Have you ever wondered what the best diets to lose weight are? Now, we are all familiar with the term diet and many of us have different emotions attached to that word....some good and some bad. So, to begin our discussion, I would like of us to throw out our preconceived idea's and feelings, good or bad, with the word diet.

The word diet is neutral. It has done nothing to cause happiness or sadness to any of us. Unfortunately, many people have used the word diet in such ways that has scared the rest of us in some unique way. We too have used taken a hold the word diet and made it either a positive or negative thing in our own lives.

Let's reboot our thinking. Diet is nothing more than an eating plan or habit. It doesn't have to have a fancy name like Adkins attached to it to be offical.....

WE ARE ALL ON A DIET. That's right. Some of us have good diets (eating habits) and some of us have poor diets (eating habits). A good diet should be all of our goals and below I will point out the marks of a good one.

Balanced

Yes, a balanced diet is a mark of a good diet. Balance in any facet of life typically designates good and it is no different when it comes to our eating habits.

Calorie Measured

A good diet is one that has figured out the daily calorie intake it provides. This makes sustaining, gaining, and/or losing weight possible.

Plenty of Protein

If you want to sustain muscle tone with your diet you need to have the right amount of protein intake. If you're looking to add muscle, you should have one gram of protein per lb you weigh. If you are looking to sustain muscle, then about 2/3 grams of protein to body weight ratio should be fine.

Careful Amounts of Carbs

Carbs are not the enemy! Our bodies need carbs. The key is to get the right kind of carbs and stay away from the bad ones. Our carbs should come from whole grains...whole weight bread, pasta, cereals, etc. We should stay away from refined carbs...these are usually any of the white colored versions of the products mentioned previously.

Fruits and Vegetables

If you are not eating fruits and vegetables, you are missing out on so many vitamins and minerals that your body NEEDS. Please don't skip this important aspect of a healthy diet.

In closing, the best diets to lose weight are the ones that are balanced, calorie measured, have plenty of protein, careful amounts of carbs, and includes fruits and vegetables. Depending on your goals, you now have the basic principles to tailor make you a personalized eating plan (diet) to accomplish that goal!