Good Diet Information..

My nutritionist said that to lose at a good pace I should eat between 12-1500 calories a day, but never fall below 1200. (this is for woman, mens would be higher). If you fall below 1200 you will stop losing weight when your body goes into starvation mood. Also, he said to consider no food off limits, just practice control and make the best choices most of the time. What makes it easy for me is cooking with a lot of veggies, they fill up your plate and tummy while being low cal, and replacing my regular bread with multi grain bread thins (100 per "bun").

I love doing a Paleo Diet, and I've lost 9 pounds in 4 weeks! You basically just eat what our hunter/gatherer ancestors ate (Paleolithic)...meat, veggies, fats (in full-fat butter, coconut and olive oil, etc.) fruits, and nuts. Here are some really helpful websites:

www.marksdailyapple.com,
www.everydaypaleo.com
www.wellnessmama.com

Enjoy and good luck!

Um, the food pyramid has recently been scrapped and completely redone. It is now called MyPlate:http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
which is better as far as nutritional advice, but is still influenced by industry, since "dairy" is not a required food group, for instance, but a powerful lobby.

This one is even better: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/harvard-researchers-offer-al...

Here is a very good nutrition reference based on real research, and not fad diets, or diet information influenced heavily by food company lobbying:
Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating by M.D. Walter C. Willett, P.J. Skerrett

I heard yesterday that eating 1 gram of fiber burns 7 calories. So high fiber sounds like a good place to start. :)

I haven't looked into this much, but I have heard it a few times. Time to start googling. :)

Mostly you want to burn calories, so really exercise is the most important part.

When I take a class at the gym, the instructors always tell us to "optimize" by eating protein within 20 minutes of the workout. I find that doing so keeps me full and reduces cravings for junk food later. I have discovered that I really like Chobani Greek yogurt with a little Special K granola cereal sprinkled into it. We eat a lot of meals with chicken breast, including salads. And we use ground turkey rather than ground beef for tacos, sloppy joe, etc. I've never been one to "diet", but making some small changes in our daily eating, along with getting exercise, definitely helps! I'd say in general, decrease carbs and sugar, and increase protein and fresh vegetables. Also, watch portion sizes. Good luck!

Studies have shown that the ONE thing that seems to help with weight loss success is keeping a food journal. If you write down EVERY SINGLE THING you eat, you can see 1)if and when you cheat and 2) how many calories you're ACTUALLY taking in each day. Plus, having to write everything down makes you stop to think about whether you really want to eat that thing or not: "I can eat this cookie, but then I have to figure out how many calories I'm eating, get my journal, find today's entries, write down the calories...what a pain in the butt...I think I'll just skip the cookie this time..." See? It really does help. Good luck!

I have done Weight Watchers and always had great success. It is a way to reteach you how to eat healthy. They make sure you are getting in healthier choices now. A lot of it is about portion control. I think being accountable to a somebody is super helpful too.

one thing that has helped me is my health coach had me, of course, keep track of everything i eat and all my excercise..but also, aim to lower your caloric intake by X many calories per day (she put me at 250) and increase your calorie bun by X many calories per day (again, she put me at 250). i had/have no idea how to do this so an expert helping me out was key for me.

My husband I started the 4 hour body diet. Super simple book to follow, my husband and I both have a lot more energy, and I've lost 15 lbs. Seriously worth looking into. My husband is a Chiro and big on nutrition, he scoffs at most diets, but this one really isn't a diet, just a better way to eat. :)

Dinner tonight for us is this: http://www.padmaskitchen.com/2011/05/quinoa-with-roasted-...
Drink green tea, it's an appetite suppressant. Buy lots of fresh fruit and veggies, eat them raw. Celery and p-nut butter is a great sustaining snack. Don't eat solid food after 6pm if you can help it. And drink lots of water.
Go Vegan if you are really serious about your health check out www.vegobsession.com for tips.

If you are used to eating sweets and processed foods, it will be hard for a few weeks to wean yourself, but if you will stick to almost sugar free, low carb ( get carbs from fruit and whole grains) and high protein, your cravings will really fall away! Also, when you are craving pizza or cake or going to a special occasion, amp up the exercise for a day or two! It's fine to eat a cupcake or a doughnut once in awhile - just not all the time or in quantity. Your body will adjust to smaller portions as well. Make sure you not only have a good cardio plan in place, but that you really work to build lean muscle mass and yourbody's core. This will help you cintinuously burn fat and calories at a much higher rate. I highly endorse proper kettle bell workouts and sprint training. The results are amazing!