When you are dieting, the biggest problem you face is often what you can and cannot eat. Virtually every diet tells you what you can have so much of this, none of that, a bit of the other. You can’t eat your favorite food, you need to have smaller portions and end up constantly feeling dissatisfied and hungry, which leads to you being irritable and on edge.
You may know this feeling far too well, particularly if you have ever been …

You’re more likely to eat more — and eat more high-fat, high-calorie foods — when you eat out than when you eat at home. Restaurants today serve such large portions that many have switched to larger plates and tables to accommodate them!

Diets that require special foods or are based on one particular food group (e.g., the grapefruit diet, Atkins, or Pritikin diets) are hard to follow for more than a few months. We want to eat what we like and often the foods on these diets cannot be found in restaurants or other peoples’ homes. Any of these diets will work if followed – but that’s the problem. Who wants to follow this kind of diet forever? Diet plans that require …

Letting yourself go, eating whatever you want, and taking a day off your workout routine can actually benefit you. This kind of cheating can help you stay on track all week long. You can stay more focused and dedicated when you know it isn’t forever and that things you really like can still be a regular part of your life. This type of cheating ensures you don’t feel deprived. No one wants to give up their favorite desert or greasy food permanently, …

Be sure to choose your extravaganzas carefully. You don’t want to spend your once a week treat on something you don’t really, really love to eat. Or, give up a day of exercise to sit around unless you truly relish it. Sitting at the beach, going to movies, whatever it is, make sure you will feel like you’ve given yourself something special by not doing your normal routine.

This myth falls into the no-carb diet myth or low carb diet myth. It’s certainly a popular myth about the Atkins diet. Calories/energy consumed vs. energy burned. Whenever you eat more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. Whenever you eat less calories than you burn, you’ll lose weight. According to all the experts and research there is no other way to lose weight, besides surgery. Remember, if you eat too many calories you will gain weight. It is best to eat …

To promote weight loss, one must analyze one’s dietary habits. Something as simple as drinking one less soda a day may help shed the extra pounds. An average regular soda has 150 calories per 12-ounce can. Drinking one less a day reduces calorie intake by 54,750 calories a year. This results in a 15.64 weight loss in one year if all other variables remain unchanged. Choose flavored water, plain water, or diet sodas more often to reduce calorie intake.
Other simple ideas include …

While ham is a more traditional choice for a holiday dinner, those opting for something more upscale may choose prime rib. Unfortunately, this cut of meat is called “prime” because it contains 35-45% fat, which is the highest of all cuts. A 4-ounce serving of prime rib contains about 425 calories. But let’s face it – nobody eats 4 ounces of this succulent cut of meat. A more common serving size is at least 8 ounces, which delivers a hefty 850 calories.

Traditionally, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey where it absorbs much of the fat from the bird. Whether made from corn bread or white bread, it often contains high-fat ingredients such as butter, sausage, and nuts, averaging about 340 calories per 1 cup serving.

Despite the claims of low-carb dieters everywhere, potatoes are not the enemy. Standing alone, potatoes are actually a low calorie, fat-free food. However, traditional holiday mashed potato recipes call for generous amounts of butter, cream, and sometimes even cheese. Loaded up with these heavy ingredients, mashed potatoes can reach a whopping 470 calories per 1-cup serving.