Dieting Basics

If you are setting out to diet, there is a fairly good chance that your diet will fail. That is the first basic rule of dieting. You need to find out why your diet failed and fix it. That is the second basic rule. Follow some basic rules of dieting and you will succeed.

Make sure your diet is safe. If you are losing a large amount of weight, you should consult your physician. He may have guidelines that he wants you to follow and he may want to monitor your progress.

If you are taking a diet supplement or a special diet program (such as Adkins) make sure that it is safe. Just because a product can claim that it is natural does not mean that it is safe. Ephedra, which was removed from the market in 2004, was made from natural ingredients.

Cut portions, not meals. If you think you can skip a meal and sustain a diet, you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment. You should change your intake of calories at each meal.

You should substitute healthy food for junk food. Surely there are some fruits that you enjoy. Replace that cookie at lunch with and apple or an orange. Have a banana with breakfast instead of a pastry. Prepare a fruit salad for dessert. Make sure you get plenty of whole grains. And moderate your intake of alcohol. If you are at a social event, alternate between alcoholic drinks and diet drinks or water.

Read labels. Know the calories of everything you eat. Just because something seems healthy does not mean that you are should not moderate your intake. A classic example is juices. Yes, they are healthier than sodas, but they also can contain a lot of calories and such undesirable ingredients as fructose corn syrup.

Work toward a permanent goal. Even if you are losing weight for a special event, you should maintain the good habits that helped you lose the weight to begin with. Do not fall back on bad habits. Once you switch to healthy meals, there is no reason to return to junk. Include at least some basic exercise in your diet regimen.

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