How to choose foods to lose weight

Have you ever seen those articles which claim to tell you which foods you should be eating to lose weight? Miracle foods which will make the pounds drop off, or foods which are 'bad' for you, even though they belong to a nutritious food group.

I have arrived at the conclusion that the only foods which are bad for you are the ones which are loaded with sugar and additives, all the yummy cakes and pastries. Even then, an odd treat can help to boost morale without piling on too many pounds, as long as you stick to one bar of chocolate or one slice of cake.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been weaning myself off chocolate and other goodies and have been eating a range of foods to lose weight, like whole wheat pasta, plenty of vegetables and salads. I still eat potatoes, but have them without loads of butter on them. One alternative to butter is to use some Philadelphia spread cheese, the extra light version and put that on your potatoes or even on a free range chicken breast. The garlic and herb version is particularly tasty this way.

This is the first weekend in months that I haven't craved any chocolate or a glass of wine. I believe that we get into habits which are difficult to break, like having a bottle of wine at the weekend, or crisps and chocolates in the evening while watching TV.

My conclusion based on my own experiences is that there are no specific foods to lose weight, only natural and healthy foods which won't cause you to gain weight. If you eat all the processed foods, ready meals, drink lots of alcohol and eat cakes and pastries, you will have to face the fact that you won't lose weight. If you have any ideas for tasty meals which are healthy, please let us know.