Before you begin the High Energy Diet Plan, integrate these steps into your plan.

You are the best person to create your own weight loss plan.

There are no food restrictions placed on you except for those foods that you know you have trouble controlling the amount that you eat at one setting.

Every day’s menu must include whole grains, milk, meat and beans, vegetables, and fruits as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture. Your daily food plan will include a reduction in the number of calories you are presently eating.

The only real way to determine how many calories you are using is to have a food journal and faithfully record everything you eat for 5 days. Forget about counting carbohydrates, fat, or anything except calories. Get an average calories consumed for the 5 days by adding each day’s amounts together and dividing by 5.

Check the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need to maintain your present weight.

If you want to weight less, you will need to consume less. Measuring calories is the most effective way to lose weight.

Add exercise—we recommend walking because it can be done wherever you are—in the 2nd week. If you are already exercising, continue.

If you’re not exercising, get your food plan straight before adding anything else.

Before you begin, clean out all foods that will tempt you. After the basic four-week plan, you may begin reintroducing foods that the rest of your family can enjoy. Do this only with one food product at a time. Ask your family to be part of your support system for this first month.

You will be drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day. A big part of my success at losing weight I believe is lemon water. I also love Winn Dixie’s Clearly Prestige sparkling water beverage. It comes in 1 liter size with flavors: mandarin orange, white grape, country strawberry, zesty strawberry, key lime, and mellow peach. Wal-Mart also carries the flavored carbonated water with flavors of peach, black cherry, raspberry, strawberry, white grape, etc. I am currently using individual nutrient enhanced packets by Vita Splash .

Everyday I reuse some of the empty water bottles to make my lemon water. I use Real Lemon concentrate to make a 2 quart Rubbermaid pitcher of lemon water daily. I fill water bottles 1/2 full nightly with the lemon water and freeze them for the next day. I keep the 2 quart pitcher in the refrigerator with lemon water and fill the frozen bottles with more lemon water. The frozen water is messy as it defrosts so I use wash cloths wrapped around them or under to catch the excess water.

Always use the calories needed chart to evaluate the calories you need to eliminate daily. If you deduct 250 calories from diet and increase your physical outtake by 250 calories, you will lose a pound weekly. Adjust your calories needed as you lose weight as your need will change as you lose weight. Use the calorie calculator to see how many calories you need with the weight loss.

The food and calorie counters recommended by the  High Energy Diet are:

1) For a great list of calorie burned calculators; Martindale’s Calculators On-Line Center: Part I:I-N – Nutrition. It also includes energy calculators including one site that estimates the energy expended in over 600 different activities. The KCAL-CULATOR is in the runner’s web and allows you to estimate your energy needs.

2) Calorie Counter helps you calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) and has many tips about diets available and the foods to eat.

3) “If you’ve looking for information on cutting calories and fat in your diet, achieving a healthy weight, or favorite low-calories, reduced-fat foods and beverages (and the ingredients that make them possible)…you’ve come to the right place!” The Calorie Control Council – Information on cutting calories and fat and achieving a healthy weight.

4) From the Food Network online, explains how to manage your weight in three simple equations: Get Healthy : Low Calorie : What are Low Calorie Diets? : Food Network.

5) Quick Guide to Calorie Needs When Losing Weight has many resources explained such as good protein, good fat, how to reduce calories, general diet nutrition, healthy vegetarianism, etc.

6)  How many calories do I need?

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