones. A plan that requires you to eat certain foods or that prohibits a certain class of food in your diet can lead to poor nutrition. An extremely low-calorie diet (less than 800 calories per day) can cause serious heart problems.