It’s easy to pick up a diet or recipe book and start creating the meals inside. Maybe you’ve recently decided to lose weight or simply looking to live a healthier lifestyle. Whatever your reason, it’s important to realize that diet books are designed to be as broad as possible.
You’ll also have to remember that everybody is different and their bodies have their own requirements and needs. With this in mind, one of the best beneficial things you can do is to create your own personalized diet plan. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, today; I’ll show you how.
Creating the Basics
We’re going to jump right in with how to create your diet plan. Firstly, you’ll want a notebook that’s dedicated to your diet plan or a new spreadsheet on your computer. As you’d expect, using a computer is much easier, and you’ll have a lot more flexibility, so it’s recommended that you use one.
In your spreadsheet, you’ll want five main columns. These will be title;
- Food Name
- Calories
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fat
You’ll also want another row across the bottom of these tables titled ‘Totals.’ You’ll then want to save this spreadsheet as a template so you can use it infinitely.
Using a Macro Tracker
Next, you’ll want to search online for a database or software known as a nutrition calculator or a macro database. If you own a fitness tracker, such as Fitbit, you’ll have one of these built-in to your smartphone app.
Alternatively, one of the most popular databases is My Fitness Pal. Using the Calorie Counter, you can search up all the foods that you eat, allowing you to fill in the boxes that are in your spreadsheet. You’ll need to do this for every meal and everything you eat.
It’s also a great idea to track how much water you drink throughout your day as this is a key part of living healthy.
Eating Normally
Now, with everything set up and ready to go, it’s time to start using your spreadsheet. To begin with, eat how you would normally eat. On your spreadsheet, you’ll want to record your current weight, height, and the date. It’s advised that you re-weigh yourself once a week to track accurate progress.
You’ll want to ensure that you include all the information from your breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as any snacks that you have throughout the day. The easiest way to record this data is by keeping a notepad throughout the day, or even a note on your phone.
[su_note note_color=”#efefef”]Also Read: 4 Fascinating Ways To Lose Weight If You Can’t Stop Eating[/su_note]
You can then sit for a little while in the evening to add up all of your calories and macros to put them into your spreadsheet.
Making Improvements
You’ll want to follow this process for about a week or two, however; you’ll instantly begin to notice the results. You may find that you’re eating too many calories for your liking. You may not be getting enough protein in your diet. Whatever results you have, no matter how much they get you down, this will be your foundation and starting point for success.
Look at the types of food that you’ve been eating in the week. Now, using this information, substitute food in your average week to something healthier. For example, if you have a chocolate bar as a mid-morning snack, try having a piece of fruit instead.
Creating Your Diet Plan
With all this in mind, you can now set about creating your diet plan. You’ll want to ensure your diet is one that you’ll enjoy and includes food that you love but this will be easy since all the information you need is right in front of you.
There’s a vast number of ways you can set about creating your diet plan but, in the end, it’s all about what works best for you.
