You love ice cream, especially on a hot summer day.  Doesn’t that sound good right about now?  Go ahead, have some.  Really, you can have ice cream on a diet.  The only thing you have to do is not eat the whole container in one sitting.  Kind of hard, isn’t it?  Sometimes it is really hard to stop.  When you get that ice cream out, don’t bring the whole thing with you, get a bowl, a spoon, and put some of the ice cream into a bowl.  Not a giant bowl either.  Yes, I know what you are thinking, I’ve been there myself.  Get a small bowl, put a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream in there, then put the ice cream container away.  That’s the hard part, putting it away and not going back.

What I am talking about here is moderation.  We can eat anything we want while dieting.  The problem most of us have is how much of it we eat.  How often have you eaten a whole pizza by yourself?  Bag of chips?  Box of cookies?  The whole of anything?  I’ve done it, and it is really hard to stop.

One way that works, but is a little pricey, is get prepackaged foods.  Single serving sizes.  Have you looked at those?  They don’t seem like a lot compared to what you normally eat, but really that is all you are supposed to be eating.  It gets expensive to buy these, and the amount of packaging they use for these is tremendous, but if that is how it will work best for you, do it!

Here is my diet for idiots way way that is cheaper, but takes more time, and can actually even be harder in some ways is package it yourself.  Buy in bulk, or normal sizes, but when you get home, open it up and read the serving size.  After you have figured out how much is a normal serving, take that much of the food, and put it in a baggy, small container, whatever you have that will keep it separate.  The hard part about doing this is that you are the one measuring the proper proportion, and it certainly doesn’t look right.  Why not add a little bit extra, make it look better?  Not a good idea, you really need to use the accurate measurements to keep your diet on track.  Try to get someone to do it for you if you are really having a tough time.

Grab one of these smaller portions and have your meal or snack.  You will get used to the smaller sizes, and your stomach and body will thank you for it. I hope you enjoyed my mini diet for idiots class.

I’m sure you already have comfortable shoes.  You don’t have to go and get special walking shoes, unless you want to, of course.  Some people like to listen to music or books while they walk, so you might need a CD player, iPod, MP3 player, or something similar.

If you haven’t done any walking for a while, well, other than the normal day to day stuff, start small.  Don’t go too far from home at first, don’t take the long trails at the park just yet, etc.  Go out and walk around the block.  Don’t try to run yet, walk at a comfortable pace.  Find your limitations first.

After you are comfortable, and walking is easier, you can take longer walks around the neighborhood. Go to a park, take the long trail you have been wanting to see.  Make sure you increase your speed while you are increasing distance.  Even better go to a national park and take the scenic route.  Never go farther than you are comfortable with.  Yes, push yourself, but if you can’t get back to your home or car, then you’ve gone too far. You want to be walking to lose weight, not beat yourself silly.

If you don’t enjoy walking, there are some things you can do to take your mind off the fact that you are actually walking.  Different people find different things enjoyable while walking.  Some like to just look at nature, these people should walk in parks, or anywhere outdoors.  Some people enjoy people watching, go to the mall and walk, walk around neighborhoods.  Some people need more stimulation while walking.  Listen to music, make sure it is upbeat so you don’t walk too slow.  Listen to books on tape/CD.  Fiction, non-fiction, self-help books, everything is available in sound now. Start walking with a friend or group of friends.

So the bottom line is, find what works for you.  Start slow, gradually increase your speed and distance over time.  Keep yourself occupied so you don’t even realize you are walking to lose weight. Before you know it you will be dropping pounds and losing inches.

Well, scientists have found that approximately 95% of all women suffer from estrogen dominance. Excessive estrogen in the woman’s body causes disruption and imbalance of the three weight control systems. The three weight control systems that must be balanced in order for a woman to lose weight are hormonal, neurochemical and glandular.

If these three systems are not balanced you will have extreme difficulty achieving maximum weight loss. Once your weight control systems are balanced, you will find it much easier to lose weight and keep the weight off.

To help balance your hormones you should consume eight servings of foods rich in phytonutrients each day. Phytonutrient rich food includes carrots, broccoli, kale, spinach, turnip greens, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, pink grapefruit, oranges, peaches, strawberries and blueberries.

To help balance your neurochemicals add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. You should consume around 1g of omega-3s each day. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include nuts, salmon and tuna. If you have trouble getting enough omega-3 fatty acids from food you can take a omega-3 supplement like fish oil.

Your adrenal and thyroid glands need to be in good shape and well balanced to help you achieve maximum fat loss. Sea salt works well with helping balance your glandular system. Add 1/4 tsp of sea salts a day to your food. Consuming dark leafy greens and bananas also help with the balancing of your glandular system.

To balance your diet you should also consume four servings of breads, cereals and grains. These fiber rich foods also help flush xenoestrogens. Also consume four servings of protein each day. Good sources of protein include poultry and fish.

Now let’s not forget the water! You need to drink at least 32 oz. of water every day. Water helps flush out fat trapping xenoestrogens and helps to repair worn thyroid and adrenal tissue.  Water is a great way to help lose weight, make your skin look healthy, and just make you feel better.

As with all dietary recommendations and changes, please consult your doctor and make sure any changes or recommendations you plan on using are safe and right for you.