How to Lose Weight

The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry.  Americans spend their hard-earned money on books, pills, diet "shakes" and low-cal, low-carb and sugar-free substitutes for their favorite food vices.  Rather than take the free common-sense dietary advice provided by the USDA on the MyPyramid.gov site,  people pay health coaches, personal trainers and weight loss gurus to provide a personalized plan and hold them accountable.  And the recession has not appeared to put a dent in the profits of Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and other popular weight loss programs (especially those created or endorsed by celebrities).

I have thought about capitalizing on the obesity epidemic & people's widespread desperation to attain a certain number myself by writing a book on healthy living and weight loss.  But so much has been written on the subject that I haven't been able to conceive a truly unique perspective that would not overlap with any of the thousands of opinions out there.  So rather than reinvent the wheel, here is a sampling of the words of wisdom and advice (most of which I have stumbled across for free) that resonate with me:

1. Mark Bittman, NYTimes food writer and cookbook author: "Eat vegan until six." (from Food Matters)

2. Suzanne Somers, actress and diet guru: "Fat is your friend and sugar is the greatest enemy." (from Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat After Forty

3. Dr. Oz, doctor, TV celebrity and author : "The only white things you should have in you fridge are egg whites, cauliflower and fish." (from You: On a Diet)

4. Michael Pollan, influential journalist, journalism professor and author: "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." (from In Defense of Food)

5. Dr. David Kessler, former FDA commissioner and author: "People get fat because they eat more than people who are lean." (from The End of Overeating)

6. Rory Freedman, author of Skinny Bitch: "Beer is for frat boys, not skinny bitches.  It makes you fat, bloaty and farty."

7. Alton Brown, Food Network television host: "Eating is an intensely intimate act, and you get what you pay for.  So, rethink that 74-cent can of chili from China."

8. Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition and public health at NYU and author: "The basic principles of good diets are so simple that I can summarize them in just ten words: eat less, move more, eat lots of fruits and vegetables.  For additional clarification, a five-word modifier helps: go easy on junk foods." (from What to Eat)

9. Yogi Bhajan, natural healer who brought the practice of Kundalini yoga to America: "Eat only in a pleasant, relaxing environment." 

10. Terry Walters, holistic health counselor, food educator and cookbook author: "Chew, Chew, Chew!"  She elaborates: "The more you chew, the more digestive enzymes you secrete, the less stress on your digestive organs, the more nutrients you absorb from your food, the more easily you eliminate." (from Clean Food)

Note that these tidbits of wisdom are helpful for everyone who wants to live a healthy & harmonious life.