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EATINGWELL DIET 101


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Seven Steps to Permanent Weight Loss


NEW! Excerpted from The EatingWell Diet Book. 

The EatingWell Diet is a comprehensive plan designed to help you lose weight safely and permanently. At the core of the plan are seven essential steps—each the result of cutting-edge research, put into practice in real people’s lives. They’ll work for you too!

Paprika Shrimp & Green Bean Saute

Find 30+ delicious meals in our Healthy Diet Recipes Collection

scaleStep 1. Make Sure You’re Ready for Change
Are you ready to lose weight?
Read more...




calculatorStep 2. Set Goals
The next step on your weight-loss journey is to decide what kind of weight loss makes sense for you.
Read more...




diaryStep 3. Track Yourself
Self-awareness is self-motivation; by keeping track of your behavior, you motivate yourself to change by becoming more accountable.
Read more...



scaleStep 4. Eat Mindfully
Healthy eating means getting a variety of foods in moderation—not making any food forbidden, but not going overboard on those rich foods that were once special-occasion indulgences.
Read more...



shoesStep 5. Commit to Move More
Exercise makes weight loss much easier—but more important, people who move more are more likely to keep the pounds off. No matter where you’re at now, you can become “an exercise person.”
Read more...



phoneStep 6. Get Support
Losing weight is challenging—we can’t expect to do it alone. As you make your way through losing weight, you’ll need to cultivate a network of friends, family, coworkers, professionals and like-minded dieters.
Read more...


checkStep 7. Have a Long-Term Plan
As you reach your weight-loss goals, you’re ready for the final step: creating a long-term strategy that will help your successes stick.
Read more...



Go to the Essential Weight Loss-Tools page for more information.
Back to Diet main page

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Buy The EatingWell Diet now and get a FREE 28-day Food Diary!

The EatingWell Diet. Copyright 2007 by Eating Well, Inc. Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091. It is prohibited to copy, redistribute or transmit this work for any purpose, commercial or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.

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USER COMMENTS — Add Your Comment
I need advice on how can I keep eating healthy. I'm getting tired of eating healthy and going to the gym. Please give advice on key to exercising and eating healthy.

Janet, Middle Village, NY
Caloriecount.com is an excellent way to keep track of your calories in and calories out.

Susan, Cranston, RI
Those are good steps, but i would add one--actually it might not come at the end--which is to make changes in small ways. I highly recommend a book by a friend, Bob Maurer: One Small Step can Change your Life. Small changes are much easier to make and stick with, and with diet and lifestyle changes, sticking is usually the problem. Thanks!

Michael Sieverts, Santa Monica, CA
I reached that same slump and I stopped going to the gym, and I am having trouble sticking to healthy eating, mostly at night and on weekends. Losing weight and exercising is hard and remember why you want to lose weight and get healthy. Resolve to do it for you. And I will too. Good Luck.

Joanne, Middletown, PA
I lost 60 lbs a coupe of years ago. I did keep it off for a year then I got the eating bug and gained 15 lbs. I am back to Weight Watchers. I decided it is a perpetual battle and will have to fight it the rest of my life!!!! But there is nothing like losing weight and having people notice. What a high that is!!!!

Aggie, Fairport, NY
I has my second child 3 months ago. Have 30 lbs to to hopefully get rid of.

Katie, NY, NY
I had my 2nd child 4 months ago & have 40 lbs to lose. It's harder than it was 7 years ago & very frustrating. Caloriecount.com seems to be helping some. Good luck!

Jamie, New Ulm, MN
I have Fibromyalgia so exercising is difficult... I am wanting to lose 40lbs or thereabouts... I'm only 5ft and weigh 179lbs although I have managed to lose 10lbs since starting a medication for Fibro. Around 130lbs is a comfortable weight for me and I will do it... I cut out all my comfort eating which I did when I was in pain... you know, potato chips, fries, bacon sandwiches, chocolate... all the nice comforting stuff... I actually have potato chips in the house and don't want them now... :D

Aran, South River, ON
I am over overweight by 100 lbs and really need help to changing my mind about the way I eat. I am 5ft 4in. and weight over 250 and am also 62 yrs. old. I have Fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis that makes exercising really hard for me. Have a hard time about how many grams of carbs in my food. HELP!

