Looking for a quick and effortless way to drop a few pounds so that you can fit into that little black dress of your dreams or just to regain your pre-pregnancy figure? Diets that are advertising very quick results without any work on your part are a cause of concern. It is part of my job as a dietitian to debunk and refute such diet claims. I would suggest that if you are looking to lose weight one good method would be the low calorie diet plan. Research has shown that this diet works well and should be strongly taken into consideration for a weight loss plan.

Let's get the fundamentals right before I proceed on with the low calorie diet plan. We need to estimate the amount of energy that the food we consume provides and this is measured in calories (kcal). Why do calories play such an vital role in a diet? The reason why people put on weight is because they eat more calories than needed.

Calorie in > Calorie out = Weight gain

Now that you know how weight gain happens, I will guide you through a 3 step strategy to make the low calorie diet plan effective for you.

Step 1: Find out the number of calories you need daily

This depends on the combination of your basic metabolic rate (BMR) and activity level. The BMR is calculated differently for men and women.

Women:
BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kilos) + (1.8 X height in cm) - (4.7 X age in years)

Men:
BMR = 66 + (13.7 X weight in kilos) + (5 X height in cm) - (6.8 X age in years)

Use the following formulas to roughly calculate what your daily calorie intake suppose to be:

Sedentary (Your only exercise is typing on the keyboard)
(BMR x 20 percent) + BMR

Lightly active (You exercise 1-3 times a week)
(BMR x 30 percent) + BMR

Moderately active (You exercise 3-5 times a week)
(BMR x 40 percent) + BMR

Very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis)
(BMR x 50 percent) + BMR

Extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training)
(BMR x 60 percent) + BMR

Now let's be realistic. Most of us will fall into the category of sedentary of lightly active. So let me give you an example on how it works. The calculated calorie requirement for a 47 year old sedentary woman who is 68kg and 163cm tall will be:

BMR = 655 + (9.6 X 68) + (1.8 X 163) - (4.7 X 47) = 1380 kcal

Total daily calorie requirement = (1380 x 0.2) + 1380 = 1656 kcal

Here's a diet fact. An average woman is eating two times her needed calorie intake if shes on a western diet. Now you know why the number of obese or overweight people is climbing at steady rate.

Step 2: Determine how many calories you will cut out from your diet

To lose weight, you need to eat less than what you body needs. A daily deficit of about 300-500kcal would be a good place to start.

A female that is consuming 1150kcal daily as opposed to her required 1656kcal will lose about 1 pound after a week . This is in theory. I would not suggest a diet of less than 1200kcals daily as this will decrease your metabolic rate and slow down the progress of your diet.

3500kcal deficit = 1 pound of weight loss

If you need to lose 10 pounds, you will need to create a deficit of 35000 kcal. Bear in mind that the calorie shortfall has to be done slowly and not an immediate change.

You should aim to lose 1-3 pounds a week. Anything more is too much

Step 3: Note down whatever you eat

Keeping track of what you eat will help a lot in your diet. You will discover that you might be consuming more calories than needed.

Make it a point to note down what you have eaten for 3 straight days. Leave no meal, snack or bite unrecorded. Do not leave out sauces or condiments that you include in your food.

There are online calorie databases for you to know how many calories there are in the food you consumed.

Go through your list and see what are the items that have been contributing mostly 'useless calories'. You can easily plan a calorie deficit by reducing the portions from your recorded meals or by cutting out fatty stuff.

Crafting meal plans is something I am passionate about. Here is an example of a nutritiouslow-calorie meal plan.

Breakfast:

Half a wholegrain bagel with a thin spread of light cream cheese (300kcal)

1 glass of low fat milk (90kcal)

Mid-morning snack:

1 cup of Low-fat yoghurt (130kcal)

Lunch:

Wholegrain sandwich bread, with a spread of mustard, salad veggies and lean meat (chicken/beef) (350kcal)

1 serving Minestrone soup (150 kcal)

Afternoon snack:

1 serving of fresh fruit (70 kcal)

Dinner:

Half cup of pasta with tomato sauce + 1 palm size grilled meat/fish or chicken OR half cup of lean mince (400kcal)

Side salad with fat-free dressing (70 kcal)

1 serving of fresh fruit (70 kcal)

Total Calories: 1630 kcal

Take note that this is just an example and not a meal plan you have to abide by 24/7. Familiarize yourself with the calorie content of the food you typically eat so that you can determine what you need to exclude to have a calorie deficit.

Here are some tips to cut down calories from your diet easily and effortlessly

1) Have a diet soda instead of a regular one

2) Use fat free salad dressings

3) Have 2 servings of fresh fruit instead of 2 cups of processed fruit juice

4) Use a spray oil bottle instead of pouring it into the pan

5) Do away with fatty meat

6) Eat less during each meal time. About 1/4 less

7) Limiting fried foods to no more than once a week

8) Use low fat milk and cheese instead

9) No excessive drinking at parties or when with friends

You need to be consistent with your calorie deficit for the low calorie diet plan to work. Celebrate small successes in your weight loss by giving yourself a little treat of your favorite dessert. Don't be disappointed if you ate more than intended for the day. An essential point to take away is that one bad diet day won't harm your progress. It is the collective efforts over a couple of months that will yield the best results.