Food. What do I say about food? I love it. You know the saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is totally true. You may not be going for abs. You may be going for health. You may be going for the feeling of not having your pants cut your gut in half. 

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The bottom line is you must eat healthy foods in proper portions to feel healthy. 

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I'm not going to debate if you should be Vegan, Vegitarian, Paleo or whatever. That is not the goal of this topic. The point is I'm going to slap you so you hear it. 

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Stop the fad diets. Just stop. If you plan on doing Jenny Craig for 8 weeks for that 20 year reunion and then you are going back to eating fast food, and ordering burgers at lunch then you are missing the point. This is a lifestyle change. Embrace it. Find a way to life with it and you will enjoy it. 

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I've seen people hide behind an illness. While a small percentage of people do have a legitimate reason for gaining weight most people will lose and maintain the weight loss when they eat healthy foods in proper portions. 

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Here is the secret:

• Drink water. A lot of it. Drink 8oz as soon as you wake up. Drink 8 oz before you have lunch. Drink 8oz before you have dinner. Drink 8oz before bed. Do not whine about not liking water. Drinking diet coke or coffee doesn't count as your water. Drink actual water. (In general drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces. For example: 200 pound person would drink 100oz of water.) 

• Eat whole foods and limit processed foods. Eating foods in their closest form to how they occur in nature is best. It is healthier to eat a chicken breast baked at home than to buy a frozen dinner. Check the label. You will see. They are loaded with sodium, and 20+ ingredients that you can't pronounce. 

• Watch your portions. if you are going to eat lasagna or enchiladas watch your portion. Many programs like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and 21 Day Fix guide you to eat a certain portion. 

• Move your body. It doesn't matter if you are 20 or 80 find a way to move your body every day. I've seen people confined to a wheel chair still move their bodies. Swim, walk, bike, just do something. Do not be that person with the lame excuses about how you don't have time to workout. I don't love working out. I make time for it because I know how great it makes me feel after it is over. 

• Track what you do. Whether you are posting in a group on facebook, tracking in an app, or writing in a journal. Track it. If you bite it, you write it. Try it for at least 30 days. You can take 10 seconds to write down your food. Or take a picture of it and write it down later. 

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