I don't believe in counting calories. Imagine having the threat of too many calories hanging on your head every time you reached for a slice of pizza, a piece of fried chicken or simply a scoop of ice cream! The very idea can drive you nuts. Not to mention the amount of planning that goes into every single meal to ensure the amount of calories consumed is optimally fit for your body. What it would be, to me, is a living nightmare. But I do believe that this is the most effective way to lose weight and control our daily food intake. At the very least, we will be aware if we are over-eating or not. The very fact that we're carrying some extra fat in some unwanted places on our body signals that we are consuming extra calories and the daily energy we expend is not enough to burn them off.

The secret to healthy eating is moderation. Don't starve yourself till you fall sick and don't binge either. An incident a couple of years back finally opened my eyes to the realization that if I wasn't going to take care of myself, then who will? Ultimately, we are responsible for ourselves. This triggered the need to stay healthy. After all, what was there to lose? There was everything to gain...

Tons of researching has brought me to these conclusions:

• Eat when you feel hungry and stop before you feel full.
• Think of dividing your stomach into 3: 1/3 for air, 1/3 for water, and a third for food
• Eat your veggies or fruits first since they will make you feel fuller before diving into the main course
• Try not to mix fish with chicken or beef. And try to separate white meat and red meat
• Stick to eating one type of meat for the whole day
• Eat dinner before the sun sets
• Replace junk food with healthy snacks like raisins or nuts
• Always exercise at least 45 minutes for a minimum of 5 days in a week leaving the other 2 days to rest and rejuvenate
• Keep track of what you eat with a food diary.
• Control your portions. Eating small portions throughout the day is better than 3 huge meals at their given time.
• Eating with your hands is way better than eating with fork and spoon since special enzymes that exist in our palms makes it easier to digest our food
  
• Don't forget to say your prayers before and after each meal!
• Consistency and discipline is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle
  

Thanks to:
Dr Fadzillah Kamsah for his tips on the Prophet's diet (peace be upon him)
truthaboutabs.com (mike geary)
South Beach Diet
Yourself Fitness (miss you Maya!)
realbuzz.com
and all you other health freaks out there