There are many reasons you may start a weight loss plan. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. have obesity. Obesity is a disease that can cause many health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and severe outcomes from respiratory illnesses.
You may want to lose weight for one or more of many reasons, including:
- To lessen the effects of other health conditions you might have
- To look or feel different
- To feel more energy and improve how well you get around
Whatever the reason, you may be more likely to reach your weight loss goals if they’re unique to you and based on a personal drive to achieve them.
A realistic weight loss plan should fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight in a healthy, sustainable manner over time and keep it off. These tips can guide you toward a body size that feels best for you.
Starting Weight, TDEE, and Basal Metabolic Rate
Before you jump into a weight loss plan, you need to understand what you’re starting with and what your goals are. Body mass index (BMI) is one criteria doctors use when diagnosing obesity. Your BMI may make you eligible for obesity medication, for example, or bariatric surgery. But it’s far from the whole picture.
In 2023, the American Medical Association adopted a new policy to help clarify how BMI is used in a medical setting. It notes this measurement’s harmful history and creation using non-Hispanic White population data only.
“BMI is a much better measure than just weight alone, so it’s valuable to some extent, but it also has huge limitations,” says Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C.
“For example, BMI doesn’t account for many differences other than height, such as lean mass versus fat mass, differences in body composition, differences in health, or weight-related health burdens at any given weight,” he says.
That’s why it’s important to use other measurements as you look at your whole health picture. One is total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This is a calculation of the total number of calories your body uses — for everything, not just exercise — in 24 hours.
To do this, you also need to know your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the number of calories your body burns just doing daily functions such as breathing, digesting food, and circulating blood. Your BMR depends on multiple factors, including height, weight, age, and sex.
You can find TDEE and BMR calculators online or ask your doctor to find your numbers for you.
Once you know how much energy you use through TDEE and BMR, you can adjust your calorie intake and exercise goals to meet your needs. Identify what you struggle with and what your strengths are. If you tend to overeat, focus on portion control and calorie counting, for example. If you’ve been inactive, slowly add more movement into your days.
Create Your Weight Loss Plan
Once you have your baseline, goals, strengths, and weaknesses, you’ll be better equipped to figure out which diet and exercise plans work for you.
One way to approach it is to set two different types of goals: action and outcome. An action goal names a healthy action you’ll take to lose weight, such as “Exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week.” An outcome goal is something you’re aiming toward, such as “Lose 10 pounds.” Action goals are the tools that get you to outcome goals.
If you’re looking for a number on the scale to aim for, talk to your doctor about what’s reasonable. But also consider other goals that you won’t find on a scale.
“We define a goal weight as a weight you feel comfortable at,” says Kahan. “Maybe you're off blood pressure medications, you're off cholesterol medication, you sleep better, and you move better.”
Commit to Your Weight Loss Plan
Studies show that weight loss success depends less on the type of diet or meal plan you pick and more on adherence, or in other words, sticking with it. The goal is to make your new habits a way of life and not just a “lose weight quick” scheme.
On the whole, self-monitoring is a tried and true strategy for most people who are trying to stay on track with their weight loss. Keeping tabs on certain things you can measure helps you see your progress and also lets you know if you seem to be going off course. That can be tracking your weight over time, logging the foods you eat, counting your daily steps,or other lifestyle changes.
You may find it helpful to keep a daily food or exercise journal. You can make note of benchmarks along the way, such as “ran for 10 minutes without stopping” or “tried a new vegetable.”
Some people work best with a partner or group for accountability. Kahan says one of the most consistent predictors of long-term progress with weight management is having support and interaction.
“That could be meeting with a specialist like myself, it could be meeting with a dietitian, it could be meeting with a trainer, or it could be meeting in an ongoing group session,” he says.
Choose a Workout Plan for Weight Loss
Research shows that diet has significantly more impact on weight loss or gain than exercise, but both are important. In fact, weight loss without physical activity can make you weaker. And as you age, bone density and muscle mass decrease. You need exercise to maintain both.
If you’re tracking your TDEE, exercise also helps you use more calories than you take in each day, which is the recipe for weight loss. Exercise boosts your mental health, too, making it easier to maintain your plan.
How often should you use a workout plan for weight loss?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, you need both aerobic exercise and strength training as part of a workout plan. Aerobic exercise conditions your heart and circulatory system, while strength training helps you maintain muscle mass.
Healthy adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a mix of the two. You should train each major muscle group at least twice a week.
What exercises should be in a workout plan for weight loss?
Any type of intentional movement can help you burn calories and improve your fitness, whether it’s running, yoga, dancing, or martial arts. Choose the activities you want to do, so you feel drawn to them.
Examples of aerobic activities include:
- A brisk walk
- A 30-minute bike ride
- A hike through the woods
- Swimming laps
- Mowing the lawn
- Running
Strength training involves the use of:
- Body weight (pushups, sit ups, planks)
- Resistance bands
- Weight machines
- Rock climbing
Find a Meal Plan for Weight Loss
There’s no one “perfect” meal plan that guarantees weight loss. The eating patterns and choices that work for you may not work for someone else. Find a meal plan that fits your lifestyle and preferences.
“What has been shown repeatedly is that for effective weight loss, type of diet doesn't seem to matter,” says Kahan. “Whereas some people definitely do better with a low-carb diet and other people definitely do better with a low-fat diet or the like, by and large, it does not matter as long as people are making some reasonably healthy and reasonably sustainable changes in what they're eating.”
What should a meal plan for weight loss include?
Although there’s no one type of diet that doctors agree on for this, they do agree that a “healthy” diet:
- Is plant-heavy
- Includes healthy fats, such as olive oil or those found in fish like salmon
- Stays away from simple sugars, including sweets and sugary drinks
- Is low-sodium
Experts also promote eating whole, natural, unprocessed foods instead of pre-packaged, processed fare.