Lorraine, Eagle Mountain, UT
I have retired 2002 and gained 55 lbs. Love sweets and do yard work and gymn 3 days a weeks, but not loosing any wight. I am 69 and need to loose all this additional weight I gained since I retired.

Barbara Jones, Springfield, MO
I have Fibromyalgia and also find it difficult to exercise. I am single so I have no support. I try my best to eat the right foods. I have joined a gym and do water aerobics twice a week. Would love to know the medication Aran from South River, On got on that helped her lose weight. I keep trying.

Marilyn, Austin, TX
I have lost about 18 lbs in three months, but my blood pressure is still high. What is good for me?

Rolando Valdez, Fresno, CA
My problem is keeping the weight off once you lose it. What is the method. Help!!!!

Tina, Little Rock, AR
I have been fighting the bulge all my life and in the past few years have learned how to maintain but I have a lot of trouble loosing weight. I am determined to get it off once and for all. I need to loose 80 pounds to get to my ideal weight of 140. Wish me luck!

Sheri, Prattville, AL
I just turned 40 and I am the heaviest I've ever been, I want to get back to a size 10, I am 5'10" and 260 lbs! I started eating less, more veggies and I took a brisk half hour walk this morning, it's not going to be easy but I want to loose 10 lbs a month and maintain when I get to about 150. Am I on the right track?

Katie, Brooklyn, NY
It sounds like a lot of us have done this before. But the good news is if we keep trying, even a small amount of weight loss has health benefits. I have pre-diabetes and struggle to eat right every day. But I just keep plugging away at tweeking my diet to be healthier and add more walking and other activities little by little. I hope to see some loss this year.

Michele, San Francisco, CA
Don't let anyone tell you that losing weight is "easy"... It's a long-term commitment to change and to breaking old habits that die hard, one day at a time. I started my fitness and eating well journey exactly a year ago when my weight was getting dangerously close to the 200 lbs. mark! The change was slow coming, but the excercice and eating habits I have acquired are there for the long run. I lost 25 lbs. this year without starvation or crash diets - just sensible, balanced eating and exercising 4 times/week.

Pierrette, Ottawa, Ca
I weighed 222 on Sept. 12, 2007. I've lost 25 pounds on the south beach diet, it's satisfying and i don't get hungry. I need to lose 40 pounds now and I will, I have to. So good luck all of you girls and guys, keep it up, and LOSE THAT EXTRA WEIGHT, I AM, THANK YOU.

M. Curry, Jacksonville, AR
I am just about to finish my last chemo treatment. I have gained close to 40lbs since I have been diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. After this treatment, I want to start to diet. Please what is a good healthy diet to lose weight. Thank you.

Donna, Massapequa, NY
I see that several people are having difficulty losing weight, or they have immune system disorders. There is lots of literature out there pointing to the possibility of food sensitivities and/or an overgrowth of yeast in the gut that can lead to immune complex diseases (because it can cause an inflammation in your body), and the inability to lose weight. There is an excellent website for those with chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia by Dr. Jacob Tietelbaum called endfatigue.com. Please also do a search about what processed foods and sugar, including artificial sweeteners does to our bodies. It causes weight gain, carbohydrate cravings, and is linked to the obesity and chronic diseases in this country. It is not your fault that you are overweight. Big business, including the food industry has played a role in this.

Donna Zaken, NP, Warwick, NY
What I found that was helpful is to start small and to cut the portions for every meal. You really don't notice much after a few days. Starting walking for 30 minutes a day. I did that for a little over two months and dropped 11 pounds. I've been lazy and haven't been walking lately but still kept the meal portions smaller and maintaining the weight. My goal is to drop another 10 pounds in the next month and a half to fit into some of my nice old clothe. You don't have to make huge changes to start a diet. Start small so that you'll be able to stick to it.

Irene, Chicago, IL
I have lost about 80 lbs, praise God, but after my parents died and while caring for them I got off my schedule- now I've gained weight about 20 lbs this year when caring for my parents. I am grateful for Eating Well magazine, and hope to get back on track. I have to take a hard look at myself and realize I am eating due to emotions. I don't want to any more, I want to be free. I know through my Lord, I can walk in the freedom He has already won for me. Thank you for this magazine, it will really be an asset to me.

