One of the most challenging ways to improve ourselves is weight control. There are many diets in fashion, but I have my own ideas on this subject. I am not an expert on this, but in my years as a retail pharmacist, I have formed my own opinions.

There are many different types of people with various types of weight problems, and lots of “solutions,” but in my opinion portion control is the way to lose weight. This isn’t easy but cutting down on portions can be achieved with less effort than you think. One winter I lost 10 pounds just by eating a simple dessert because it eliminated the second helping of food.

One of the newest weight loss ideas is to skip some meals if you don’t feel hungry. For instance, if you eat a big breakfast and aren’t particularly hungry at lunchtime, just skip it. Have a snack in the afternoon if you feel hungry, and that may make you less hungry at dinnertime. Try to have a snack that isn’t high in sugar or fat. Some good examples are: celery with a little peanut butter (get the one with no salt), cherry tomatoes, trail mix, hard-boiled egg, popcorn, yogurt with fresh berries, whole wheat crackers and low-fat cheese, lettuce wraps (leaf lettuce with chicken or tofu and avocado), and sliced apples.

Of course, one big key to weight loss is to learn not to eat a lot of high calorie foods, such as sweets, pie crust (eat the insides) and cheesecake as examples. When you shop for groceries, try to pick out foods especially dairy foods, that are low fat. Stay away from a lot of beef and other high fat protein. I’m not saying to never eat those foods but try to have them only occasionally. Sugar (and other carbohydrates) and high fat products are not your friends. Try to have them less and less, and you may at some point not even like them anymore.

The Mediterranean Diet is a good guide on learning how to eat healthfully. For information on this subject see my blog Healthy Eating at Its Best . We’re finding out more and more that eating healthfully at any age is very important to your health. Smaller plates and eating slowly help as well.

The following are some ideas for weight control and are based on good evidence:

Drink water, especially before meals. Sipping small amounts all day long is good for you in many ways, including helping prevent kidney stones. Green tea and coffee count as healthy liquids. Dehydration prevention is very important for your overall health.

Eggs are good for you, so supplement your breakfast with this healthy food. Don’t overdo it, but 2 to 3 times a week is okay. I still eat just the whites as the yolks have quite a bit of saturated fat, and I’m back in the day when it was believed eating eggs too often was not good for you. If you buy products with smaller amounts of saturated fats, the amount of fat and sodium will most of the time also be less. The government requires food to be labeled with the percentage of these and keeping it much of the time under ten percent per serving, with occasional amounts under twenty percent helps greatly.

There are a couple of caveats below:

1) Beware of Products Promising Miracle Weight Loss (from the Food and Drug Administration)

2) Realize that to lose weight you need to eat less. If you have to lose a lot of weight, see your physician and he/she can help you find the right people to get the job done. There is no diet plan that can do it—none have really worked. You need to learn to eat a new way, which is free for the asking: (The Mediterranean Diet). Eat almost everything you want but limit the amount. Watch the alcohol—empty calories. If you do have a drink, the latest recommendation is no more than 2 daily for men under 60, one drink daily for all women and one drink daily for men over 60. Have a nourishing meal instead of a drink for optimal weight loss. Keep exercising to tone and help in your weight loss.

How much to lose? Five to ten percent of your starting weight is both realistic and valuable. If you “fall off” at first, just realize that tomorrow is another day, and soon you will adapt to your healthy way of eating. Good Luck.