I'll chime in and share a few principles that I tell my patients, and I tend to have good luck with a lot of my patients through these methods (and I do not prescribe diet pills).
If you have to pick one diet plan, a low carb diet will yield more weight loss than a low fat diet. While it's best to watch your carbs AND fat intake, the carbs are the biggest culprit in preventing weight loss, so focus there primarily. Adkins wasn't crazy. The "south beach diet" is good too.
Don't drink your calories. Sodas or sugary drinks add up too quick, and given the choice, most people rather eat their calories than drink them.
Calories
As already mentioned, calorie counting is a major part of your new lifestyle change. You won't have to do the math forever. Eventually you will be doing the math subconsciously in your head, but until then, actually add up what you're consuming daily and see where the numbers end up. Most people who are overweight and haven't counted calories before are surprised to see how high their numbers can be. Aim for 1800 calories if you are exercising. If you aren't exercising, aim for around 1500 cal/day. The one principle that is 100% true in weight loss, if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. If you consume more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. All the rest is just pushing that equation around to balance in your favor.
Protein!!!
This is the fuel your metabolism needs to get ramped up. A good rule of thumb is this: the total volume of protein you need per day is four times the size of the palm of your hand. Keep your lean protein intake where it needs to be, and you can raise your metabolism easier and then this will lead to burning fat. Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey are great. Experiment with spices and different ways to cook healthy ingredients to keep it interesting.
Drink plenty of water.
Our bodies are made up of cells as we all know. These cells each have their own metabolism. A well hydrated cell burns far more calories and sustains a higher metabolism than even a mildly dehydrated cell. By simply drinking water throughout the day, you can keep your metabolism up because of this physiologic principle. Of course the water also gives you something to consume that's calorie free, but just the mechanics of it are key. You have to stay hydrated to burn fat.
The downside to cereal.
Cereal is better than bacon and eggs, but in general cereal is digested and broken down into simple sugars far too quickly, and those don't last in your stomach long at all, so it may leave you feeling hungry sooner than you should. Oatmeal is made of longer chain molecules and takes longer to digest, and therefore you feel full longer. It's not like we can eat oatmeal all the time, but if you like it, it is a better alternative than a lot of breakfast choices. If you like oatmeal, try to find the oatmeal preparations that take longer to cook. The one minute "instant" oatmeals are made of much shorter chain molecules, so they like cereal will be broken down quicker. Get at least 5 minute preparations, and if you can find them and have time, the real steel cut oatmeal that takes 30 minutes to cook is great for a diet conscious breakfast, but who has time for that honestly... not most of us.
Eat breakfast every day. Otherwise your body will decrease it's basal metabolism.
Do not eat late at night. You don't have time to burn those calories if you do, and then most of them will to go fat.
Since diet pills were mentioned, I'll tell you all what I tell my patients when they ask about them. While diet pills can cause one to loose weight, if the patient doesn't change their lifestyle, they will just put the weight right back on after the pills are stopped. That puts the patient through the risks of the pills for no benefit. The best weight loss clinics recognize this and won't prescribe weight loss medications until the patient demonstrates that they have changed their lifestyle and are dropping weight on their own through proper diet and exercise. THEN weight loss medications may be considered if appropriate for that patient, but again, I don't prescribe them. If my patients get to the point where I think they may be appropriate, there is a weight loss clinic down the road I'll refer them to, but I much prefer my patients to succeed through educations and lifestyle changes than another prescription.
When you fall off the wagon, just get back on!
Last tip and a very important one. This is mostly for those with more pounds to loose than just 15-20... When you fall off the wagon and pig out on your calories of choice, don't beat yourself up, just get back on the wagon and keep going. I've seen many patients who have a bad weekend when they pigged out and then they end up getting down on themselves and throw in the towel and go back to their old lifestyle which put the weight on in the first place.
Hope this helps a few people.
-Brad
