New dieter needs help, please?

Question

I've never been on a diet before, but now I realize I need to lose a little.Not go crazy out of control, but I want to lose about 5-10 lbs. by Late Feburary...What are some good foods to eat in order to lose weight? How much should I eat? I know i'll need this along with exersize, but I'm lost in the food dept. HELP!
any other tips are appreciated.

Answer 1

Add fruits, vegetables and whole grains that you like to your diet. Vegetarian sites usually have lots of healthy recipes. Eat 2-3 servings (size of a deck of cards) of lean protein every day. When you're comfortable with the new additions, gradually decrease fried and high -fat foods. Along with exercise, that should work pretty well.

You should also look into Ayurveda. A good book is "Perfect Weight" by Deepak Chopra.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

first of all you need to know weight/age/height before doing any food plan. here are some tips -

(always check with health professional first)

eat 5-6 small meals spread out throughout the day to keep metabolism high - plate size the size of open hand

try and eat a balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fat - all are essential for good health ie. have chicken, vege and pasta

have 2-3litres of water per day to fill you up and keep you hydrated.

focus on eating for health - not to lose weight - you will be more likely to stick with it

Answer 3

find daily calorie intake calculator on the net, enter all your stats and it will tell you how many calories you need a day to maintain, take off 400-600cal off that number and thats how much you need to lose.
eat 5-6 small meals a day (eat every 2-3 hours - it optimizes your metabolism)
5-8 servings of fruit and veggies a day (have lots of veggies to eat in between meals if you are still hungry)
8 glasses of water -carry bottle of water with you and when you feel hungry drink it - we often confuse hunger with thirst (our bodies confuse it)
have complex carbs for breakfast - they give you energy
have protein (lean meat, legumes etc) for dinner - repairs muscle
cardio is the only fat burning exercise and burns fat all over your body (running, jogging, swimming, spinning, elliptical etc) 4-6 times a week for average of 45min, light weight training a few times a week (more muscle=faster metabolism)
dont consume foods that are made of white flour (white bread, cakes, pasta etc.), sugar loaded foods (cookies, ice cream, candy etc) and nothing fried, oily.
of course you can spoil yourself once in a while with a little treat:)

Answer 4

if eating 3 meals. divide the amount into 5 meals. you will up your metabolism which in turn will burn calories more frequently.
avoid sugary foods or drink or any refined carbs (unles they are made from the splenda. 5-10 pounds is a very reachable goal, you should have no problem by January 15

Answer 5

Ok, I think my first question would be, "how old are you?" cause this is a bit of a stupid question. Eat lots of veggies and whole grains and stay away from fried foods and foods with alot of fat, especially saturated fats. If you do this and exercise, I think you will be more than pleased with the results.