You can follow a specific diet, if that helps you stay on track. Research has shown certain types of eating patterns to be healthy for large groups of people, including:
The Mediterranean diet. The name for this diet comes from the common dishes people eat near the Mediterranean Sea. It focuses on fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, as well as small amounts of yogurt, cheese, poultry, and fish. Olive oil is its primary cooking fat, and it leans away from red meat and foods with added sugars.
The Nordic diet. Based on Scandinavian eating patterns, the Nordic diet is heavy on fish, apples, pears, whole grains, and cold-climate vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and cauliflower.
The DASH diet. This stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and is a common choice for people focused on a heart-healthy diet. It features low cholesterol and saturated fats, lots of magnesium, calcium, fiber, and potassium, with little to no red meat and sugar.
What does a 1,500-calorie meal plan look like?
In general, you may lose 1 to 1.5 pounds per week by cutting 500 calories from your diet every day. But this depends heavily on lots of other things such as your height, starting weight, activity level, and age. You should always consult your doctor before restricting your calories.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a 1,500-calorie “traditional American cuisine” meal plan would look like:
Breakfast (402 calories): 1 slice of whole wheat toast with 2 teaspoons of jelly, half a cup of shredded wheat cereal with 1 cup of 1% milk, 3/4 cup of orange juice, and a cup of coffee with 1 ounce of 1% milk
Lunch (366 calories): Roast beef sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, one slice of American cheese, and 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise plus a medium apple
Dinner (625 calories): 3 ounces of salmon with 1.5 teaspoons of oil, a baked potato with 1 teaspoon of margarine, 1/2 cup carrots cooked in margarine, 1/2 cup green beans cooked in margarine, medium dinner roll, 1/2 cup of 1% milk
Snack: 2.5 cups of popcorn with 1.5 teaspoons of margarine
What does a 1,200-calorie meal plan look like?
Similarly, a “traditional American cuisine” 1,200-calorie meal plan would look like:
Breakfast (389 calories): 1 slice of whole wheat toast with 2 teaspoons of jelly, half a cup of shredded wheat cereal with 1 cup of 1% milk, 3/4 cup of orange juice, and a cup of black coffee
Lunch (305 calories): Roast beef sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise, and a medium apple
Dinner (625 calories): 2 ounces of salmon with 1.5 teaspoons of oil, a baked potato with 1 teaspoon of margarine, 1/2 cup cooked carrots, 1/2 cup green beans cooked in margarine, small dinner roll
Snack: 2.5 cups of popcorn with 3/4 teaspoon of margarine
Find Foods That Help With Weight Loss
When it comes to food choice, think about energy density. Energy density is the number of calories in a specific amount of food. A food with high energy density means that there are a lot of calories in a small amount. Low energy density foods have few calories in a large amount.
Low energy density foods can promote weight loss by helping you feel fuller longer while adding fewer calories to your body. In general, these foods will be high fiber, moderately low fat, or full of water. Good choices include:
- Fruits and vegetables. They’re high in both fiber and water, which gives you volume and weight but not calories.
- Lean proteins. Fish, poultry breast, egg whites, low-fat dairy, tofu, and beans are healthy options.
- Nuts, seeds, and plant-based oils. You need fats as part of a complete diet, so choose healthy ones.
The energy density concept can also help you enjoy small portions of your favorite treats from time to time instead of banning them completely. When you deprive yourself of foods you like, it can lead to cravings and emotional “binge eating.” Having those less-healthy treats in moderation will help long-term commitment to a diet plan.
Can I Ask My Doctor to Help Me?
Even if you only consult them once as a springboard, a health professional can be a great tool for forming and sticking to a weight loss plan.
“We have very good data showing that thoughtful counseling and supportive counseling around obesity management is quite helpful,” says Kahan, adding that not many people know that his specialty – obesity medicine – even exists.
In addition to doctors, there are dietitians, nutritionists, health coaches, and even psychologists trained in obesity management. Not everyone responds to behavioral approaches, but other scientifically proven treatments are available, including FDA-approved obesity medications and bariatric surgery.
A doctor can help guide you through these options and see if you qualify for GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. These drugs work by turning off the “food noise” in your brain so you’re not constantly managing the urge to eat. Bariatric surgery changes the way your digestive system works to make losing weight easier.
“Taken together those three broad sets of treatments have been well developed, and for a significant portion of the population, if they have access to those treatments, they can significantly improve their weight status and more importantly their overall health and wellness,” says Kahan.
Keep in mind the benefits of weight loss drugs typically last only as long as you take them. You may need other strategies once you stop in order to keep the weight off.
Stay Motivated
Think outside the box when it comes to reasons to stay the course. There will almost certainly be times when you hit a plateau: Your progress seems to stop, even though you’re sticking to your program. At these times, it can be hard not to give up and slip back into old habits.
It may help to focus on what you hope to gain? For some people it’s the ability to keep up with grandkids. For others it’s preventing disease they’ve seen family members live with.
Keep your weight loss plan goals “bite-sized” so you can check them off and then create more. You may want to start by losing 5% of your body weight, for example. If you weigh 200 pounds, that’s a 10-pound weight loss goal. As you achieve smaller goals, you’ll gather momentum toward bigger ones.
“A message I find empowering instead of overwhelming is that modest steps and modest goals can both lead to meaningful weight loss and weight loss that is reasonably sustainable,” says Kahan. “And a modest amount of weight loss often leads to significant health improvements – preventing diabetes, improving mobility and physical functioning, lowering cholesterol, and more.”
