Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You're Not to Read 3
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book Is Organized 4
Part I: Understanding the Basics of Low-Calorie Dieting 4
Part II: Getting Started: The Four-Week Plan and Beyond 4
Part III: Overcoming Obstacles and Moving On 5
Part IV: Trying Time-Tested Low-Calorie Recipes 5
Part V: The Part of Tens 5
Part VI: Appendixes 5
Icons Used in This Book 6
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Understanding the Basics of Low-Calorie Dieting 7
Chapter 1: Living a Low-Calorie Lifestyle 9
Deciding How Much Weight to Lose 10
Understanding How to Live a Healthy Low-Calorie Lifestyle 12
Getting Started on Your Low-Calorie Plan 13
Psyching up with goals, tools, and more 13
Setting up a low-calorie kitchen 14
Planning marvelous meals 14
Exercising to burn calories and improve your health 15
Staying on the Low-Calorie Track 16
Working through challenges 16
Assessing your progress from time to time 17
Looking for help 18
Chapter 2: Figuring Out the State of Your Weight 19
Ups and Downs: Discovering How People Gain and Lose Weight 20
Understanding the basics: Metabolism 101 20
Identifying calories and why they matter 21
Figuring out why gaining weight is so easy for some people 22
Recognizing why losing weight is so hard for some people 23
A Trip through Time: Taking Stock of How You Arrived Here 23
Reviewing your weight history 24
Examining your family history 25
A New Beginning: Altering Your Diet Plan 26
For beginners only 27
For pros 29
Tools of the Trade: Figuring Out How Overweight You Are 30
Interpreting a healthy weight range chart 31
Computing your BMI 33
Determining your waist-to-hip ratio 34
Chapter 3: Working with Guidelines for Healthy Low-Calorie Living 37
Cutting Calories for Weight-Loss Success 37
Comparing low-calorie diets to other diets 38
Figuring out what a "low-calorie" diet means to you 40
Focusing on Formulas for Low-Calorie Living 41
Determining the number of calories you need 42
Using another formula for weight loss 43
Understanding the Nutritional Nuts and Bolts of a Low-Calorie Diet 45
Getting the nutrients you need 45
Keeping your energy high and your diet interesting 51
Using Proven Strategies for Cutting Calories 52
Controlling portion size 52
Eating "free" foods 53
Watching calories from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats 55
Part II: Getting Started: The Four-Week Plan and Beyond 59
Chapter 4: Kick-Starting Your Low-Calorie Plan 61
Examining Your Current Diet Habits 61
Recognizing problem behaviors 62
Playing diet games 63
Giving Yourself a Lifestyle Makeover 65
Making changes one step at a time 65
Knowing your diet limits 66
Keeping your diet fresh 67
Checking Your Attitude 68
Finding and maintaining your motivation 68
Loosening up 68
Staying positive 69
Using Tracking Tools As You Get Started 70
Establishing your weight goals 70
Setting up your lifestyle goals 71
Keeping a food diary 74
Weighing in on a regular basis 77
Practicing Mindful Low-Calorie Living 80
Eating mindfully 80
Thinking mindfully 81
Chapter 5: Cooking in a Low-Calorie Kitchen 83
Gearing Up for Low-Calorie Meals 83
Following dietary guidelines 84
Deciding which foods to eat 85
Making a list and sticking to it 87
Shopping for Low-Calorie Foods 88
Reading the labels 89
Going aisle by aisle 92
Setting Up a Low-Calorie Kitchen 96
Using the tools of the trade 97
Brushing up on low-calorie cooking techniques 101
Chapter 6: Planning Low-Calorie Menus: The First Four Weeks 109
Preparing Yourself for the First Four Weeks 109
Going by the numbers 110
Following the rules as closely as possible 110
Doing your own thing to keep the plan fresh 111
Taking the Plunge: Week 1 112
Day 1: 1,500 calories 112
Day 2: 1,500 calories 113
Day 3: 1,500 calories 114
Day 4: 1,400 calories 115
Day 5: 1,400 calories 116
Day 6: 1,300 calories 116
Day 7: 1,300 calories 117
Whittling Down Your Calorie Intake: Week 2 118
Day 8: 1,300 calories 118
Day 9: 1,200 calories 119
Day 10: 1,200 calories 119
Day 11: 1,200 calories 120
Day 12: 1,200 calories 121
Day 13: 1,200 calories 121
Day 14: 1,000 calories 122
Making Adjustments: Week 3 123
Day 15: 1,000 calories 123
Day 16: 1,000 calories 124
Day 17: 1,000 calories 124
Day 18: 1,000 calories 125
Day 19: 1,000 calories 126
Day 20: 1,000 calories 126
Day 21: 1,000 calories 127
Watching Your Weight Drop: Week 4 128
Day 22: 1,000 calories 128
Day 23: 1,000 calories 129
Day 24: 1,000 calories 129
Day 25: 1,000 calories 130
Day 26: 1,000 calories 131
Day 27: 1,000 calories 131
Day 28: 1,000 calories 132
Chapter 7: Pulling through Your Plan's First Few Months 133
Reassessing Your Low-Calorie Plan 134
Revisiting your goals 135
Taking stock of your diet 136
Making changes to fit your lifestyle 137
Motivating Yourself, Bit by Bit 137
Reaping rewards for sticking with your plan 138
Finding diversions to avoid overeating 139
Using the buddy system 141
Getting into Fun Menu Plans 141
High-protein day 142
High-fiber day 143
Dairy day 144
Fruit fast day 145
Grazing day 145
Snack day 146
Shake it up day 147
Salad day 149
International food day 149
Dessert day 150
Wine with dinner day 151
Fast-food day 152
Convenience food day 154
Chapter 8: Working Out and Working the Weight Off 155
Recognizing the Advantages of Different Kinds of Exercise 156
