Good Food by Dr. Gabe Mirkin and Diana Mirkin

The only ways to lose weight (without surgery or prescription medications) are:

1. Take in fewer calories,
2. Burn more calories, or
3. both.

All of the popular diet books, regardless of the "scientific" explanations they give, recommend menus that give you 1500-1800 calories or less per day, and for most people this means you will be taking in fewer calories. You can lose weight on any low-calorie diet, but ask yourself: Is this a way of eating I can follow for the rest of my life? (If not, you will regain the weight as soon as you go back to your old eating habits.) And, do the foods they tell me to eat supply all the nutrients my body needs? Most people can eliminate whole food groups for a short time without any harm, but eventually you will create deficiencies if you do not eat a wide variety of foods, with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds. Don't believe that you can make up for what's missing with pills: a lousy diet with supplements is a lousy diet.

The sensible way to lose weight is to eliminate the foods with little or no nutritional value beyond the concentrated calories they contain: refined carbohydrates and added fats. The guidelines for diabetics apply for anyone who needs to lose weight, particularly if you store most of your weight in your belly. Avoid foods that raise insulin to high levels such as bakery products, pasta, and foods with added sugars. You should eat enough whole grains, beans, and vegetables to keep you full and satisfied. Eat root vegetables and fruits only with other foods.

It's better to eat several small meals than one or two large ones. After you eat, your body temperature rises to burn extra calories because food must first be broken down by multiple chemical reactions that produce a lot of heat. If you eat only one large meal, you produce extra heat for only a few hours. When you nibble small amounts more often, you produce extra heat throughout the day and burn far more calories.

The Fitness section of DrMirkin.com has lots of ideas to help you start and maintain an exercise program. Research on weight loss and healthful eating is reported in the Nutrition section.

When one person in a household needs to lose weight, the whole family should cooperate. Foods made with refined carbohydrates and added fats should be kept out of the house. Everyone will benefit from eating more vegetables, whole grains and beans.