Moderation Diets

The moderation diet is one that suggests you can eat anything, but in moderation, if you want to lose weight and keep fit. It is essentially a calorie-controlled diet plan, combined with 30 minutes of fat-burning cardiovascular exercise daily. This type of diet was popular in the calorie-counting 1970s. Its modern focus is more on making healthy choices and getting an adequate intake of protein, carbohydrates and fat from lean meats, poultry, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat bread.

New Government Recommendations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has offered consumers a "diet pyramid" for years; there has been controversy over whether these recommendations actually improved people's eating habits. Some nutritionists have suggested that the recommended daily serving of bread, pasta, protein, rice, and vegetables was excessive for anyone trying to lose weight. The updated 2010 dietary guidelines then emerged in January 2011. The basic message is: Eat less salt (1500 mg a day is now recommended for African-Americans, people over age 51, or people with diabetes or high blood pressure), exercise more, and take in less calories from food and drinks, especially sodas.

Diet and Exercise

The Mayo Clinic has plenty of sensible recommendations for losing weight. It's now recommended that people who want to lose weight check in with supportive friends, keep a weight loss journal, weigh in regularly, and aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. This isn't easy: The Mayo Clinic says that you need to burn 500 to 1000 calories more than you consume each day "through a lower calorie diet and regular exercise" in order to achieve that goal. The Mayo Clinic encourages setting specific, doable goals such as exercising 30 minutes a day as key to changing your habits.

Two Popular Diet Plans

Two diets that would be considered "moderation diets" are the Weight Watchers Program, and Dr. Phil's Weight Loss Plan. Weight Watchers emphasizes flexibility--there are no foods you can't eat--but you have to stay within a certain daily amount of "points," which can be tracked online. It provides nutritional guidance and regular check-in meetings as well. TV talk-show host Dr. Phil published "The Ultimate Weight Loss Solution" in 2003 and it immediately became a best-seller. Offering a structured plan of moderation and exercise, the book appealed to obese people who were feeling hopeless about their weight, many of whom he featured on his show. Because of his emphasis on curbing emotional eating and understanding why people, especially women, binge-eat, this book was popular.

Foods to Avoid and Eat More of

Rich in fiber, brown rice is now considered part of a healthy weight-loss plan.

Eating more plant-based foods and having a healthy breakfast every day are two ways to lower your calorie intake and jump-start weight loss. Other recommendations compatible with a moderation diet are to cut down on sugar and eat foods higher in fiber, which are more filling. A fiber-rich diet tends to be naturally lower in sugar. Reduce processed/packaged foods and eat healthy fats like olive oil, vegetable oil and nut butters. Keep meat sizes small--3 ounces, or the size of a deck of cards, is best. Increase your veggie intake and eat whole wheat grains. People who eat this way should see an improvement in their cholesterol levels as well as their waistline.