How to Make Your Own Diet Plan

While juggling between family and work, staying in shape and eating healthy seem distant ideas. With plethora of diet plans available online, you might have picked one but with a tight day schedule, it was hard to adhere to it. Ever given a thought to have a personalised diet plan? Enlisted are the tips to design your own diet plan that will fit to your routine and cater to your unique needs.

Calculate your body mass index or BMI- Divide your total weight by your height in inches. Multiply the quotient with 703. That's your BMI. Measuring BMI is important to determine if you are healthy, overweight, obese or underweight. BMI between 18.5 and 25 is healthy, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Set a target weight- if your BMI is below 18, you are underweight and need to gain weight and anything above 25 indicates need to lose weight. Calculate your target weight by determining your target BMI, dividing it by 703 and multiplying the result by your height in inches. Square the outcome. The difference between the result and your current weight will be your target weight. For example, your height is 160 inches and you weight 80 kgs, your BMI will be 31.2. If your target BMI is 24, then you need to reduce 18 kgs and your target weight becomes 62.

Calculating Calories for weight loss- any diet plan becomes successful only when you meet the daily calorie target. Along with keeping a track on calorie count, people seeking to lose weight need to set an appropriate weight loss program. A healthy individual can easily shed off a kilogram in a week by following the combination of diet and exercise. The required calorie intake of an individual depends on factors, such as age, level of physical activity, target weight, sex and weight loss goals.

Figure out what to eat- diet plan including plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grain food items, lean form of protein and low-fat dairy products serve as a strong base for a healthy eating throughout the life. If you wish to lose weight, stay away from carbohydrates, fatty foods, processed and sugary items. People, who wish to gain weight, can always carry nuts, coconut, dried fruits and seeds with them to add additional calories to their daily calorie intake.

Other Useful Tips

• Try to eat small meals. You can divide your meals in eight small meals spread throughout the day. This prevents you from gorging on food.
• Drink plenty of water. Take two glasses of water before your big meals because this way you'll eat less.