Imagine a round dinner plate with a line running vertically down its center dividing it evenly in two. One half of the plate should be taken up by equal portions of whole grains (not refined grains like white bread and white rice) and healthy protein (such as fish, nuts, beans and poultry—not red meat or processed meats). Two-thirds of the other half should be filled with vegetables, with the remaining portion consisting of fruit. Try to inject a lot of variety into this half of your plate (or half of your diet)—eat fruits in a variety of colors and vegetables of all types (but don't count potatoes or French fries as vegetables).

To one side of the plate, picture a glass of water, since that's the best drink for weight loss and for overall health (At some meals you can substitute coffee or tea with little to no sugar). Don't drink more than a serving or two of milk each day.

To the other side of the plate, imagine a vessel containing healthy oils such as canola or olive oil. Use it for cooking or at the table instead of butter .