For those who are serious about losing, there are some important things to remember which I don't think have been mentioned here (at least I didn't see them).
First,
metabolism. For any given age group, men generally have a faster metabolism than women. This means it is easier for them to lose.
Second, again
metabolism. If you cut your calorie content too drastically, your metabolism will slow down to 'starvation mode', meaning you simply will not burn what you usually burn, and the same amount of food which would be maintenance for you at any other time will cause you to gain weight.
Third, try
metabolism again! The older you get, the more it slows. It is easier for a young person of either sex to lose weight than an older person.
Fourth,
fat cells. Unless they are surgically removed, they are yours for life. They can be full or empty, but once you have added them to your flesh, they will never disappear, and they will always 'want' to be full.
Next, to correct a misconception Aaron stated and a lot of people have: you don't have to eat a pound to gain a pound. This is because your body will use more water the more weight you carry, so you do not need to eat a pound to gain a pound! The flip side of this is that when you do start dieting, often your initial weight loss is somewhat dramatic, since you will also be dumping water (urinating frequently). This is often the 'trick' used by various diet groups and even pills. That first dramatic loss is not because of them, but they sure like to claim it is!
Safe and healthy weight loss includes the following:
Keep added salts and sugars to a minimum. Salt retains water (but some is necessary for survival -- so if you have been working on a hot day, that Gatorade or handful of pretzels is fine!), and sugar triggers the pancreas to produce insulin, which promptly stores sugar and a lot else of what you have just eaten as fat in your ever-present fat cells! You DON'T want to trigger your insulin to go on 'high'. That is the major reason why most desserts are so horrid for you. You have just eaten a large, healthy meal and you have that super-sweet dessert which then triggers your pancreas to produce the insuline which stores much more of your dinner as fat than it would have otherwise!
Try to avoid refined carbohydrates. Carbs are important, but make sure they have the fiber in them that also helps a diet: whole wheat bread instead of white or 'wheat', whole grain pasta, oatmeal instead of sugared or refined breakfast cereals, etc. The carbohydrates convert to sugar fairly quickly and too many will also send your pancreas into overtime, which you don't want. So just don't overdo in this area.
Protein takes a long time to digest and will hold your hunger at bay for a long time in comparison to any other food. Lean protein three times a day really helps control the urge to snack.
Eggs are not evil. It's a good protein starter for the morning. Girls, add a little cheese for the calcium.
Speaking of which -- a high calcium diet will also help you lose weight, although I have not seen a real reason why yet! Unflavored yogurt with some cut up fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey is terrific. Add some sliced almonds for crunch. String cheese is a great snack. Add a glass of milk with one meal or before bed and you are set! (If you MUST have chocolate in your milk, at least make it a smaller glass, OK?
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Nuts are good guys. Protein and they also have been shown recently to help stave off diabetes.
Fruits and veggies are always good for you -- but you knew that!
Perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT thing in getting to a healthy weight (whatever that is for you!) is working. Exercise is a drag for most of us. So do your housework double time. Or get out there and hoe that yard and mow the grass. Walk the dog, or your friend. Most friends don't like to be on a leash, though... Play with the kids, sweep the driveway, wash the car, go for a hike, scrub dirty ceilings....you get the idea. Get active as part of a daily routine. There are plenty of things to be done even for an apartment dweller. The activity will not only burn those calories, but it will boost your metabolism as well, so you will burn more. It also strengthens you and that feels great!
Drink when you are thirsty. If plain water is not appealing to you, get carbonated water or add a little lemon or lime to your water at home. On hot days don't wait until you are thirsty. Drink more often.
If you are tired, your body needs sleep, not food...
Don't mix up the two.
The above is a cumulation of many years of being a brittle hypoglycemic due to an angry horse whose hoof landed square in my middle when I was 21. I got what was intended for another horse and lost all of my spleen and half of my pancreas.
Yes, I'm a little overweight now, as is so normal, and would like to lose, which is also so normal, but now that I am outside working in the springtime garden, I can usually count of dropping a pretty decent amount of the cumulative winter fats.
One trick I have learned is to plan my meals and snacks the evening before. That way I don't suddenly stop what I am doing the next day and think "I'm HUNGRY!" and then go in and grab whatever is handy. Handy things are usually not what is best for me! So I'll cut up some fruit for the yogurt the night before or early in the morning. Then I don't have to fight my own rebellion against just eating because I am hungry later instead of eating what I had planned to have that helps balance my day.
I have water bottles ready to go by the kitchen sink, so it's easier to grab one of them than anything else. In other words, I pander to my own laziness by planning ahead!
Tricks I have learned. Dietary advice I have found valuable. Hope some of it helps whoever is interested.
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