About Diet Plans

 An article by the Mayo Clinic Staff

When it comes to weight loss, there's no shortage of diet plans. Check any magazine rack, and you're bound to see the latest and greatest diet plans. But how do you know if a diet plan fits your needs and lifestyle?

Ask yourself these questions about any diet plan you're considering:

Does it include various foods from the major food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein sources, and nuts?

Does it include foods you like and that you would enjoy eating for a lifetime — not just for several weeks or months?

Can you easily find these foods in your local grocery store?

Will you be able to eat your favorite foods or, better yet, all foods (even if some are in small quantities)?

Does it fit your lifestyle and budget?

Does it include proper amounts of nutrients and calories to help you lose weight safely and effectively?

Is regular physical activity part of the plan?

If the answer to any of these questions is "no", keep looking. There are better diet plans out there for you. 

But before you spend hours on the Internet looking for the best plan, I'll tell you my story. I did spend hours looking and trying dozens of these plans, but never the right one. The answer for me was to change my life. Start doing what other successful people do. 

I started by changing my alarm clock and started to get up one hour earlier. I'd have one cup of black coffee and go outside. I'd do some stretching and calisthenics. Once I'd get my blood pumping I'd run around the backyard for about 5 minutes. That's all I needed around 10 minutes. I go back into the house and get ready for work. Then I make a protein shake put it in a commuter cup and leave the house. I use a scoop of protein powder in the shake and get 30 grams of protein in just a few minutes. That will hold me for 3 or 4 hours. I carry a protein snack bar with me because sometimes I can't leave for lunch or don't have time. Lunch is usually carry-out. I usually get a chicken salad with lots of vegetables and spinach, not lettuce. Chicken salads have quite a lot of protein. 

Around 3 or 4 pm I'm looking for that snack bar. I get an extra 10 grams of protein that way and I'm not looking for food for several hours. I want about 60 grams of protein a day to prevent food cravings. I might have a hand full of nuts at home, but I try not to eat. 

At night around 7 pm I exercise again, which keeps me out of the kitchen. After 30 minutes of exercise, I forget about food and get a bottle of water. Naturally, I am cutting calories but I'm not starving. Sometimes at night, I eat carrots or celery. 

As you might have noticed, I don't eat or drink dairy or eat any type of bread, cake, cookies, or pastries. I make my breakfast shake with Almond Milk or Coconut Milk. Except for the milk I use, I don't drink anything else with calories. You do have to cut calories to lose fat, but you also have to eat better foods and stop eating and drinking those things that add fat.

The best tip I can give you is "Don't look in the rearview mirror". Make changes in your lifestyle and stick with it. You can do this. I was 220 pounds and now I'm 160. I can smile every day, and I feel better than ever. I think I might have added 20 years to my life. I am a senior who doesn't go to the senior's center, I go to the golf course. You don't want to be one of those people at the center, you want to be on the tennis court or swimming pool or maybe the golf course. 

Follow me on Twitter now called X just type @gertsraymo70369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.