Make sure that no more than a quarter of your calories come from fat.

Cook your own meals at home and avoid eating at restaurants as much as possible.

Eat six to eleven servings of complex carbohydrates (fruits and whole grain breads, pasta and cereals), but avoid white flour when possible.

Don't go too crazy on the protein. Too much doesn't add muscle, contrary to popular belief. It just turns to fat.

Boycott mayonnaise and butter (or margarine). Get them out of your refrigerator. Learn to live without them.

Make your own smoothies. Those made commercially usually contain fattening syrups, but your homemade smoothies (without the gunk) are very healthy.

Use all the garlic, oregano, etc. that you want. Eating healthy doesn't mean you can't pack your food with flavor.

Pack a sandwich made with whole-grain bread for lunch. Breads with high fiber make you feel fuller than white bread.

Get at least 25 grams of fiber everyday. Not only does it ward off disease, but it actually blocks the absorption of calories.

Don't be fooled by "fat free" labels. Many of these foods contain a lot of sugar, which eventually turns into fat anyway.

If you need whipped cream, whip up chilled evaporated skim milk - your creation will contain only half a gram of fat per cup.

Use extra water in hot cereals to eliminate the use of whole milk and butter.

Use seasoned rice vinegar on salads and veggies. It tastes similar to oil and vinegar, but it is fat-free and has very few calories.

Cook rice in a mixture of half water, half fruit juice to give it subtle flavor without butter and salt.

Use freshly ground nutmeg or another seasoning instead of salt.

Substitute pureed tofu for the butter required in cake and cookie recipes. This will cut out 43 grams of saturated fat.

Although alcohol isn't all that fattening, it is a toxin. When you drink it, your body works to fight it off and can't digest food effectively, so any food in your stomach turns to fat.

Season vegetables with herbs and spices rather than sauces, oil or butter.

Be Well & Stay Fit!

Aimee Deak
Personal Trainer & Nutrition Analyst
AIM 4 NUTRITION
http://www.aim4nutrition.com

Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, "Every Body Loses", an easy-to follow, step-by-step guide to fat loss.

You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her website http://www.aim4nutrition.com