Lose Weight

If you have 10 or more pounds to lose, it's probably a sign you've been letting your eating habits get out of control for six months to a year. Of course, it's best to use weight management techniques before you become overweight, to prevent weight gain in the first place.
The federal government issues helpful dietary guidelines, spelling out how much and which food you should eat and how much you should exercise to stay healthy. The guidelines, which are revised every five years (most recently updated in January 2005) are widely used by health care professionals, food makers and educators, and also form the basis of the well-known U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Pyramid (most recently updated in April 2005) used to teach healthy eating habits based on food groups such as grains, vegetables and fats.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend:

Addressing the obesity epidemic in the United States by reducing calorie intake and increasing physical exercise

Be physically active most days of the week

Letting the Food Pyramid (revised April 2005) guide your food choices

Eating a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables daily

Keeping food safe from foodborne illness

Choosing beverages and foods that limit intake of sugars

Choosing and preparing foods with less salt

Drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation

Choosing a diet low in saturated fat, trans fatty acids and cholesterol, and moderate in total fat

Specifically, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommends the following (based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet; to find the amounts that are right for you (exact amounts vary based on your age), visit the Food Pyramid Web site at www.MyPyramid.gov):

Meats and beans (Protein)

Five-and-a-half ounces of protein every day (vary your choices of meats, poultry, fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds)

Fruits, vegetables and milk

At least two cups a day of fruit and two-and-a-half cups a day of vegetables