Written by Cathy Serif

With so many fad diets and weight loss schemes saturating the consumer market it becomes an impossible mission to find a safe and effective weight loss solution that will provide lasting results.

The optimal way to lose weight is to go back to the basics. Forget about a diet with a catchy marketing name and realize that the magic to losing unwanted pounds is to exercise more than you are currently exercising and consume fewer calories than you are currently consuming. It is as simple as that; eat less, move more.

To successfully accomplish your personal weight loss mission, incorporate the following guidelines while adopting a healthier lifestyle:

• Set realistic goals and make small changes. Don’t be unrealistic and expect to lose all the extra weight that you have put on over the last year in just a few weeks. Aim your target at losing about 1 pound per week while adopting a lifestyle of healthier eating. Log your intake in a food diary at first so that you are not overestimating or underestimating your caloric intake.

• Enlist in portion control. This is critical to losing weight. Pay attention to your portion sizes and limit your intake to 1-serving of any given food group. Pay particular attention when dining out as restaurant portions are typically enough to feed you 2 or 3 times-in one sitting! When your meal arrives, cut it in half and request a to-go box right away, take the other half home for leftovers or, share an entrée with your dining partner.

• Eat many times. Believe it or not, this is a proven strategy for losing weight. Break up your total daily caloric intake into 5-6 small meals instead of eating 1 or 2 large meals a day. This strategy keeps blood sugar levels steady, energy up, and calories down by reducing the risk of breaking into food frenzy when you are starving.

• Veg out. Stock your fridge up with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits. These food choices are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants while being naturally low in fat.

• Go Low. Choose non-fat and low-fat dairy products as well as lean cuts of animal protein such as sirloin, chicken breasts, and white meat turkey and include fish in your weekly menu planning.

• Say yes to carbohydrates. Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are a critically important component of nutrition. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of dietary fuel. Choose whole grain carbohydrates and load up on vegetables.

• Give in occasionally. It’s okay to have treats in moderation, it’s only human. Trust me, even the leanest person on the planet gets a craving once in a while for cake and ice cream, the key is “once in a while”.