Good place to start is to cut out all processed foods.

Focus on organic fresh food.

Cut out refined sugar (that's a tough one these days, it's in everything)

Cut down on oils and fats.  Steam instead of fry.  

Make sure to eat lots of natural fibre (many vegetables, oatmeal, etc.) as this does lots of good to your digestion including filling it up.
Cut out desserts.

More vegetables.

Heck there's whole books on the subject ... or just search on the web ... Weight Loss is one of the 5 biggest markets in the World, so it would be impossible even to inventory all the sources of information let alone review it all.  

Ultimately it's not about how.  It's do you have the commitment and can you handle your impulsiveness? Or do your habits control you instead?

There's tons of advice and self-help books out there but here's one little trick that I learned awhlie ago and I can't ever remember reading it or hearing about it from anybody else.

You know how most people finish off a meal with fresh fruit? Well, instead of eating the fruit at the end of the meal - eat the fruit before the meal. I can guarantee you'll eat a lot less.

But bro, you're 6' with a 34" waist - no way can you be fat. Sounds like you just need some exercise to tone up those muscles - hit the gym and start lifting some weights.

it's better for your digestion too, since most foods require stomach acid to digest, whereas fruit are already acid and can simply ferment if you eat them after a meal.

Eat them before, you digest them more quickly, and the sugar shot makes you less hungry for the main course.

Once a nerd always a nerd

also I must stress EXERCISE, EXERCISE, and EXERCISE. cause without it, your body's metabolism will still be lower than someone with more muscle cause muscle burns fat faster.

uh....
so what would be the recommended exercise / food ?

since u seem like the expert --- :O mind to share ?

well, my routine and diet is very simple. Might sound boring and unappetizing but it works for me: I wake up and have a bowl of rice with low fat meat, ie chicken fish with lots of vegetables. I love vegetables, and need vegetables in every meal otherwise I feel constipated. I then wait about 2 to 3 hours, then I go for a nice little run about 5 miles everyday. come back and get some fruits. Now mind you I dont run afterbreakfast all the time, sometimes its after work obut I try to make the 5 mile run daily, if not 5 times per week. Also I go to the gym and lift weights for 2 hours M W and Fri. If you want to knwo my exercise routine, I will be glad to share it. Otehr than that, I avoid hamburgers, pizza, anytihng with lots of grease. I dont eat potato chips or drink any type of sodas such as coke, pepsi etc. I do it occasionally but try not to do it often. If im on vacation that's a different matter. Right now I feel I can eat pretty much anything without gaining weight because my body is a fat burning machine now after decades of training and eating right. I can afford to crave fattty foods once in a while if i so desire. That's my secret.

Thanks for sharing VG, i m sure alot of people will find this useful!

btw... rice as breakfast - aint that too mcuh though?

been eating rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and every chance I get in between for the past god knows how  long and I'm fit as a fiddle. Rice is the only thing that makes me feel full and satisfied.

okay VG so I am the "before" version, and you are the "after" version .... after the new, fabulous diet and excercise makeover.

Some of these posts make me think I am at the hairdresser looking through the women's magazines ... you know all the articles on dieting, etc.  

[ Last edited by  Froddo at 28-1-2010 19:54 ]

Ok, my turn, I am only 168CM and weigh 75KGS. I know I know, I am overweight. What's new?

Sometimes, it is very difficult to resist the sunptous food, especially if you live in HKG. I blame the excellent food here!

... once again ... exercise is DEFINITELY useful since it does mean you burn energy faster ... but it is not NECESSARY.  

Even someone who's allergic to breaking a sweat (other than in bed) can lose weight simply by eating less.  

But putting the two together is synergistic - reduced intake plus a short regular exercise is the most effective way to burn off the surplus.

There has been a lot of press lately describing how important exercise is for keeping the brain healthy and the mind alert. There was also an article pointing out that for each additional our spent watching TV every day - in other words sitting and inactive - the risk of heart attack and Alzheimer's rises a certain percentage (I think it was 10 plus percent for each additional hour spent on your ass.)

Me 5'11" and 32" waist.
on the slimmer side, but not a chopstick!
I play sports and workout.

6 foot 2 - 34 inch waist and a tool to match!

7.5
54
in the course of my life, I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.
Winston Churchill

I'm 5'9 about 185lbs.  Trying to lose some weight..  mostly in the belly area..  haha

It's not necessary.....I have never come across a doctor or a health professional that says exercise is not necessary to lose weight, be fit and feel healthier.  Yeah, you can lose weight without exercise by starving yourself, but the weight is gonna come back. Trust me. The only way to keep weight off is to exercvise and get your muscles to burn more calories than you are taking in. Just be lessening your calories is only the solution for the short term my friend. If you want to continuously be fit, healthy and slim you need to exercise. It's not my opinion, it's Gods will.

yeah, I am a health nut. I can also give advice on cooking, skincare and home decorations. Maybe I should be a life consultant...."how to make life more enjoyable and rewarding with VG" Yeah, I like the sound of that

yeah, me too. Trying to lose some weight, mostly in teh lower area.

man, someone my size and build.  Me...168 also, 82 currently...I'll be happy if I can get down to 73 by the start of the summer.  The doctor (my bro-in-law) says I need to get below 68, which ain't happening.