If you have accidentally found Part Four without having read Part One, Two and Three of "The Diet that Really Works," please go back and read those first. As I keep pointing out, most diets are available at a cost, this eating plan is free and really will work, so bookmark this page, practice the simple plan and when it does work for you, send the address to all your friends. In this section I will recap and also there is a pleasant surprise!
Don't Starve! Most diets instruct you to starve yourself, ignore them, they are fools. Starving is counter productive, it may yield some short term results but in the long run it is unhealthy and will lead to putting weight back on. Eat regular and often, ideally six small meals approximately two hours apart.
Exercise. I know it's a bad word for a lot of people, but you will get quicker, better, healthier results if you do even a little bit of exercise once in a while. If you are very unfit or heavy, start small, park further from the store and walk a distance, use the stairs, not the lift. If you can then play a sport, the ideal is to do some gym fitness or weight lifting. Bigger muscles eat more calories and you will look better for it.
Increase protein, fiber, calcium, fruits, veg, nuts and beans in your diet. Decrease sugars, especially refined sugar, bad fats, and dry carbs, especially later in the day. Replace red meat with turkey or fish.
Beware hidden sugars and fats. Read the ingredients label, just because a food says it is healthy or low fat does not mean it doesn't contain high sugars or fats. Really, when did you ever believe what advertisers and marketing people told you?
You don't need to change your diet drastically, immediately or foolishly. The "live on nothing but soup diet" is sure to fail. Gradually find ways to increase the good things and reduce the bad things in your eating habits. Often an alternative brand of something you already eat will be available containing less sugar and fat, more fiber and protein. Find these easy switches and it won't seem so hard to get healthier. Slow progress is far more likely to last than some huge upheaval. Think marathon, not sprint.
Keep your metabolic rate high by sticking to the routine. If you aren't hungry after two hours, that's great you've succeeded in step one - don't starve, but eat something anyway. Keep that fat burning metabolic rate on high all day. Make a small healthy snack or a shake now, to avoid getting suddenly hungry later and possibly eating too much at one sitting or the wrong thing due to sudden blood sugar drop.
Drink tons of water! Sadly most of us exist on the verge of dehydration in the western world. The better hydrated your body is the more efficiently it can work. Good hydration affects every system in your body, so it will increase your overall health and even brain power. At first it can be difficult to drink more, as most people find they need to run and pee too often, but your body adjusts quite quickly, just stick with it and pee as much as you need to, it will settle down to normal again. Other liquids are fine too but beware sodas and fruit drinks with high sugar content. Also be careful not to get carried away, drinking too much can be bad for your health too. Find a nice balance, but for most of us that definitely means drink more.
At last to the pleasant surprise! Once a week you get to cheat! Have a pizza, have a burger, go on, you deserve it, you worked hard all week, you were careful with what you ate. Now cut loose and enjoy a naughty treat. Your cheat meal will rev up your metabolic rate even further, as you body goes into overdrive to process the sudden influx of less healthy food, or greater calories, this effect can last for days. So by cheating once a week you assist your body in burning even more calories, melting off even more fat! And it feels great! Enjoy the indulgence, but remember, get back to healthy eating again after, and of course don't go completely mad, it's a cheat meal, not a cheat feast.
