Healthy diet plans to lose weight fast

Exercise regularly to reduce unwanted body fat.

Metabolism slows down with age, especially if you’re over age 50. Women in their 50s can still effectively shed pounds and keep the weight off for good, however. Although rapid weight loss gets the results you want quickly, a slow, steady weight loss is safest unless you’re supervised by a doctor.

Very-Low-Calorie Diets

Very-low-calorie diets often contain 500 to 800 calories a day and can cause you to lose up to 5 pounds weekly, according to Weight-Control Information Network. These diets often consist of taking protein-rich nutrition shakes or bars to meet daily nutritional needs, and they are designed for people who have a significant amount of weight to lose. Although very-low-calorie diets can cause fast weight loss in women in their 50s, they do require medical supervision because nutrient deficiencies and unpleasant - even dangerous - side effects may occur on these diets.

Safe Weight Loss

If you don't have so much weigh to lose that your doctor prescribes a very-low-calorie diet, you can safely lose weight on your own by reducing your daily calorie intake by 500 to 1, 000, which will cause you to lose about 1 to 2 pounds per week. This is a safe rate of weight loss that will allow you to shed pounds but prevent nutritional deficiencies and other unwanted side effects of fast weight loss. Individualized total daily calorie needs for weight loss vary based on weight but are generally around 1, 200 calories for women. Harvard Health Publications suggests women avoid eating fewer than 1, 200 calories daily unless supervised by a doctor.

Sample Meal Plan

Using 1, 200-calorie meal plans is one way for women in their 50s to plan daily weight-loss menus. A sample plan containing 1, 200 calories a day, provided by the publication "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, " includes 1.5 cups of vegetables, 1 cup of fruit, 3 ounces of protein foods, 4 ounces of grains, 2.5 cups of dairy foods, 4 teaspoons of oils and 121 extra calories daily.

Sample 1, 200-Calorie Menu

Using the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010" sample meal plan, a 1, 200-calorie weight-loss menu for women in their 50s may include 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal, 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, two egg whites and 1/2 cup of strawberries for breakfast. For a morning snack, try 1/2 cup of cantaloupe with 1 ounce of almonds. A healthy lunch might include 2 ounces of canned light tuna, 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise, two slices of whole-wheat bread, a slice of reduced-fat cheese and 1/2 cup of celery. For an afternoon snack, try 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese. A healthy dinner might include 2 ounces of grilled chicken breast, 2 cups of leafy greens, 1 tablespoon of Italian salad dressing, 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes and one whole-wheat dinner roll.