Lisa DeFazio is the PERFECT person to ask when it comes to food and diet choices!

So it's no surprise that she has a great answer for our Perezcious Fit Reader Jess' question!

Hi Lisa,

How do you decide what kind of diet to go on? Instead of limiting different foods is moderation the key for everyone Also, how many calories should you eat a day if you want to lose weight in a healthy way?

Thanks!
Jess

Here's Lisa's response!

Hi Jess!

There are so many diets, some good, some very bad. There are many diets that work, and there are some factors to consider when choosing a plan to follow. First consider your lifestyle. Do you cook and go to the market, or do you eat on the run? Do you have any health issues? I recommend getting a full physical, blood pressure and complete blood work (including a lipid profile, B12, iron, thyroid, blood glucose, etc.) to determine if you have special dietary restrictions. For example, if you have high cholesterol, you need to cut down on animal products, if your blood glucose is high, you should follow the diabetic guidelines and cut down on sugar. The general rule for weight loss is that women should consume 1200 to 1500 calories per day and men should have about 1600 to 1800 calories per day. Any calorie level below 1200 calories per day is considered a medical weight loss program and you should see a doctor weekly, as you are more vulnerable to complications. Overall, moderation will work if you have the discipline to stop at one cookie or 5 chips, but not everyone has the discipline to do this! Personally, I do not keep the junk in the house because once I start I want more, so I just avoid it!

Access is so tempting, we agree! If there are 10 cookies in the house, the only way to get rid of them is to eat every last one of them, right??

Wrong!

Try moderation, but if that doesn't work, don't keep trying. Just get rid of the offending snacks!

Thanks for the tip, Lisa!

If U want to ask Lisa a question, shoot one over to tips@fitperez.com!

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Tags: blood pressure, calorie, calories, diet, doctor, fit, food, health, healthy, lifestyle, medical, moderation, snack, sugar, tips, weight, weight loss, women