Diet Design: How To Make A Diet That Actually Works For You

These Simple Steps Helped Me Lose Weight -- And They'll Work For YOU Too

You need to lose weight. What's the first thing you think of? A diet, of course.

Did it work? No. Why? Because diets don't work.

So here's what you can do that DOES work.

The old food pyramid

You've heard of the food pyramid? The one that's put out by the US government? It's supposed to show you a healthy way to eat.

Did you ever try it? If you did you got the bad news. The US government food pyramid makes you fat.

It's a bad diet design -- more politics than science actually. It's got too much carbohydrate and not enough protein.

A new weight loss food pyramid

So what you need is a new weight loss food pyramid. One that tells you what you can eat that won't make you fat.

If you follow the diet design of the new pyramid you will take off weight without starving and feeling weak.

It's got enough lean protein and a good balance of fat and carbohydrate. If you learn to eat that way you can lose weight and keep it off.

The right foods at the right time

What makes one food better than another?

In other words, what are the best foods for weight loss?

The best foods have plenty of lean protein. Healthy fats. And unrefined carbohydrates. And they're available when you get hungry.

Protein -- fat -- carbohydrate

How much protein? To lose weight you want about 1 gram per pound (2 grams per kilogram) of your ideal body weight per day. That should be about 30%-35% of your daily calories.

Carbohydrate should be 40%-45% of your calories.

Fats about 25%-35%.

Use this free online protein, fat and carbohydrate calculator to find out how much you need.

You can't eat it if you don't have it

What do you do when you're at work -- or out shopping -- or in your car, and the hunger hits you? Drive through fast food? Cookies? Chocolate?

You know what people that lose weight have in common? They pack their lunch.

When hunger hits you need good food you can grab. This means packing your lunch. And your snacks.

The easiest way is to cook on the weekend. Store it in containers. And then each day throw a container in your cooler. You're all set.

Don't forget the snacks

You need some snacks, too. You need to eat every 3 hours or so.

Take some chicken breast. A few almonds. Low fat cheese with a couple crackers. Look at these diets for some more suggestions.

Whenever you eat you need some protein. Every meal -- and every snack -- you need some protein. That will rev up your metabolism with the thermic (heat) effect of food.

Have your favorites and still lose weight

Now, you've got your favorite foods. These are the things you always give up -- you're sacrificing, right? -- on a diet. And then you go right back to them when your diet is done.

You can give them up -- for a while. But you don't like to.

So when you go off the diet you're starving for your favorites. And you overeat. And you gain the weight back.

Drink enough water

If you don't drink enough water it is hard to lose weight. You'll feel weak, and have more cravings and won't feel like exercising.

There are lots of scientific studies that show that just increasing your water intake can help you get rid of extra pounds.

You should first find out how much water you need, and then make sure you get it.

The easy way to gain weight

You want to gain some weight? Then set yourself up for failure by being overly hungry.

Or by feeling deprived by not being able to eat the foods that you love.

So what do you do? How can you eat right without starving?

You make some adjustments that let you eat what you like but still lose weight.

Follow these steps

Eat plenty of protein. Not too much greasy fried food. And healthy carbohydrates. Keep good food handy all the time. Eat healthy snacks.

Eat smaller amounts. Eat more often -- before you get too hungry.

Never -- meaning NEVER -- skip breakfast. Even if you're not hungry. Or don't have time. Or whatever.

And include your favorite foods on your eating schedule. So you don't feel deprived.

The real trick

Oh, you can lose weight on a diet. You've done it lot's of times.

But the real trick? That's knowing what to eat when you are not on a diet.

You go on a diet and lose some weight. But what about the other times? What about the rest of your life? What are you supposed to eat then?

Simple. Make your diet part of your new life. With foods you like. Enough to eat. Include some of your favorites. Have an occasional treat.

And then follow that diet to lose weight. And when you've lost the weight, you don't change a thing. And the weight stays off.

You -- yes, that means YOU -- really can lose weight and keep it off

These simple steps can make the idea of losing weight easier for you to face.

And that can make a huge change in your ability to take the weight off and keep it off. Give it a try.

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