One of the things I recommend when overweight men come to me and are desperate to lose pounds is the Medifast diet. Why? Because it works better than anything I’ve ever seen.

Medifast has a specific meal plan designed for men. The Medifast 70 Plan is meant for men but can also be used by women who are very active. The Medifast 55 Plan is designed for women and the 70 Plan supplies more protein and slightly more calories (10) per shake. The Medifast 70 Plan will meet the needs of the highly motivated man or very active woman who is keen to lose weight fast. Each shake has only 100 calories, but contains 14 grams of protein and between one fifth and one half of the recommended daily intake of essential vitamins and minerals per serving.

For best results men should stick to the 5 plus 1 plan for the first two weeks of the program. After that you should evaluate your results and determine if staying with the 5 plus 1 is suitable for you, or you can choose to switch to the Complete Plan. 5 plus 1 means that you take 6 meals per day, but 5 of those meals are the Medifast meal replacements. The one is a lean and green meal that you prepare yourself at home. Naturally, the emphasis on the one ‘normal’ meal is lean meat or fish and lots of green veggies.

The Complete Plan can be used when you really want to accelerate your weight loss. Just as it sounds, under this plan you do not get the ‘normal’ meal – it is all replacements for each of the six daily meals. It is also possible to switch back and forth between each plan if you are unsure. It is this flexibility within the program that allows you to feel that you are in control of your weight loss. You can be confident with Medifast 70 for men.

Originally launched nearly 30 years ago and proscribed by doctors, this diet program has withstood the test of time. It has done so because it works. Now available online or in clinics and retail outlets everywhere, you can still get it from over 15,000 doctors’ offices across America. You can also receive in-person support from exercise trainers and dieticians. In addition, support is offered through a 1-800 number and a number of online forums and communities. Medifast is one of the only diet programs that has been clinically tested and has received support from the medical community.

While the calorie count is very low, as long as you maintain a mild to moderate exercise program throughout the process you not lose muscle tone. Medifast recommends that you exercise 5 times per week and no additional supplements are required. While on the Medifast plan you will also ingest at least 64 ounces of water each day, so as to really flush your system of unwanted toxins.

The Medifast Plan really works and is intended for those who are over weight. This is a drastic diet program and not for those that want to shed a few pounds in time to head to the beach on the weekend. You need to be disciplined and motivated for several months to achieve the life changing results that are possible with Medifast.

In today’s world, thank goodness, we can live somewhere in the middle. We know that refined carbs like processed sweets (doughnuts, cookies, cakes), low-fiber sweetened cereals, white breads and soft drinks to name a few are NOT the carbs we are looking for. On the contrary, we want complex carbs such as bran cereals, potatoes, oatmeal, rice and wheat pasta. Complex carbs are healthy carbs that provide sustained amounts of energy. As with anything, eaten in excess they WILL cause excessive weight gain, especially if you are pairing them with cheeses, heavy sauces, and high amounts of fat-think pizza, Pasta Carbonera and bagels with cream cheese.

The World Health Organization, the US Government Diet Guidelines and the World Cancer Research Fund all recommend that 50-55 percent of our daily calories come from ‘good’ carbs. Note that carbohydrate sugars contained in manufactured goods are refined sugars and should be limited as they provide minimal fiber, nutrition and water. If you are having trouble figuring out which carbs are ‘good’ and which carbs are ‘bad’ think about the food’s source-did it come from the ground (like potatoes, rice, wheat, vegetables) or did it come from a box (processed cereals, ice cream, brownies, etc)? This will go a long way in helping you make sound carbohydrate choices.

Of special note are fruits, because they contain what are known as ‘simple’ sugars, meaning they are still different from the non-nutritious carb sugars present in processed and manufactured foods. Fruits are still a good choice of carbs because of their high water and fiber content, not to mention their vitamins and minerals. Both fresh fruits and vegetables provide vital phyto-chemicals and additional micro-nutrients that provide protection from serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Listed below are some good sources of healthy carbs, but just remember to choose wholegrain, whole wheat, brown or high fiber versions. When reading the ingredient list on any packaging, it must explicitly say ‘whole’ wheat or ‘whole’ grain, which means that they are higher in fiber and give you longer lasting levels of energy.

