I too have embarked on a weight-loss plan (although I won’t call it a diet) What I do is go for a half-hour walk immediately after getting up, six days a week. I drink as much water as I can (avoid filtered water, it’s deficient in essential minerals – mineral water is much better). I drink only decaffeinated coffee (regularly caffeinated beverages screw with blood sugar levels, thyroid hormones and adenosine levels).

I avoid foods high in natural or refined sugars (although if you must, it’s better to consume natural sugars). I have reduced, but not totally eliminated carbohydrates from my diet – what I now try to eat are carbs with a low glycemic index. Examples are cooked oat bran, rye bread. Whenever possible I eat high-fibre foods like crispbreads and big salads and vegetables.
I still enjoy the odd steak, but balance things off by eating only a small amount of potatoes with it.

I eat my oat bran with fruit (strawberries and blueberries) and add stevia, a natural sweetener.
Wherever possible, I avoid processed, pre-packaged or refined foods. I try to eat foods as close as possible to their original or natural state. Fast food I avoid entirely. The closest I get to fast food is pizza or Swiss Chalet.

I don’t worry a lot about saturated fat. What many food processors will not tell you is that nobody ever got diabetes from a high saturated fat intake. Look at our primitive ancestors and you’ll find that most had diets that were fairly high in saturated fat (do nuts and seeds ring a bell here?).

Since starting to eat this way and exercise regularly, I’ve lost 17 pounds since June. I hope to lose more in the coming months. So keep it up, you’re on the right track.