Sharon Empson, Lake Elsinore, CA
Eat healthily the whole week, watching what junk you put into you and trying to avoid unhealthy snacks and too much food. Then take one day out your week and eat whatever you want, that way, you're losing weight, still enjoying how you look while being able to eat what you want and letting people know that you feel great and aren't afraid to eat. Just don't forget exercise! This is the eating plan i go by and i feel the best i have in years. I'm happy with how i look and no longer feel that i'm on an ever lasting diet, just a lifestyle that i enjoy a lot.

Rachel, Cape Town, SA
I'm 21 years old. 5'6 and always had problems with my weight. I'm getting back into going to the gym, and want to lose about 60lbs which would bring me down to 155. I'm at my peak point, and I don't want to get any heavier. Help Me.

Samantha, Lancaster, PA
HI, I'm a physically-challenged 52 yr. old who has lost 65 lbs. and reshaped my body. I love to exercise in the water. I now teach water aerobics and Yoga Afloat (yes, yoga in the water). Water exercise offers 12 times more resistance w/no impact on joints. Do yourself a favor--jump in your local pool!

Debbie, Marshall, MN
It's mostly about sugar. Sugar is in everything, even salad dressing and yogurt. I cut out sugar and transfats and lost weight and have kept it off. I eat sugar-free sweets only occasionally and 1 small real sweet once per day.

Mary, Pasadena, TX
I've gained a lot of weight over the past few years and always gained more every time I tried to diet. I didn't make any progress until I realized that my problem wasn't with food, it was with how I felt about myself. I've been trying to be a better, more loving and aware person and I've started losing weight.

Kris Ottoson, Lafayette, CO
I read about losing 25 lbs and still high blood pressure. High Blood Pressure is a serious symptom. See your Dr and find out why! It could be life-threatening... and you wouldn't know until something bad happens. But if you find out why, it can be easily fixed with no harm done. Congrats for losing the 25 lbs. That is wonderful!

Linda, Ft Payne, AL
I have been dieting off and on my seem like life this year i started another diet jan 2008 i started by cutting back on sugar, bread and anything that was junk food. i started moving more walking up stairs around the blocks taking the kids to the play ground tennis on the back board it worked i started losing i have lost about 50 pounds i eatsmaller portion more veg. and salads when i eat out i take some home for the next day lunch it is easyer now i am not hungry and sometimes i will skip a meal when i want chocolate ieat sugar free i love it now but when i order pizzia i go crazy can"t stop eating it so now i only buy pizzia by the slice i can stick to this plan for the rest of my life i feel good about myself look better and i have god in my life by the way i weight is 247.

Emily, Muskegon, MI
I have lost 33 pounds in 2 months with a Doctor from China, Dr. Eli Jang, who practices in Queens, NY. I did it with a diet, massages, acupuncture, etc. All done in a natural way, which is the only way diets work. "Western/US diets" are very difficult to follow if you are obese. However, if you are overweight then ANY diet combined with exercise will work. When I feel more at ease (lose another 20 pounds) I will start an exercise program such as swimming.

Mike Jones, Flushing, NY
I have to say I did lose 11 pounds in 11 days. I used a diet that allowed me to actually eat (no sugar, bread or chocolate), not exercise and then I was allowed to eat "cheat" (bread, sugar & chocolate) for 3 days afterwards. It was called weight loss 4 idiots that I got off ebay. The cheating helped me because I hate dieting. Good Luck!!!

Carrie, Rock Hill, SC
Hi there, There is no magic bullet or quick fix when it comes to healthy eating and weight loss. I think it's important to both look at primary and secondary food when trying to make a change with your diet & lifestyle. I did a nutritional cleanse in Feb 2007 and went from a size 14 to a size 8, gained lean muscle and improved blood work #s. I've been able to keep the weight off by cycling my calories (which includes 1 low calorie protein shake) and cleansing 1-2 days a month. I also believe in the 90/10 rule (some wks it's 80/20 :-) - eat healthy 90%/80% of the time and allow yourself that one cheat day a wk/sometimes 2 :-) Melissa Halat CHHC, AADP www.rightfitnutrition.com

Melissa, Poughkeepsie, NY
I am a 51 yr old RN and I had a heartattack in 07 and was airlifted to a major medical center for stent placements x4. I had lost 60 pounds but my exercise tolerance was 0. I now diet and exercise. I feel so much better now. Exercise is not only the key to looking better and losing weight.....It will save your life!

Bev Jent, Morehead, KY


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