Theoretically, you need to..................

Sorry folks, got held up in some this and that.... Now to get down to- how do you lose weight the easy way- let me first tell you the right way of doing it- prescribed by the professionals. Later I will tell about how I went about it- the easy way- which involves some restriction of food but one that also allows you to eat almost everything you want-- well, all that later.

You've heard it time and again: fad diets don't work for permanent weight loss. But what about those times when you really need to lose some weight fast? It's hard to pass up the promise of crash diets like the Lemonade Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, or Lose 21 Pounds in 21 Days when your mission is to squeeze into a new outfit in time for a reunion, wedding, or other special event.

So what's wrong with dropping 20 pounds fast so you can wow your friends and family with a svelte new shape? This is all described beautifully in Web MD.

The truth is that nothing is wrong with losing weight rapidly -- as long you do it the right way, says Michael Dansinger, MD, the medical doctor for NBC's The Biggest Loser show, which spotlights quick and dramatic weight loss.

"In theory, one could drop as much as 20 pounds in a week following a very ambitious eating and exercise plan, devoting more than seven hours per week to rigorous exercise, and under a physician's care like we do on the television program," he says.

  
  But even if you can't drop everything to go to weight loss "boot camp," you can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise,

In fact, having a goal like looking great at a wedding or reunion can be a great motivator,like it was for me- a wedding in this case- as long as you follow a weight loss plan that you can keep up after the special event.

But you need to plan ahead and allow enough time to make changes to your shape. "Don't wait until one week before the reunion to try and lose 10 pounds

  Losing weight is a simple mathematical formula: You need to burn more calories than you eat.You may lose even more weight initially if you limit salt and starches.Limiting salt results in fluid loss and preventing fluid retention and this can result in losing up to 5lbs fluid loss in the initial stages.

 In short,

•  Eat plenty of low-calorie vegetables to help you feel full.
• Drink plenty of water so you don't confuse hunger with thirst.
• Clear the house of tempting foods.
• Stay busy to prevent eating out of boredom.
• Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table.
• Always eat three meals and one snack daily -- no skipping meals.

Weighing yourself daily and tracking your food intake can also help you keep focused, experts say.

 Patience, patience dear readers,  will make it all much easier as we go on.  But some of you would prefer to go about it the right way-- and for them, this is it.

  So see you soon- hopefully- in my next blog.