1. Stop drinking sugar-sweetened beverages.  Just do it.
2. LOSE:
   • The fat-attack snacks – potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips.
   • The sugary baked stuff – cakes, cookies, doughnuts. Little Debbie may be little, but she’ll make you fat.
   • The bread and pasta and potatoes (except sweet potatoes).
     (I know, I LOVE these too. Love yourself more. Lose them.)
   • Fast Food – except salads, fruit.
     
   • Refined sugars, refined flour and starches drive up fat, weight and insulin levels. They make us fat, can make us diabetic.  Love ‘em, but leave ‘em.
3. Weigh every day. I know, I know, THEY say “don’t weigh every day, only once a week.” I say, “Eat better. Eat less. Today. Weigh-in tomorrow.”  Every day.  Personal report card – tomorrow morning! Don’t worry about ups and downs. Just trend down, over time. Recommend using an accurate digital scale. Even better, one that also measures body fat %. (Consumer Search’s recommended: http://www.consumersearch.com/bathroom-scales/omron-body-fat-monitor-and-scale-hbf-400 )
4. Change what you eat. Even more important than how much you eat, change WHAT you eat. Move from the bad stuff above to healthy fats, protein and vegetables. Eat lean meats , fish, eggs, beans, lentils, cheese, vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, greens). Snack on almonds, walnuts, carrots, celery, popcorn (very little butter, oil, salt; stove top, or microwave in your own paper bag). Some healthy whole grains (Oatmeal, shredded wheat, bran). If you must have some bread or pasta, use whole grain.
5. For sweets, fruit- blueberries, bananas, pineapple.
   For treats, Light Chocolate Soy Milk – on ice or with bananas, almonds, ice, nuts, (even peanut butter or dark chocolate) blended into smoothies.
6. Eat what you want. Be satisfied.
   Find what you like best out of the healthy half of foods.
7. Energy balance: Eat better. Feel better. Eat less. Do more.
8. When you’re ready, move on to eating less.
   (Be good to yourself, but discipline yourself. Tomorrow is weigh-in.)
9. Bonus: Exercise for cardio, agility, mental and physical fitness.
   But don’t expect to lose weight by exercise alone.
   To paraphrase James Carville: It’s the food, stupid.
10. When you’re ready, move on to exercising a little more. (Exercise – walking, running, resistance -brings physical, mental, cardio, mood benefits, all. Find what you enjoy, and do it.)

The road’s a marathon, not a sprint; a journey, not a destination.

Feel better. Look better. Be better.

-Jerry Guzi, 411US.info

Other reading:

Obesity could affect 42% of Americans by 2030, Nanci Hellmich, USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-05-07/obesity-projections-adults/54791430/1?csp=hf

Why the Campaign to Stop America’s Obesity Crisis Keeps Failing, Gary Taubes, The Daily Beast, Newsweek: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/06/why-the-campaign-to-stop-america-s-obesity-crisis-keeps-failing.html

Food nutrition ratings by NuVal: http://www.nuval.com/Scores/List/?p=1&g=All&ssort=ASC

Popcorn, CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500368_162-57404129/popcorn-packed-with-antioxidants/

Theory behind Cardiologist Arthur Agatston‘s South Beach Diet : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Beach_Diet

Other Diets: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00616/NSECTIONGROUP=2