Find out what your BMR is - basal metabolic rate. That's how many calories your body would need if you stayed in bed all day. Try not to go over that amount, and try to walk for 30 minutes a day a few times a week (3-5). This is a very healthy way to lose weight that doesn't require you to buy anything.

Eat three meals a day, and carefully chosen snacks two or three times a day. Learn to read nutrition labels. Look for low calorie, low fat, high fiber. Avoid transfats and hydrogenated oils. Eat 5 fruits and 5 vegetables a day plus 6-8 glasses of water. Have a large salad with lunch and dinner. Do not eat fats with sugar. (that means avoid cakes and pastries) Then eat whatever else you want. Stay away from sugar and refined flours (white bread, white rice, etc). Make sure your diet consists of lean protein and veggies.

Eat slowly and chew more. Take time to enjoy your meals. This will help you to finish at the same time as others, and you'll not be tempted by a second helping. Also, chewing more will ensure you get the most out of all the food and it will be digested faster. The more you chew, the more your appetite will be satiated.

Schedule an exercise program almost daily and gradually increase your workout. Reduce one spicy meal in a week and work towards healthy meal consumption. Run or going on a morning walk. If you have a bike ride on it. get active. Play sports.

Don't try to starve yourself because that'll force you to over eat when the hunger gets to you so keep your diet regular but healthy as possible. Do not skip breakfast. If you don't have time to prepare breakfast, buy healthy breakfast bars or those smoothies on the go. It is important to eat breakfast to jump start your metabolism and give you energy for the day. Otherwise you will probably end up falling back on unhealthy foods during the day. Yogurt is also known to boost your metabolism.

If you decide to use medicnal herbs to aid in weight loss be sure to read about the possible side effects for each herb and it is always a good idea to contact your health care provider before starting on any herbal treatment.

Get a small notebook. Put it in your purse. Write down everything you eat and how many calories it had in it. This may require measuring out your cereal or your meat to understand portion size. You must write down everything- even that cookie you took at work, this may seem really time consuming or tedious, but if you dont know what you're eating, how can you change your diet and really really be sure that you have reduced your calories.