Sound Diet Advice

Alright, time to really get this thing going! Here is a question I recently received from foodpicker.org:
My doctor has diagnosed me with diabetes and has told me to lose weight. I have heard about high protein diets, low fat/high carb diets, and many others. I want a sound diet instead of a fad. What type of diet is best given my situation?

Way to recognize that most fad diets are not long term! While they may have some short term affects, if you really want long term results you have to make diet/habit changes, not just starve yourself for a month. Weight loss is all about energy balance. You need to burn more calories than you consume, not just for the next week, but probably for a couple months, depending on your weight loss goals. A deficit of 500 calories/day equals a lb./week. You then need to make sure to only consume as much as you burn when you get to the point of maintaining your weight.

Some basic guidelines: choose nutrient dense foods, not energy dense. These are foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, and lean protein. These foods provide maximum nutrients and minimal calories. Choose foods that are high in fiber that will help keep you full for longer. Try to eliminate excess calories in meals such as butter, high fat dressings, and extra sauce.

A great way to figure out how much of all these foods to eat for your body is to use an exchange meal plan. The best way to get a personalized exchange plan is to meet with a Registered Dietitian, but there are also plenty of websites that can help you calculate them on your own. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00077 and http://www.livestrong.com/ have articles that describe what the exchange system is and how to use it, along with sample menus for 1200-2000 calorie diets. Basically, exchange systems put foods into groups such as fruits, fats, protein, carbohydrates, etc. You are allowed to choose a certain number of "exchanges" from each category every day. This gives people lots of choices and is an easy way to keep track of intake without tedious calorie counting.

Another great way to make sure you are eating nutrient rich foods is to follow the New American Plate diagram.
Just watching portion control is a great way to monitor/reduce calories. Make sure 1/2 of your meal is fiber rich vegetables which are low in calories, but will fill you up to avoid hunger.

My final do-it-yoursef recommendation is to check out http://www.MyPyramid.gov. This website has everything you need to create and track your own personal diet. It will help you estimate how many calories you burn/day and how many you need to consume in order to reach a specific goal. It has a huge database of foods and their nutrition information so you can track how many calories you are eating and at what percentages. Sample menus are provided and there is even a section that tracks physical activity. You can really customize the data output to what you are interested in. The website has tutorials to help you get started and is free to use. You will have to create a username and password, and it can be a little time consuming to input the foods you eat, but if you are serious about tracking what you eat to help you lose weight, this site is great!

Aside from the few that I have mentioned, there are so many tips out there for losing weight. Be sure if you decide to search the web for your own plan that it comes from a credible source. Watch out for anything that claims to help you lose any more than 1.5 lbs per week, cut out any major food groups, or just take a miracle pill. Also remember the importance of physical exercise in any weight loss plan. Consult an exercise physiologist and check with your doctor before starting any major exercise plan if you have health problems. For most people, 30 minutes of cardio/day is the recommended. Good luck to all and keep in mind that weight loss is a gradual process. There is no miracle that will drop 30 lbs of fat in a month, so stick with it!