In many people's minds "DIET" is a four letter word, if you know what I mean. So, instead of dieting, these folks just decide to eat "healthy." Which I must say I commend. However, if you are trying to lose weight you have to look at both the quality and the quantity of the food you are consuming.

For instance we all know that nuts are good for us, but if you are trying to lose weight you need to keep the portion small since they are high in fat. One handful a day is plenty, and I have read that if you are trying to lose weight, to only eat nuts every other day.

With this in mind, I urge you to measure out your food for a while, to really become acquainted with portion sizes. A serving of Kashi Go Lean is a cup; so pour the cereal into a measuring cup before pouring it into a bowl. Do the same with milk. This way you know that you are eating the recommended serving size and how many calories you are consuming. The same with pasta, and I might add, if you are shooting for both quality and quantity it should really be whole wheat pasta since it has so much beneficial fiber in it.

While you are pondering how you eat, remember to focus on all those fruits and veggies you can add into you diet not what you have to eliminate.