Your Best Tip

by food author Michael Pollan

"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

Probably the first two words are most important. "Eat food" means to eat real food -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, yes, fish and meat -- and to avoid what Pollan calls "edible food-like substances."

Here's how:

Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?" Pollan says.

Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.

Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad.

Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. "There are exceptions -- honey -- but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren't food," Pollan says.

It is not just what you eat but how you eat. "Always leave the table a little hungry," Pollan says. "Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, 'Tie off the sack before it's full.'"

Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It's a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. "Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?" Pollan asks.

Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.

My favorite tip ever - Just because you tripped on the first step doesn't mean you have to throw yourself down the entire flight of stairs.

Love this!

Make exercise a part of your life.

DON'T listen to anyone who says something like:

"Hunger Is Your Friend... run away.... fast!

The biggest tip I've learned, or the biggest eye opening information for me:

Weight loss happens in the kitchen.

I think more people would have an easier time losing weight if they first realize this. To this day I have a hard to impossible time convincing people of this simple fact. Way too many people think you have to do hours and hours of cardio at the gym to lose weight when in fact a simple calorie deficit will do it.

I have many tips, but the biggest one I can think of is to deal with the root cause of why you are heavy in the first place. I went to counseling and dealt with my past, got honest with myself and everyone around me, and my whole life changed. This is not something that will end "If I can just lose 50 lbs".....no. You need to teach yourself that this is for life. If you fail at one meal, or for one week, it's no big deal. Don't get the mindset that "Oh, now I have to start ALL OVER AGAIN". Just tell yourself you are going to carry on where you left off. You will not have done any damage and whatever weight you might have put on will come off quickly.

Have faith in yourself :flowerforyou:

Eat when your hungry and stop when you start to feel full

Do seek advice but realize everyone is different and YOU are going to have to work out what works best for you.

Get a digital food scale and use it everyday.

These are all great tips - this should be a "read this first" for newbies!