eat only when hungry and to the point of fullness!

eat as much meat and vegetables as you want, you are allowed 3 to 5 ounces of cheese and two servings daily of low-glycemic fruits — berries, melons, peaches, plums, apples, oranges, and kiwis.

drink 80 ounces of water daily.

1. Cut Out Fast-Digesting Carbs

For the most part, these are foods that are made with sugar or are high in starch, such as bread, pasta, any other flour-based food, potatoes, and rice. Because they all contain high amounts of glucose, they raise blood sugar quickly. "This is the trigger that signals your body to release a flood of insulin," . Eliminate these foods and insulin levels stay near rock bottom. And that simultaneously improves your health and speeds fat loss. In fact, when researchers analyzed why low-carb dieters were so successful, they calculated that 70 percent of their weight loss stemmed from low insulin levels. (One note: Because milk has a significant number of carbohydrates, it was also off-limits until my blood profile showed I was healthier.)

2. Eat More Vegetables

This may be the ultimate diet cliche, but there's no question it works. In fact, a study of more than 2,000 low-carb dieters found that, on average, the biggest losers were consuming four servings of nonstarchy vegetables a day. That's virtually any vegetable of your choice other than potatoes (white, sweet, or fried), carrots, and corn. "Eating more produce increases the amount of fiber in your diet, which helps keep you full," For an even greater fiber boost, I added a daily glass of Metamucil (the sugar-free version). If you've never taken Metamucil, its effectiveness in reducing your appetite is nothing short of amazing.

3. Have Protein at Every Meal

This is especially important at breakfast(6 egg whites) and with snacks, when guys are most likely to skimp on this muscle-building nutrient. (Thanks a lot, cereal.) Case in point: scientists report that, on average, people consume 65 percent of their protein after 6 p.m. More important, the researchers found that to optimally preserve your muscle as you lose weight, you need to take in protein at each meal throughout the day. "Besides nourishing your muscles, the added protein will help keep you from overeating,"  The best sources are beef, chicken, fish, dairy, and eggs.

4. Don't Be Afraid of Natural Fat

That's right, the kind that's found in a piece of meat, an omelet, an avocado, olives, or olive-oil-based dressing. Because fat alone doesn't raise your insulin levels, it has little to do with making you fat, contrary to popular opinion. High amounts of carbs coupled with high amounts of fat are the real culprit,  since they stimulate the release of insulin, causing your body to store fat instead of burn it. But what about heart health? In a review of 13 studies published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers determined that low-carbohydrate diets — all of which provided at least 50 percent of daily calories from fat — were more effective at reducing heart-disease risk than traditional low-fat diets.