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Diet Plan

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A successful diet plan differs from person to person, but there are some overall basic facts that must be acknowledged.

Good diet plans function on restricting foods in order to lose weight. However, the right amount of foods must be eaten in order to insure that fat is lost and not muscle. Muscle loss during the course of diet plans can be counteracted by weight-lifting, or other exercises that focus on building strength.

One factor of diet plans is taking in the five essential classes of proteins such as amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Any diet plan must take in at least the minimum required amount of nutrients in order to allow the dieter to be healthy. If the dieter is not healthy, they will not be active, and as such will not be able to exercise enough to counter potential muscle loss. In addition, the likelihood that they will stick with the diet plan is slim at best.

One action no diet plan will seriously suggest is fasting. While fasting is extremely effective in losing weight through not eating, the body will break down muscle as well as fat, since the energy stored in fat can not fuel the body completely. Fat is lacking in glycogen, which is stored in the muscle and the liver, and is used to make glucose. This is used as energy for the brain, which the body prioritizes as extremely important.

Any good diet plan requires exercise in order to succeed. Aerobic exercise is particularly useful, with the general goal of getting one's heart rate 50 percent above the heart's resting rate for about a half hour, at least three times a week. While this may seem strenuous, it can in fact be accomplished by walking briskly. For those people without the time to walk, things like climbing stairs or walking rather than driving can be included in one's diet plan.

Be wary of fad diet plans. While they may be initially effective, their rapid weight loss may mean that keeping the excess weight off is difficult, if not impossible. In addition, some fad diet plans ignore the traditional methods of dieting altogether, in favor of "revolutionary techniques."

Some of the popular diet plans include low-fat diets, the South Beach diet, the Atkins diet, the Zone diet and vegetarian diets.

Always check with your doctor or physician before starting any nutrition or diet plan.