The best diet is a diet that is built on moderation. High-anything diets are no good and zero-anything diets are no good … both can offer temporary results, but both will result in failure as they require you to eat that way for the rest of your life, unless you want to regain the weight you have lost. A diet of moderation allows you a much wider variety of foods and allows you to indulge in the occasional treat! “All things in moderation,” as the saying goes.
So basically, you should build your diet around lean proteins and colorful, fibrous vegetables. Then you should aim for a few servings of fruit, dairy, and unprocessed grains every day. Keep your mind on portion size and consider what you’ll be doing after you eat to burn off what you have taken in.
To lose weight you can still follow the above, but you may wish to consider the following:
If you tend to eat the same sorts of meals, you can count calories for your average meals once and calculate your caloric intake based on that. Unless you change something drastically, you’ll know that you are still within the baseline you set in the initial count.
Plan your meals ahead of time. That prevents you from ordering in or eating something “bad” because you are trying to decide what to eat at the last minute.
If you weigh yourself, do so at the same time every time (first thing in the morning is the most honest weight), and only do so every two or three weeks. Ideally, use the mirror as a guide, since what you look like is more important than the numbers on a scale.
Take photos of yourself from a number of angles when you start dieting, then take new sets every month or so. You’ll be shocked at how much you change and at how hard it is to tell from just looking in the mirror or looking at a scale.
So, really, these are the basics of dieting the smart and healthy way. The keys are moderation and smart choices that you can maintain for a lifetime, along with viewing adjustments to your diet as a lifestyle change instead of a temporary change in your eating habits. There are no magic bullets and no “diets in a bottle;” some supplements can aid your dieting, but the most important factor is making a commitment to a healthier and happier you!
Stay Healthy!