Distinguishing between aerobic and anaerobic exercise 157
Exploring the physical benefits of exercise 157
Examining the psychological benefits of exercise 158
Fitting Exercise into Your Life 159
Easing into an exercise routine 160
Organizing your workout schedule 160
Increasing activity in your everyday routine 162
Putting Together a Safe and Effective Exercise Plan 163
Warming up, cooling down, and other workout essentials 163
Burning more calories with aerobics 164
Building your strength 167
Exercising Additional Workout Options 169
Stretching out 169
Walking tall 170
Finding alternative ways to burn calories 171
Exercising for Body and Mind 173
Knowing How Much Exercise Is Too Much 174
Identifying the warning signs of too much exercise 174
Overexercising to the extreme 175
Part III: Overcoming Obstacles and Moving On 177
Chapter 9: Making Your Way through Trials and Tribulations 179
Recognizing and Solving Predictable Problems for Emotional Eaters 180
Busting boredom 181
Dealing with everyday frustrations 181
Feeding your sorrow 183
Meeting Typical Long-Term Challenges and Temptations 183
Figuring out whether you're truly hungry 183
Satisfying cravings 185
Avoiding binges 186
Maintaining your interest and motivation 187
Breaking through plateaus 187
Eating Away from Home with Ease 188
Dining out at restaurants 189
Enjoying parties 190
Celebrating holidays 191
Traveling light 191
Chapter 10: Staying Fit and Stopping Regain in Its Tracks 193
Adding Calories and Keeping Up with Your Workouts 194
Using a formula for the future 194
Planning menus for weight maintenance 195
Revisiting your exercise routine 199
Managing Your Weight for the Long Term 200
Reviewing what's worked for you 200
Pushing ahead with new ideas 201
Coming to terms with your genes 202
Checking your maintenance plan periodically 202
Recognizing Your Body's Changing Calorie and Nutritional Needs 203
Staying lean and healthy at any age 203
Working through normal stages of life 205
Chapter 11: Helping Yourself with Outside Resources 207
Asking Other Folks for Help 208
Talking to friends and family 208
Reaching out to find diet buddies and role models 210
Sorting through Commercial Weight-Loss Plans 210
Figuring out whether a commercial program can help you 211
Asking the right questions 212
Picking a suitable plan 213
Getting the Scoop on Medically Supervised Programs 214
Going lower than low 214
Exploring your options 215
Seeking Out Support Groups 216
Overeaters Anonymous (OA) 217
Taking Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) 217
Other groups 217
Considering Counseling 218
Selecting the best type of counseling for your needs 219
Finding a therapist 220
Deciding to face your fears 221
Part IV: Trying Time-Tested Low-Calorie Recipes 223
Chapter 12: Benefiting from Breakfast 225
Getting Off to a Good Start 225
Recognizing great reasons to eat breakfast 226
Keeping your morning meals interesting 228
Eating on the run 228
Drinking Up in the Morning 229
Beginning Your Day with Berries 232
Bulking Up Your Fiber Intake with Grains 235
Making Eggs-cellent Breakfasts 242
Chapter 13: Preparing Tasty Lunches 249
Putting Together Midday Meals 250
Packing a low-cal lunch 250
Using low-cal leftovers 250
Mixing Salads 251
Making salads with meat and poultry 251
Diving into seafood salads 256
Tossing together grain and fruit salads 257
Serving Up Sandwiches 261
Savoring Soups 265
Chapter 14: Sitting Down to Delicious Dinners 269
Keeping Supper Simple and Enjoyable 269
Planning ahead 270
Portioning out 270
Feeding the rest of the family 271
Preparing Pleasing Poultry Dishes 271
Fixing quick chicken dinners 271
Putting a new twist on turkey 277
Making the Most of Meat 279
Beefing up your meals 279
Picking pork and ham 282
Fishing for Seafood Dinners 284
Trying a Variety of Vegetarian Dishes 288
Chapter 15: Fitting In Snacks and Desserts 293
Being Smart about Munching between Meals 294
Adding variety to snacks and desserts 294
Grazing throughout the day 295
Sampling 100-Calorie Snacks 296
Treating yourself to sweet snacks 296
Savoring salty snacks 297
50 snacks worth 50 calories 301
Dishing Up 100-Calorie Desserts 302
Making the most of fruit 302
Satisfying your sweet tooth with chocolate 306
Part V: The Part of Tens 311
Chapter 16: Ten Benefits of Following a Low-Calorie Diet 313
Looking Good, Feeling Great 313
Boosting Your Energy 314
Sleeping Better 314
Saving Your Back 315
Lowering Your Blood Pressure 315
Maintaining a Healthy Heart 316
Preventing Diabetes 316
Fighting Cancer 317
Simplifying Pregnancy 318
Living Longer 318
Chapter 17: Ten Low-Calorie Success Stories 319
Finally Fitting into My Genes 319
Eating Small Portions All the Time 320
Consuming Fewer Calories and Adding More Workouts 321
Knowing What Works and Making Time for It 322
Making Four the Magic Number 322
Eating Smart While Eating Out and Cruising to a Lower Weight 323
Having a Baby, Losing the Weight 324
Counting Calories as the Years Go By 324
Buddying Up to Lose Weight 325
Staying Strong with "Want Power" 326
Part VI: Appendixes 327
Appendix A: Calorie Counts of Select Foods 329
Appendix B: Calorie Counts by Food Groups 339
Vegetables 339
Fruits 340
Proteins 342
Grains and Starchy Vegetables 342
Dairy Products 343
Fats and High-Fat Foods 344
Appendix C: Metric Conversion Guide 345
Index 349
