Another Article I found

 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.

The best plan is the one you can stick with for life.

I think we all have that idea that all you have to do is cut back on the snacks, cut back on the alcohol, and the weight will come off. That's what you did last time and you lost 5 pounds. This will be easy peasy. 

That's probably not going to work. It's easy to lose a few pounds but doesn't always come back? The truth is that the weight will always come back because you're still eating the same foods and drinking the same drinks that put on the weight. 

The only way to lose weight permanently is to lose body fat. Forget the scale. When you drop 2 pants, then you're losing fat. At that point, keep it up. Your waist, at your navel, should be half your height. For example, If you're 5'10", that's 70 inches, your waist should measure 35 inches.

You want to measure your waist early in the morning before eating or drinking. You should be standing straight with your muscles relaxed.

Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 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. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.