10 Ways to Jump Start Weight Loss

by Jonny Bowden, M.A., C.N.

1. Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.

2. Eliminate wheat- and flour-based products for the time being. And yes, that definitely includes bread and pasta.

3. Eat unprocessed foods. Ninety percent of what you eat should be food that could have been hunted, caught, gathered from the ground or plucked from a tree.

4. Reduce starch to one portion a day, and don't eat that portion during your evening meal. Best choices are oatmeal, sweet potatoes and beans.

5. Don't overdo fruit: two a day maximum, and only the low-sugar, high-fiber variety. Apples, pears, plums and berries all are good choices. Bananas are not. For now, fruit should be eaten alone or with something light like nuts or a little cheese. Lose the fruit juice.

6. Reduce or eliminate dairy for the time being, especially cow's milk. Exceptions: reasonable amounts of cheese and occasional portions of yogurt, but not the fat-free kind (it contains way too much sugar).

7. Lose the booze. Despite what the "studies" say, you lose no health benefits by giving up alcohol. There is nothing essential in alcohol that you can't get in fruits and vegetables.

8. Stop using vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and corn. The supermarket kind is highly refined, and it oxidizes easily when heated, contributing to arterial plaque. Use olive oil instead.

9. Watch which types of fat you're eating. The amount of fat you eat is probably less important than the kind of fat you eat. The worst are fried foods, margarine and foods that contain hydrogenized or partially hydrogenized oils. The best is omega-3, found in fish and flaxseed oil.

10. Obsessively drink water: at least eight or more large glasses each day. Every day. No excuses.