A. You are the best person to create your own weight loss plan.
B. There are no food restrictions placed on you except for those foods that you know you have trouble controlling the amount that you eat at one setting.
C. Every day’s menu must include whole grains, milk, meat and beans, vegetables, and fruits as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Your daily food plan will include a reduction in the number of calories you are presently eating.
D. The only real way to determine how many calories you are using is to have a food journal and faithfully record everything you eat for 5 days. Forget about counting carbohydrates, fat, or anything except calories. Get an average calories consumed for the 5 days by adding each day’s amounts together and dividing by 5.
E. Check the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need to maintain your present weight.
F. If you want to weight less, you will need to consume less. Measuring calories is the most effective way to lose weight.
G. Count the fiber you consume daily. We need to be eating 25-30 grams of fiber daily. The average American diet has 3-5 grams. We are a nation of overweight people because we aren’t eating the fiber needed and are eating mostly over-processed foods. Learn more about fiber.
H. Add exercise—we recommend walking because it can be done wherever you are—in the 2nd week. If you are already exercising, continue.
I. If you’re not exercising, get your food plan straight before adding anything else.
J. Before you begin, clean out all foods that will tempt you. After your basic goal weight, you may begin reintroducing foods. Do this only with one food product at a time. Ask your family to be part of your support system for this first month.
K. You will be drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. Use several of the Crystal Light flavoring straws along with the Crystal Light Live Energy that you will be using each day. The Live Energy contains 3 grams of fiber.
L. Get together all the ingredients of your daily salads which are eaten everyday before you eat other foods. Restaurants know that salad is the first course because it fills us up.
M. Always use the calories needed chart to evaluate the calories you need to eliminate daily. If you deduct 250 calories from diet and increase your physical outtake by 250 calories, you will lose a pound weekly. Adjust your calories needed as you lose weight as your need will change as you lose weight. Use the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need with the weight loss.
