30 Day Weight Loss Diets

There are numerous diets that can help you lose weight in 30 days without requiring you to starve yourself -- or even feel all that hungry. Some can even be maintained for the long term, allowing you to keep the weight off while increasing your energy and allowing you to eat foods you enjoy.

More Small Meals

Believe it or not, the best plan to lose weight consists of eating often -- as in five or six smaller meals per day. This keeps hunger at bay. The key is to make healthy choices at each meal. For instance, breakfast may consist of a serving of low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit, or oatmeal and fruit. Have another piece of fruit, fresh vegetables or low-cal protein shake a few hours later, followed by a lunch of salad and light tuna. A banana or grapefruit would make a nice between-meal snack, with a dinner of broiled chicken or salmon, another salad, and yogurt.

Low-Carb Plan

Low-carb, high-protein diets have been shown to take weight off quickly without surrendering taste -- or, in many instances, even calories. These diets press the body to burn stored fat, rather than carbohydrates, for energy. Someone on a low-carb diet might have a cheese omelet for breakfast. For lunch, you could have a tuna burger, minus the bun, and a salad of romaine lettuce, mushrooms and cucumber. Dinner could consist of a grilled cheeseburger (again, no bun) with mayonnaise and mustard, and a cup of spinach. Have a protein shake or two as snacks between meals.

Vegetarian Plan

Eating nothing but fruits and vegetables for 30 days is another fine way to lose weight -- especially since you can just about eat as much as you want. The best way to follow a vegetarian plan is to "graze" throughout the day, as opposed to just eating three or four meals. When following this plan, it's also important to choose fresh fruits and vegetables, not frozen or canned. You may want to incorporate beans, an egg substitute product (such as Egg Beaters) and tofu to make sure you are getting enough protein.

Low-Cal Plan

The simplest way to lose weight is just to not eat as much. And this does indeed work. The problem is that some of the weight lost will be muscle rather than fat, and the pounds often come back on as soon as you begin to eat regularly again. Regardless, if losing weight quickly is your only goal, then choosing low-fat and low-calorie foods, and eating only three or four small meals a day, will do the trick.

Helpful Hints

No matter which 30-day diet plan you choose, regular exercise and drinking lots of water will go a long way in aiding your cause. That means no less than 30 minutes of exercise three times a week, and no less than six 8-oz. glasses of water each day.