To lose weight sensibly, you must first have an understanding of your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR). To figure your BMR, take your weight and divide by 2.2. This will give you your weight in kilograms. Take this figure and multiply it by .9 (1.0 for men). Then, take this figure and multiply it by 24. This would be your BMR. So, if your weight is 200lb, divided by 2.2 your weight in kg is 90.91. Multiplied by .9 is 81.82. Multiplied by 24 is 1963.68. This figure (1963.68) would be the calories you would burn if you did nothing but lay in bed all day. Obviously you do more than that. A person who is moderately sedentary (at a desk all day with little or no exercise) can assume theyll burn another 500 calories or so. Therefore, you would need to consume about 2463.68 calories per day just to maintain your weight.

Most people assume that to lose weight they need to go on a starvation diet. Nothing could be further from the truth and is the worst thing you could do. By starving yourself you always force your body to slow its metabolism down further. You know you are dieting but your body thinks it is being starved and will do whatever is needed to survive and what it needs to survive is to slow down the metabolism to conserve fat! You will lose weight but as soon as you start eating normally (and you eventually will) your body says, OH! Now Im getting more calories! I better store them as fat in case I get starved again! At this point, your body will regain the weight that was lost and then add even more weight to protect itself from any future reduction in calories.

This is physiological fact. People do not want to believe this but it is a basic tenet of nutrition. Ask yourself this question: Why am I still trying to lose weight over and over?

The solution is not dieting. The solution is a lifestyle change. You must accept the fact that starvation diets are not a long term solution. Instead, simply deduct 500 calories from your maintenance intake. Try to stick to this program and make it a way of life rather than a quick fix. If you were the 200lb example as stated above, you need to eat approximately 1900 calories/day to lose weight sensibly.

Remember though that everyone is different and this figure is not etched in stone. You might find that you need to cut a bit more or less. It is something that needs to be adjusted to your body. The only for sure is that if you go on a starvation diet (1000-1500 calories/day) you will only set yourself up to fail in the long term.

Foods you must avoid while getting to your desired weight

1. All dairy except nonfat milk
2. All pork
3. All beef
4. All fast food, no exceptions
5. All alcoholic drinks especially beer
6. All candy especially chocolate
7. All processed, bleached carbohydrates-White bread, white rice, cereals, etc

Foods you can eat while getting to your desired weight

1. Chicken-Breast only, no skin
2. All fish
3. Lean, ground turkey
4. Pasta with small amounts of olive oil or sauce. No cheese or meat
5. Potatoes and Yams-Baked only with non-fat butter substitute or non-fat sour cream
6. Whole grain brown rice-Limited servings
7. Nuts, raisins-Moderately

8. Olive oil, canola oil, most vegetable oils-Moderately

Sparingly, you can eat whole grain breads, oatmeal, yams, white potatoes, eggs. Use small servings for rice, etc (could fit in your hand).

No carbs 2-3 hours before bed. Eat veggies all you want. Fruit okay but not late in evening and only 2-3 pieces per day.

Meals should consist of primarily protein with a very small portion of complex carbs (brown rice, small serving of potatoes etc). Try to divide your total calories needed per day into 5-6 small meals rather than 3 large ones.

Eating smaller meals every 2-3 hours keeps you from stuffing yourself, keeps your insulin response low and helps increase your metabolism. Remember: A meal can consist of anything from a chicken breast with veggies to a nutrition bar and glass of nonfat milk. Each meal should be 1/5 to 1/6 of your total caloric intake for the day.

In Part 2 of this series, I'll give you precise information on a sample diet for one day

GO FOR IT!!! STICK TO THIS AND MAKE IT A LIFESTYLE!!!