Lowering your total calorie intake is an important first step to promote weight loss, but it is also important to pay attention to what you eat. You should read the nutritional facts on your food and eat more plant-based foods (fruits, vegetables and whole grains), limit your sugar intake (i.e., fewer refined carbohydrates) and reduce some types of fat from your diet. You can initiate these changes after consulting with a dietitian who can provide a reputable weight-loss program for you to follow. Crash diets and fasting are not recommended.

These can cause nutrient deficiencies and lead to other health problems, such as vitamin deficiencies. In addition, very low calorie-liquid diets that provide about 800 calories per day, are sometimes prescribed as an intervention for seriously obese people, but in many instances they cause a rebound weight gain when stopped.

We are constantly bombarded with commercials advertising over-the-counter meal replacements. However, unless you incorporate these products into a well-designed plan, they will not be as effective as they seem in the advertisements. Try replacing one or two meals with these products, then eat snacks of vegetables and fruits and a healthy, balanced third meal that is low in fat and calories.