Diet trends may come and go, but one thing is certain-calories count! Recent research confirms that if you want to lose weight, which foods you eat is less important than how many calories you consume -- if you track calories, you'll drop pounds. Revised and updated, The Calorie Counter, 5th Edition, is the most complete and easy-to-use calorie counter in the marketplace:- Calorie counts for over 20,000 foods, including more than 800 take-out items and dishes from over 100 national and regional restaurant chains- Easy tips for understanding calories and portion sizes that put you in charge of your eating habits- Simple tricks for burning more calories in your daily life- Advice for keeping liquid calories and dieting myths from sabotaging your success- An all-new look at why men are more successful at losing weight The Calorie Counter, 5th Edition, is a weight-loss guide that will never let you down!

INTRODUCTIONIf losing weight were easy, no one would weigh too much.

If you're looking at this book, you are probably trying to lose weight. You aren't alone; losing weight has become one of the most important health concerns in America.

Everyone is scrambling to solve the problem of America's expanding waistlines. The federal government, public health and professional organizations, educators, pharmaceutical companies, food manufacturers, and even restaurant chains all want to slow down the nation's weight gain epidemic. But new policies, programs, food formulations, and drug approvals occur slowly. Like most people we talk to every day, you are not willing to wait. You want to lose weight now!

So let's get started...

Weight gain results from a combination of your genes and your environment. Food is everywhere we turn, all through the day. And most of us live lifestyles that require little physical activity, unless we make an effort to move.

There isn't much you can do about your genetic profile, which was fixed before you were born. But you can control your environment, especially your eating environment. And that's what we hope The Calorie Counter will help you do.

Two important things you should know:

The most successful diet in the U.S. today is what people call "my own diet." Forget fads. With the sound advice and the calorie information found in this book, you can design your own diet -- one that works.

Consistent small changes will add up to big results. When it comes to losing weight and maintaining your weight loss, making many small changes in the way you relate to food will result in more success than making a few big changes, which usually don't last.

Skeptical?

If you eat 100 fewer calories each day for a year, and change nothing else in your life, you will lose 10 pounds. All you'd have to do is give up 1 slice of bread or 1 cookie or 1 small soda each day. A small change for a big result. Make a few more of those small changes and the end result could be very impressive.

Our best eating advice, in a nutshell:

- Eat less, but enjoy what you eat.- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.- Eat whole grains instead of refined carbs (like white bread).- Eat less sugar (but you don't have to give it up).- Eat more good fats like olive oil, fish, and nuts.- Eat lean proteins -- fish, chicken without the skin, lean beef, pork, and lamb.- Enjoy a glass of wine, but not the whole bottle.- Move more, and move often -- find ways to be active throughout the day.10%Losing 10% of your body weight -- 15 pounds for someone who weighs 150 pounds, 20 pounds for a person weighing 200 pounds, or 30 pounds if the scale says 300 pounds -- is all that is needed to significantly improve your health.Lose 10% of your current body weight and you'll have:Lower blood pressureImproved cholesterol levelsDecreased risk for diabetesBetter sexReaching your ideal weight is great, but even just a 10% drop in body weight improves both your health and appearance.

Copyright © 2010 by Karen J. Nolan and Jo-Ann Heslin