-Bread
-Oats
-Rice
-Potatoes
-Rice
-Pasta
-Lentils

Here’s how it works: Dieticians have found that when dieting people often wait too long between meals, so that by the time you finally do eat, you have become so hungry that your portion sizes or choices are out of control.

To combat this, plan your meals at the beginning of the day and include your snacks in the total amount of calories that you would like to eat. This way you are not leaving yourself vulnerable to intense hunger pains or cravings that can sabotage your weight-loss goals.

Consider the following low-calorie snacks as an important addition to a healthy dieting lifestyle:

Lowfat Cheese and Apple Slices
For a mere 105 calories, you can enjoy a medium-sized apple along with a single wedge of Laughing Cow Light cheese. Crispy and succulent, apples are not only a delicious treat; they are also packed with water, fiber and antioxidants. As for the cheese, most dieticians agree that having a little extra fat is good in a snack because it sustains your urge to eat for a longer period of time.

Peanut Butter and Graham Crackers
Is it too good to be true? Not really. Spread one tablespoon of light peanut butter on two graham cracker squares for a delicious (and comforting) snack. Make this your alternative to cookies or snack cakes, which are much more fattening and, come on let’s face it—who ever stops at just one? This graham cracker snack weighs in at only 155 calories and will hold you down until your next meal.

Light Whipped Topping with Canned Mandarin Oranges
Sweet, delicately tangy and fragrant, this snack choice satisfies your cravings for an indulgent treat. Some even consider this to be an excellent replacement for ice cream! And best of all, one half cup of canned mandarin oranges and two tablespoons of light whipped topping will only run you 50 calories!

Egg Salad with Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
Protein coupled with fat provides real staying power, making egg salad an excellent snack choice for dieters. Use one whole hard boiled egg, plus one egg white and chop it up together. Next, mix it with a tablespoon of reduced fat mayonnaise. Your body will feel satisfied for hours and at just 145 calories it’s a snack that’s tough to beat!

Frozen Tamale Pie
Dare we? Reach for a calorie-controlled frozen snack? Yes! At a mere 150 calories, Amy’s Mexican Tamale Pie has a healthy balance of carbs and protein (beans and polenta). This low-fat, hearty snack will make you wonder if you are on a diet at all.

Stir Up Your Own Creative Juices!
At less than 200 calories here are some other simple ideas for healthy and delicious smart snacks:

Sweet
-1 cup mixed low-fat granola, low-fat yogurt and frozen fruit – 350 calories
-Roll ½ of a banana in 1 tbsp of frozen semisweet chocolate chips-123 calories
-Pair 2 tbsp of Peanut Butter with 4 celery stalks-124 calories
-Greek 2% fat yogurt mixed with 2 tsp of honey-173 calories

Salty
-2 bread-and-butter pickles wrapped in Applegate Honey and Maple Turkey Breast (2 oz)-80 calories
-3 carrot sticks with ¼ hummus dip-80 calories
-1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes with 1 oz of buffalo mozzarella-94 calories
-1 Turkey Breast Wrap with lettuce, tomato and light mayo-190 calories

The most obvious thing you can do to rev up your metabolism is to do some form of exercise. Exercising helps us diminish body fat and increases our lean muscle mass. Aerobic exercise in particular increases metabolism for four to eight hours, even after you have stopped exercising.

