Nordine Zouareg asked:


Many people fail on their diets for one big reason: diet food is not necessarily good food. Since many find “diet food” unappealing and in some cases uneatable, they feel deprived. When you are depriving yourself of the foods you love it won’t be long until you can no longer endure the challenge and you will break down and eat whatever it is that you have been craving. But, did you know that diet food doesn’t have to be bad? Did you know that if you change your lifestyle to include healthy eating and forget about diet foods you can not only lose weight but continue enjoying food?

This is hard to believe but it’s true. Healthy foods are good foods as long as you know how to cook them. And, there are a lot of different foods you can try that you will likely love if you simply give it a chance to try them. Of course, you can have a healthy lifestyle and eat healthy foods and still indulge in your favorites every once and awhile. For example, if you love a cheeseburger with French fries there is no reason why you can’t have them every once and awhile. But, instead of using a white bun consider a whole grain bun. Buy lean hamburger meat, or even ground turkey, and flavor it up with spices instead of a lot of salt. Grill the burger instead of frying it so you can eliminate as much fat as possible. Then, add a slice of low fat cheese and all your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and low fat mayonnaise. For the French fries try baking them rather than frying them. Potatoes aren’t necessarily bad but when you fry them they get a whole lot worse. My favorite is sweet baked potato. So, make a small amount so you won’t overindulge and just bake them.

You sill still have your favorite meal, but it will be much healthier. That means whenever you get a hankering for something that is not necessarily part of your new lifestyle you can try figuring out a way to have it by making it healthy. It might not taste like the old kind but you may realize that the new meal is not only healthier but flavorful and good. What will surprise you the most, however, is that it really will satiate your desire for the not so healthy version of your favorite food. Creativity is key, give it a try!

Know What You Eat

By far the easiest way you can become healthy and change your lifestyle is to know what you eat. The only way you can really do that is by eating at home. When you cook for yourself you know how much oil you put in something or what ingredients are used in a particular food. Cooking for yourself will allow you to stay committed to your new lifestyle because you are in control. It is much more difficult in a restaurant where you will be tempted by your own old conditioning and therefore reaching for comfort food such as bread and butter, luscious desserts, and fattening foods. When you know what you eat you will not only be healthier but you will be in control. And, being in control of your body and health is very important to a successful new lifestyle. Don’t worry this is only a matter of reconditioning your mind. The restaurant going will still be in your life but you will be in control then.

Judy Sharp asked:


We all know that the food we eat makes a big difference in the amount of weight we lose.

It’s simply a matter of making choices – low fat chicken rather than fatty meat, water and fresh juice rather than soda, baked potato rather than fries. It’s the choice we make when we purchase our food for the week, or go to the drink machine at work. Soda or water? Water!

When you substitute the healthy weight loss foods you lose weight faster and have more energy.

The top healthy foods you can eat to lose weight:

1. Vegetables. Eat as much as you like! It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as it’s fresh. Avocados have fat, but it’s fat that will help you lose weight – and fill you up! Potatoes are starchy, but they won’t put on the weight, especially if you’re eating a lot of other vegies as well.

Eat them raw or cooked, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is to have more vegies on your plate than anything else.

No butter or sauces, of course. You’ll be amazed at the subtle and delicious tastes of vegetables! A good soy sauce will add flavoring if you like.

Buy organic if you can – you’ll reap the benefits in healthy energy. If not, wash all vegetables well.

Vegetables are alkaline and balance the body’s chemistry. They’re full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants and low in calories. Try to get a mixture of colors in your diet – green, orange, red, yellow and white.

2. Fresh fruit will also help you lose weight because it’s full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants, just like vegetables. Yes, it has fruit sugars, but they are the complex kind that takes time to digest, and so do not end up as fat cells.

And it will REALLY speed up your weight loss if you use fruit as a replacement for candy and puddings.

3. Eat plenty of whole grain. In order to lose weight it MUST be whole grain. Substitute brown rice for white, wholegrain pasta for regular, and try some of the other wonderful grains available, such as buckwheat, quinoa and spelt. Eat traditional rolled oats for breakfast or a wholegrain cereal, preferably without sugar. If you eat bread, make sure it’s made of a good whole grain. Don’t choose the kind called “multigrain” when it’s mostly white bread with some seeds scattered in it.

4. Beans. Substitute all or several meat portions a month with beans. You can cook them from scratch – or to save time, buy them canned. If you buy them canned, put them in a colander and rinse well with running water. Full of protein and fiber, beans are an excellent low-fat way to get your protein.

5. Water. Drink water, water, water. Soda puts on weight very quickly. And don’t be fooled by diet sodas. Sugar substitutes still add weight – something you rarely hear the truth about.

You can also drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice. Drink it as soon as it’s made for that zinging, full feeling and lots of weight burning.