Finding factual information about losing weight and eating healthy is kinda like consulting your favorite tabloid rag to find out the latest in world events. It all sounds good, but there’s not an actual fact to be found anywhere. Let’s try and change that!

[I'd like to believe in Bat Child as much as I'd like to believe I can eat brownies and ice cream for breakfast and still look good, no great naked!]

Healthy Eating Fact #1: You’re Eating WAY More Than Your Body Needs!

Say what? Well I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but one of the biggest obstacles to weight loss is not cutting the amount of calories you consume. Don’t worry though, it’s not all your fault.

When was the last time you took a look at the nutritional content on the side of a can of soda? A box of pasta?  A pint of ice cream? You’d be shocked to find that that itty bitty little can of soda is actually 2 servings!

By not being fully aware of how many calories are in the foods we eat, we set ourselves up for a disappointing trip to the bathroom scale. Do yourself, and your body a huge favor by taking time to look at the back of food labels before you purchase them. This way you don’t have to ruin every meal by realizing after you’ve cooked, that you’ve just poured your heart and soul into a 1,000 calorie dinner!

Healthy Eating Fact #2: Moderation allows you still enjoy (some) the foods you love.

Moderation. It’s a word that has achieved most-favored status among those perpetually in the world of dieting and fitness, but what does it really mean? I know I used to hear the word “moderation” and think of it as a sugar coated way to say “restrictions”. And boy was I wrong.

Moderation means eating no more than you need (see fact #1) so that you’re still able to eat what you enjoy. Let’s take meat or protein for example. Did you know that nutritionists recommend eating 3 ounce portions of meat? Three ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, which is probably about 3 times smaller than the steak you had for dinner last night!

This doesn’t mean that you have to start measuring and cutting up your favorite cut of beef just to lose a few pounds. Think of moderation like Goldilocks: not too much food, and not too little.

HINT: You’re eating too much if your food is spilling over your plate and you’re eating too little if you can see more plate than food!

Healthy Eating Fact #3: Balance is the key to successful weight loss.

Balance is another one of those buzz words like “moderation” that makes you think that losing weight is all about denying yourself some of the things you enjoy eating. Well let me tell ya, balance is how you get to enjoy those foods.

Unless you’re filthy rich with a nutritionist and chef on your payroll, it’s unlikely that you’ll get every meal ‘just right’ in terms of calories, fat, sugar, and fun. But if you make an effort to achieve a balance in your meals each week, there will be enough room left over to enjoy a reasonably sized brownie or whatever dessert makes you smile.

Do this when you’re unsure if your meal is balanced: take a look at what you’re eating, and if you’re worried that something has more fat, salt, or sugar than you need or want, balance by having something light and not filled with anything too bad like steamed vegetables.

You can’t get everything right all of the time, but find a balance of enough food to satisfy your hunger and energize you throughout the day. This is taking the war on Super Size too far…right?

Healthy Eating Fact #4: Losing weight requires REAL changes to your diet & lifestyle.

When you make the decision to start eating and living healthier, don’t think of it as a diet. Diets are short-term weight loss efforts that almost always fail. Losing weight means changing some of the things that you do that has made you gain weight.

Don’t try to quit all of your favorite foods cold turkey (mmmm turkey) or else you’ll be right back to gorging on them in about a week. Eating for weight loss requires a balance of all necessary nutrients, but staying sane through the weight loss means eating some of the not-so-healthy things that you enjoy once in a while.

Me, I love red wine. The redder the better, so as my weight loss journey began I was perfectly fine with no soda and no sugar just so that I could enjoy a glass at night. It’s a balancing act, trying to eat all the necessary food groups each day without going over a certain amount of calories and fat and getting in a bit of physical activity…all in the name of losing weight.

All you can do is the best you can. And be honest about what is actually your “best”.

Healthy Eating Fact #5: Exercise is more important than you think, and easier!

You all know my position on the combination of a healthy diet and exercise for weight loss. Burn more than you consume. The problem is that many people cut back on the crap and forget to move around a little. While it is true that some people have a difficult time losing weight while exercising, most people will see a noticeable difference by cutting calories and adding more physical activity in their lives.

If you don’t have time to hit the gym, take a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood to burn a few calories. Start out slowly, doing resistance training with weights. Strength training helps keep your metabolism going so that you’re burning more on a regular basis.

Healthy Eating Fact #6: Be Honest with Yourself.

Many people in the dieting world will tell you, “don’t label foods and good or bad, they are just foods.” Well I completely disagree with that sentiment. Just because a food tastes oh-so-delicious, doesn’t mean it has any good qualities. Some of our so-called favorite foods are so packed with just chemicals, calories, and sugar that they cannot be called anything but “bad” while keeping a straight face.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy these foods once in awhile, it just means that you have be realistic about how bad they are if you truly want to lose weight. There’s nothing wrong with saying, “I know this is bad for me but I really want it,” as long as you aren’t having that conversation with yourself every day.

Losing weight means acknowledging the empty calories above, and cutting down on how many of them we eat!

When you indulge in those must-have foods, just own up to the fact that it isn’t helping your diet. If you’re honest about it, you’re less likely to feel bad and start super-dieting to compensate. We all make weight loss mistakes and we will most certainly continue to make them, but as long as we’re also healthy and eating to lose weight…who cares?

Need more facts about healthy eating for weight loss? Sneak a peek at our review of Isabel De Los Rios’ The Diet Solution Program. This program may be helpful if you need a more regimented weight loss plan.