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If you’re on a diet, or thinking of dieting to shed those extra unwanted pounds, you have several choices and methods. Unless you have a medical condition which relates to your weight gain, the surest way to lose weight and keep it off is counting calories. Medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid or other endocrinogical disorders require that you consult with your health care provider for safe weight loss.

Counting calories is the way to go when your overweight condition arises from a too healthy appetite or plain overindulgence. The many fad diets and programs which supply you with pre-portioned meals may help you reach your goal, but these diets typically involve complicated menu planning or a hefty price. Counting calories is reliable, easy and much less expensive.

Common sense tells you that when choosing the calorie counting method, you also need to include foods from each of the food groups. A properly balanced diet ensures adequate nutrition.

Barring a medical cause, when you gain weight, the usual culprits are too much food and poor choices. For example, large portions of fatty meats, more than the occasional candy bar, frequent fried indulgences along with the heavy use of sodas are a sure recipe for gaining weight.

If you salt your food heavily, it’s most likely it’s just a habit your palate can be weaned from. Salt causes you to retain water and is unhealthy for your heart. Try a salt substitute, or look up some of the many herbal saltless mixtures.

Before you start your diet, pick up a good nutrition reference guide. Such books give you a complete picture of calories, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and protein content of foods, along with figures on vitamin and mineral content. These guides also tell you what each nutrient does to support your total body health. This information becomes meaningful in the counting calorie context and can serve as inspiration to both weight loss and better health. For example, let’s say you suffer poor night vision. You also dislike orange and yellow vegetables as a rule. When you learn that these vegetables contain high amounts of vitamin A and that night blindness can be remedied with sufficient vitamin A, you may get creative with those carrots, also low in calories.

When counting calories, you’ll find you can trick your appetite by eating meals in separate courses. This encourages more leisurely eating, better digestion and a feeling of fullness with a smaller portion size. You also tend to enjoy your food more.

When it comes to sweets, if they are your nemesis, you can allow yourself a few, so long as your nutritional needs are fulfilled first and you do not exceed your calorie count for the day. Disallowing any sweets is the downfall of many a dieter’s plan, because you feel deprived and discouraged.

Counting calories is the easiest way to lose weight. You just have to be honest when you’re counting!