Things haven’t changed that much - the word “diet” sells, and people are quick to jump on the latest diet craze. Some make more sense than others, and all of them will work in the short term to produce weight loss, as long as the calories are low enough, that is the plain truth. Many of the popular diets don’t provide healthy eating guidelines since the goal of many weight loss diets are short term and don’t focus on developing lifelong habits, but there are some eating styles that fit very well into a healthy, well balanced approach to eating and to weight control.

First of all, diets that are very high in protein or fat and very low in carbohydrate do not meet long term healthy eating guidelines at all. Diets such as the Atkins Diet and Sugar Busters fit into this category. Diets that are very high in animal protein or fat, or those that exclude or severely limit entire groups of foods are not practical and may even be harmful. These kinds of diets are popular because they are extreme and are much different from the way most people typically eat, so this can trick you into thinking that eliminating certain foods is the cure for obesity. But as we have learned from research in diet and nutrition, the diet that helps people maintain a healthy body weight is one that is low in fat and high in carbohydrate, and contains high quality, nutrient dense foods like vegetables and fruits, and whole grains. “High” in carbohydrate doesn’t mean that you eat a lot of carbohydrates; it means that you eat the amount of food that is right for your body size, and that about 50% of that right amount of food would be in the form of carbohydrates. With that in mind, let’s look at a few different eating styles and see how these fit into a healthy eating plan.

15 Daily Fat-Fighting Tips:

1. De-automate your housework and make your body work harder. Wash dishes, mix batters and open cans by hand, and hang your wash on the line instead of using a dryer.

2. Use whipped or softened butter or margarine. You’ll spread the flavor around using a lot less than if it were hard and you had to scrape it on.

3. Learn that it’s okay to say an assertive “No, thank you” when other people offer you food.

4. Hold a conference and explain your weight-loss wish to family, friends or doughnut-bearing co-workers. Ask them to understand if you turn down their dinners or candy.

5. Go out dancing, miniature golfing, bowling - anything active - if you normally sit around and play bridge or watch television. The most calories you can burn in an hour playing cards is 95, but waltzing can whisk away 195 to 305 for every hour on the floor, and an hour of square dancing can stomp away 330 to 510 calories.

6. Drink no-calorie sparkling waters when you’re out, instead of alcoholic beverages.

7. Set a realistic goal for yourself. “Take it one day at a time and don’t punish yourself for slipping,” says Suzann Johnson, a registered nutritionist with Weight Watchers International. “You’ll be more successful if you remember to be your own best friend.”

8. Exercise during television commercials. Those 3-minute spurts will keep you out of the kitchen.

9. Use good plate psychology. Don’t use place settings with intense colors such as violet, lime green, bright yellow or bright blue; they’re thought to stimulate the appetite. The same goes for primitive-looking pewter and wooden plates. Instead, appease your appetite with elegant place settings in darker colors. Choose plates with broad decorative borders and a slightly “bowled” design. You can fit less food in them.

10. Eat only at scheduled times in scheduled places and leave the table as soon as you’re finished eating, instead of lingering over the last bites.

11. Ask for smaller portions and don’t eat everything on your plate (unless you’re having steamed vegetables and fish, or an equally good-for-you meal).

12. Remove food stashed in inappropriate places - get the candy bars out of your desk drawer and remove the nut bowl from the coffee table.

13. Chew each bite of food at least ten times to really taste it and to make yourself eat more slowly.

14. Don’t skip meals. You’ll only overeat later.

15. Invite your spouse or house mate into the kitchen with you when you’re preparing meals and cleaning up to keep you from sampling as you go.

A well planned weight loss diet gives you the flexibility to adapt to any food situation and serves as a very good basis for eating foods from any culture. With the right diet plan, the same rules to eating well can be applied to any eating style, you just need to make the appropriate modifications. An obvious example is that when ordering food in a Chinese restaurant, sweet and sour pork, deep fried wonton appetizers, and fried noodles are certainly Asian fare, but do not meet healthy diet guidelines because of the high fat content. A steamed vegetable dish, with steamed rice rather than fried noodles, wonton soup, or a stir-fry dish that doesn’t contain deep fried meat or fish are much better choices. Enjoy the wonderful variety of great tasting foods from other countries. You don’t have to eat a boring diet in order to lose fat and maintain a healthy eating style!

When it comes to weight control, it’s not just about limiting calories. Learning how to eat the right amount of foods is critical, but learning how to make the best eating choices in any situation is what will make your diet really “doable” so that you don’t go nuts counting calories, fat, or any other nutrient. Simple guidelines can help you balance your food choices so that you get good nutrition and good weight loss at the same time.