“Losing weight is not that complicated. Eat fewer calories than you burn, and the pounds will drop off, your clothes will loosen up, and you’ll see a lower number on the scale. It’s that simple. Only it never really is that simple. While the formula for weight loss may be uncomplicated, people are not. To varying degrees, we’re all at the mercy of our physical yearnings, years of deeply ingrained habits, roller-coaster emotions, social pressures, and an inborn penchant for pleasure – in short, we all have our own human nature to contend with and that has turned to relatively straight-forward process of losing weight into a surprisingly complex problem.” ~ Bob Greene, The Best Life Diet

It has been proven that if you don’t fix the “inner” you, no matter how much you try and fix the “outer” you, the weight will not stay off. You must address the issues that have gotten you to the weight that you are. There is no shame in getting professional help to address the past issues that you have. Address those issues for good and then tackle the diet that will work best for you. Once you lose the weight, the most important thing to do is to make the changes your new lifestyle. Without that change, the weight will come back on with mostly likely an additional 10 pounds.

Remember the food pyramid from school?

Fats (these are at the top of the food pyramid, so use them sparingly):
• Fatty red meats
• Butter
• Refined grains such as white bread, white rice, pasta, and potatoes
• Sugary drinks and sweets
• Salt

Dairy (these are second on the food pyramid):
• Have 2 to 3 servings per day or take a vitamin D/calcium supplement
• Low fat/fat -free milk
• Low fat cheese
• Low fat/fat -free yogurt

Nuts, Seeds, Beans, Tofu (these are third on the food pyramid):
• Have 2 servings per day
• Almonds• Walnuts• Pecans• Hazelnuts• Pistachios
• Legumes (beans, lentils, soy, peanuts)
• Tofu

Fish, Poultry, Eggs (these share the third row of the food pyramid):
• Have 2 servings per day (5½ ounces of meat)
• Salmon, trout, and herring are rich in omega-3s, so keep them top
on your list to eat.
• Chicken, without the skin
• Turkey, without the skin
• Eggs: best to eat only the egg whites

Vegetables and Fruits (these are the fourth row of the pyramid):
• Have 3 servings per day of vegetables
• Have 2 servings per day of fruits
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of having cardiovascular disease
• Reduce your risk of having cancer

Healthy Fats (these share the fourth row of the pyramid and consist basically
of what you cook with or add to a dish):
• Unsaturated fats are healthy fats
• Avocados, nuts, seeds and fatty fish like salmon
• Oils: olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, peanut, and vegetable oil
• Trans-free margarine

Whole Grains (these also share the fourth row of the pyramid):
• Have 6 to 11 servings per day, depending on how active you are.
• Whole wheat pasta
• Oatmeal
• Whole wheat bread
• Brown rice
• Whole grain cereal
• Eating whole grains will help you feel less hungry, which will have a
positive effect on your weight.

Daily Exercise and Weight Control (the last row and largest row of the
pyramid):
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.
• You do not have to be a member of a gym to exercise. A brisk walk
for thirty minutes every day will help with weight control.

Serving Size Examples:
• Tip of your thumb = about one teaspoon of peanut butter
• Computer mouse = one serving of a baked potato
• CD (compact disc) = the serving size of a waffle or pancake
• Checkbook = a 3-ounce serving of fish
• Rounded handful = ½ cup cooked or raw rice or pasta
• Baseball or size of your fist = one serving of vegetable or fruit
• Tennis ball = ½ cup of food or ½ cup ice cream
• Golf ball or large egg = ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts
• Six dice or one domino = one serving of cheese
• Deck of cards or the palm of your hand = a serving of meat, fish, or
poultry

If you follow this healthy eating pattern, exercise and get plenty of rest, the weight will come off!  Good luck!