As anyone involved with weight loss will tell you, there are countless weight loss plans and weight loss methods and new weight loss diets coming out all the time. In fact, just last year, even the USDA released an all new nutrition and diet plan for healthy Americans. On April 19, 2005, the United States Department of Agriculture unveiled its new My Pyramid nutrition pyramid. However, the USDA's new guidelines for a healthy diet plan are not so much NEW as they are more in depth, detailed and helpful in getting people to meet their weight loss goals.



First of all, My Pyramid can be personalized. On the main page of their web site (www.mypyramid.gov), you have the option of entering your age, gender and activity level. Simply submit your information and instead of getting those vague, wide-ranging recommendations, you'll get a recommendation suited specifically for you.

While this is a tremendous improvement on the old nutritional pyramid, it's not the only improvement. The nutrition calculator factors in your age, gender and activity level to come up with a recommended caloric intake. From there, it breaks down the calories by food group, and explains exactly how much of each group you should eat per day for a healthy diet. It is much easier and much more accurate to figure out what 2 cups of milk is than it is to figure out how much 3-5 servings of dairy is.

Fortunately, the new My Pyramid doesn't stop there. Beneath the pyramid chart with the specific serving sizes on it, you'll find, divided by food group, a list of links to tips for making the healthiest choices from each food group.

There are not only great diet tips and weight loss tips, but there are also tips showing ways to serve foods in appetizing and nutritious ways.

But wait, there's still more?Want to know how your current weight loss diet stacks up against the dietary guidelines of the USDA and get specific, personalized recommendations for improving your current weight loss diet?

Well, at the bottom of the list of helpful links in the menu you'll find the My Pyramid Tracker. The My Pyramid Tracker is one of the handiest tools that I've ever seen or used when it comes to comparing and improving your weight loss diet. Simply, enter the foods that you eat in a typical day, click ?analyze?, and you'll get a detailed analysis that includes the calories, the amount of nutrients, the difference between your weight loss diet and an optimum weight loss diet, as well as specific recommendations for changes you should make to eat a healthier diet and facilitate your weight loss goals. Not only that, you can actually save your history day by day to keep track of your eating habits and watch the improvements that your weight loss plan has provided.

The My Pyramid Tracker is the diet diary with a difference. Use My Pyramid Tracker and you'll quickly see yourself eating better every day which will, in turn, naturally lead to long term weight loss