Okay, you’ve had it! You’re sick and tired of how you look and feel—and now you can’t get into your favorite jeans. You’ve got to lose weight—this time for good. But how are you going to do it?

It isn’t like you haven’t tried before. You’re good buds with the diet-go-round. You’ve measured, counted, weighed, deprived, starved, craved, sneaked (as if you can really sneak from yourself), and beat yourself up (you’re a master at that). You lose. You gain. You lose. You regain. You plateau. Finally, you lose—one pound. Then you go to a friend’s house for dinner and gain two pounds back.

Soon you’re right back where you started, or even heavier. Feeling like a hopeless failure, you find yourself slipping into that bottomless black hole, one more time. You give up. What’s the point? No matter what you try, nothing works for long.

The good news is, you didn’t fail—the diets failed you! Diets don’t work. Ditch diets forever. Dig down in your gut and ask yourself one simple question: “Am I really, really ready to lose weight?” Be honest. If “no,” then don’t try to trick yourself. You’ll only set yourself up for another stinging belly flop. Wait until you are ready.

If “yes,” then let’s set you up for success with a common sense “I can do it” plan and hope that you can shed those layers once and for always. It’s as simple (not necessarily easy or quick) as adding 10+10 and following these three rules: 1. Add, 2. Stop, and 3. Wiggle.

Rule 1: Add

Fill up first on the foods that give you the most nutrition for the calorie buck—the same foods that help prevent stroke, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers: fresh fruits and vegetables. Then eat other food favorites. Few would claim that beef, poultry, pork, eggs, pasta, dried-up boxed cereals, brown-colored white bread, milk, cheese, or processed and refined foods prevent degenerative diseases, yet we center our meals on those very foods. Why? Because we were taught to eat and love them—by our families and our culture.

And here you are, stuck in big-girl pants and not liking it.

Time to shift your thinking, choices and habits. Wrap your meals around fresh fruits and vegetables—10 fresh fruits plus 10 different vegetables each and every day. Think about what you “get to” add to your day, not what you “have to” give up.

Let’s take a peek at a 10+10 day.

For breakfast, think fast and easy. Wash, open mouth, insert and chew. Graze on fresh fruit all morning long. Be sure to eat enough fruit to feel full and satisfied. Example: 2 cantaloupe slices, 2 bananas, 2 apples, 2 oranges, and a bunch of grapes.

For lunch, add a large vegetable salad with 10 different vegetables, such as green-leafy or romaine lettuce, spinach, sprouts, carrots, tomatoes, red or green cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, radishes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower and avocado. Again, eat enough to fill up, way more than that puny side of iceberg lettuce with a slice of tomato and cucumber. Use a no-oil, non-dairy commercial dressing or finely chopped avocado blended with half a fresh lemon and balsamic vinegar. Stir very well so the avocado coats the salad.

Voila! It’s only noontime, and you’ve already added up 10 fruits and 10 different vegetables, and you have the rest of the day to go.

In two or three hours, when you get hungry, do the novel thing—eat! Snack on fresh fruit, cut up vegetables, a small handful of raw, unsalted almonds, or a hot, savory snack like low-salt veggie and bean soup or a bowl of brown rice and black beans.

For dinner—the most challenging meal—prepare one menu for you and your family to enjoy. However, you eat the best-for-you foods first. Example: start with 10-veggie salad, next steamed vegetables, third a more filling vegetable, like potatoes, yams, or winter squash (nix the butter and sour cream), topped with pureed avocado and tomato, fresh salsa, or stir-fried (in water) veggies. Or, instead of the potato or yam, fill up on a whole grain dish, like brown rice, and/or a legume dish, like black beans, kidney beans, lentils, or split peas. Last, if you wish, eat the beef, chicken, fish, or pasta. You’ll automatically eat less of the high-calorie, high-fat, and/or high-cholesterol choices without feeling deprived or hungry.

Bingo! You’ve hit the 10+10-in-a-day jackpot!

For beverages, which typically contribute at least 25 percent of total calories consumed, not to mention caffeine, sugar, alcohol and chemicals, drink water and homemade fruit and vegetable juices.

Rule 2: Stop

When your brain says, “I’m full,” stop eating. Stop before your stomach begs for mercy. Although this may seem like a no-brainer, somehow that “off” button tends to malfunction when we eat foods that taste especially good. Hint: fresh fruits and vegetables satisfy the hunger drive and help your “off” button work properly. After all, how many apples can you eat at one time? One, two? How much pizza, French fries, or turkey dinner can you eat? Too much. Always keep in mind, this is not your last meal (hopefully). When you get hungry again, do the novel thing—eat! Just make mindful choices.

Rule 3: Wiggle!

Give yourself wiggle room—we all need a little latitude. If you are a mere mortal residing on this planet, you are not, and will never be, perfect. So follow the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time, when your life is routine at home or at work, plan ahead and fill up on whole fresh fruits and vegetables, along with sprouts, whole grains and beans, raw nuts and seeds, and homemade fruit and vegetable juices.

Twenty percent of the time, whether it’s a birthday, Sunday brunch, or a get-together with friends, wiggle! Beware! If you wiggle too much, you won’t lose that jiggle.

So there you have it. Add, Stop, and Wiggle your way into those pants. And most importantly of all, feel good about the unique, brilliant, beautiful you!

About the Author

Dr. Leslie Van Romer, author of weight-loss, healthy-you book, Getting into Your Pants, and its companion workbook, Getting into Your Pants PlayBook, is a chiropractor, weight-loss cheerleader, and feel-good-about-you motivational health speaker. She can be contacted at 360-683-8844 or 888-375-3754, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and her websites: www.GettingintoYourPants.com and www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com .