I wouldn't fast, it just makes you irritable and doesn't really help you lose much weight. Also, don't skip meals when you change your diet. It's better to have little meals through the day and not be hungry, because if you're hungry, you're more likely to grab convenient unhealthy food and overeat.

For dieting, EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES!!! I know, it'll probably require a big change, but this is really the healthiest way to lose weight. It really doesn't matter which fruits and veggies you eat, as long as they are not potatoes or sweet potatoes (which really should be considered carbohydrates), or covered with fat, or sweetened. The terrific thing about fruits and veggies are that they have a lot of volume for their calories, so they fill you up, and they are packed with vitamins and minerals. Some fruits and veggies are more nutritious than others, but for losing weight, it's the amount of water and fiber in the food that's more important. If you eat a variety, you can be sure you will get plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Some ways I've found to incorporate fruits and veggies in my diet is frozen ones like peas, corn, broccoli, beans, spinach; and certain canned ones like pears and pickled vegetables. (I like the taste of these) Fresh fruits are terrific and convenient, as well as certain raw veggies like carrots and mushrooms and lettuce. I make big fruit and green salads to have on hand for snacking. Fruit juices are also good. Dried fruits are not good, because it's the water in the fruits and veggies that fill you up before you eat too many calories.

For carbohydrates, search out whole grain breads, pastas, and other carbs. The more fiber, the more filling. Avoid sugar. Sugar not only wreaks havoc on your energy levels, but it also is linked to diabetes and depression. It's also addictive. You'll eat a whole lot of calories before you know it. FIBER is what prevents colon cancer, not greens in particular, they just have surprising amounts of it. Whole grains, fruits, veggies, and beans are all terrific sources of fiber.

Protein is good for losing weight, but make sure your sources are low fat. Most Americans get more than enough protein, but moderate amounts make food filling and help you lose weight. Beans, dairy, fish, and lean meats are great sources (listed in decending order of nutrition). Beans also have lots of fiber and vitamin B.

Watch your serving sizes!! 1/2 cup is usually 100 calories, or a serving, except for fruits and veggies, which require as much as 2 cups to reach 100 calories. Servings are about 100 calories. Watch the "serving" sizes on packaged food, because often they will list a serving as having 200 or even 300 calories. This is really 2 or 3 servings!!

The diet I follow for losing weight is as so: approx. 2 cups carbs, 2 cups protein, and unlimited fruits and vegetables per day. This is about 300 calories a meal (4 meals), or 1200 calories a day. I'm petite and am only slightly overweight to begin with, so you should eat more than this if you are tall or very overweight.

I usually fill a small bowl with food and if I'm still hungry I will eat fruits and veggies only. If I'm still hungry, I'll eat 1/2 cup more of carbs or protein. At restaurants, my husband and I buy one entree and split it. No appetizer, dessert, or drinks other than water. This is plenty of food and cheap!! It's amazing how little food your body needs to be content, really. You should never feel stuffed. This means you've overeaten.



Exercise! This is even more important than diet. If you are lean (low body fat, high muscle) and overweight you are more healthy than a skinny lazy guy. I like dancing and hiking. Stretching is also great for toning your muscle, and simple free weight or isometric exercises that you can do at home build muscle too. Muscle burns calories faster than fat, though it is also denser and therefore weighs more. Which means that even if you doing weight training exactly correctly, you may not lose weight. But no worries, you are far healthier than before, and that matters more than looks. Remember, the main point of losing weight is to avoid diseases. If you're buff but overweight you've done your part to prevent disease, and you don't need to worry about teasers because you can whip their butt!