here's something i wrote about weight loss to another member. hope he doesn't mind. your results may vary
to lose weight, there is no easy way to do it. if all of those fad diets and miracle solutions worked, everyone would be thin for starters, i dont have a degree in nutrition, sports medicine, phys. ed, etc. i just asked around and did my own research.
the first thing i did was eliminate ALL junkfood. no more fast food, pizza, kfc, etc, except for times when i couldnt avoid it (road trips, superbowl parties, etc). eat less carbs (breads, pasta, rice) because if your body doesn't burn them, they will convert to fat. try to eat stuff high in fiber and avoid processed foods.
how do you know what foods are processed? next time you walk into a grocery store, notice what's stacked alongside the sides and back wall. the fresh, perishable stuff. everything in the aisle is packaged or in a box, and most likely processed to an extent. these foods lose most of their nutritional content and are high in trans-fatty acids.
next i learned when to stop eating. i had a problem with eating until i was stuffed. then i began to realize there's a point where you're not stuffed, but your hunger is satisfied. also, avoid eating at least 3 hours before going to sleep.
if u like soda, switch to diet soda. cut down on beer if you like drinking. fruit juices also have as many calories as soda, but they do have nutritional value. these all have empty calories, which can't be used by your body for energy.
the most important thing regarding diet: don't starve yourself. your body's survival instincts will slow your metabolism down, because it 'thinks' it's starving and will try to conserve food energy. eat 3 meals a day, plus light snacks in between. most bodybuilders eat 6 small meals a day to trigger their metabolism.
and the final key: diets don't work. they work temporarily. once your normal eating habits resume, the weight will come back. even after i achieved my goals, you still won't see me scarfing a whopper with a shake. change your eating habits and preferences, and that will give you long term results.
the other major factor in weight loss is cardio/exercise. i ran about 4-5 days a week, as well as lifting weights and playing basketball. when i started, i couldn't even run a mile without feeling like my heart was going to explode. five months later, i was running six miles. you don't neccessarily have to run, but do something that gets your heartbeat going and makes you sweat (biking, swimming, hiking, precor, etc).