Another crucial part of jump starting your metabolism is to eat breakfast every day. Skipping meals causes the body to compensate for a lack of nutrients, which slows down one’s metabolism. When choosing foods to boost the metabolism, pick vegetables and lean protein. Cut out sugary foods, caffeine, alcohol and smoking. Here are a list of foods that are known to boost the metabolism:

Water
Drinking ample amounts of water each day will not only cleanse your body and help you to process the food you eat, it will also prevent you from experiencing the false feeling of hunger that can result from dehydration.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the rare foods that contains a naturally good balance of fat to protein to carbohydrates. It will leave you feeling satisfied for a long time and curb cravings.

Whey Protein
When it comes to boosting the metabolism, whey protein is one of the best foods you can find. Whey protein is considered a high quality, lean protein that also builds muscle mass.

Spinach
Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, spinach is good for the entire body.

Almonds
Loaded with healthy fats, protein and fiber, almonds provide fatty acids that increase metabolism. Cashews, pine nuts and walnuts also offer these good fats and nutrients.

Beans
Beans are one of those amazing foods that contain healthy amounts of both fiber and protein, which work to cleanse the body and build muscle.

Natural Yogurt
The pro-biotic cultures that are found in natural yogurt are essential to a healthy digestive tract.

Eggs
With a great deal of high quality protein, eggs are one of the best known foods for increasing your metabolism.

Vegetables
High in fiber and nutrients, all vegetables are always a good choice and should be chosen over processed foods.

Peanut Butter
In moderate portions, peanut butter is an excellent choice. Full of essential fatty acids, it can be nicely paired with celery sticks and apple wedges.

Whole Grains
Whole grains contain much needed fiber, but make sure to choose only grains that actually say “Whole.”

Chicken Breast
Lean pieces of chicken are great, just be careful to avoid frying it and breading it.

In general, when choosing foods that will speed up your metabolism, stick to whole grains over processed white breads. Include dark, green, leafy vegetables and drink plenty of water. With these simple guidelines, your metabolism is well on its way to burning those extra calories.

Ok, what about granola bars? How could whole oats, nuts, seeds and bits of dried fruit be a bad thing? The truth is, most granola bars aren’t worth their weight, nutritionally speaking. They are either doused with sugary syrups, loaded with chocolate chips, or stuffed with highly processed ingredients. To make sure you know exactly what is going into your body, try making your own trail mix using whole-grain cereals, whole nuts and unsweetened chunks of dried fruit. If you absolutely must have a granola bar, at least try to choose one with a short ingredient list composed mostly of whole grains, seeds, nuts, and real fruit pieces.

Another food item that is throwing people off is bottled tea. It’s quick, it’s cold and it tastes great. The problem is that all of the antioxidant power, phytonutrients and other perks that tea can boast are in the actual brewed leaves, and very little of this makes its way into the final shelf-ready product. What is making its way into these beverages is a lot of sugar. If you absolutely can’t live without it, make your own tea in advance. Brew it, chill it, and add a touch of lemon and a small amount of sugar or other sweetener.

Here’s to hoping that the seemingly wholesome and hearty muffin has not made its way into your ‘nutritious’ category. Tack a berry or a bran to the name and many consumers start to believe that muffins must be good for you. What’s worse is that the size of most muffins also seems to be getting larger over time. The modern day muffin is about 500 calories and 20 grams of fat, whereas years ago muffins had about 160 calories and only 5 grams of fat. As a healthy alternative, opt for muffins that are made from real whole grain flour, corn meal or bran, and if this isn’t possible, at least share a bigger one with a couple of friends.

Watch out for “lite” or “free” versions of foods. Just because you have decided to make better health choices and you pick up a “Light” mayonnaise doesn’t mean you are doing yourself any favors. Oftentimes these ‘upgrades’ cut out calories and fat only to bring in extra amounts of cholesterol, sodium and even sugar. To keep the nutritional ball in your court, make sure you check labels or even visit websites like NutritionData.com so you can educate yourself about a food’s real nutritional value.

Lifestyle changes require dedication, willpower and motivation. Once you have these down you are definitely on the right track. The first step in making better food choices is to arm yourself with knowledge so that you are not duped by seemingly ‘healthy’ foods.