A greater emphasis on sensible nutrition and exercise are just some of the changes to the updated USDA Food Guide Pyramid.

* Consult your doctor before starting any diet and exercise plan.

More likely than not, you have been exposed to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid at one time or another, whether it was in school, by your doctor or dietitian, or through some independent research on nutrition you might have done. It has been around for over a decade and has been a reference for average Joes and health professionals alike. The original food pyramid was created in 1992 to help provide the general public with some guidelines to follow when it comes to sensibly choosing foods. As it has become a bit dated and as obesity has become an increasingly more evident problem, the US government released a revised food pyramid in April, 2005.

\\ The pyramid:

\\Foods to avoid when loosing weight:

Here are just a few of the changes in the updated version:

It contains one fewer group (the Fats, Oils, and Sweets group has been removed).
It is more specific in regard to recommended amounts of food (placing a greater focus on portion control).
It is more specific in regard to the recommended foods within groups (e.g., it suggests using fruit juices sparingly as part of the Fruits group), as well as the specific nutrients within foods in each of the groups (e.g., calcium within the Milk group and fiber within the Grains group).
And perhaps most importantly, it places a higher priority on the importance of regular exercise along with sensible nutrition for both weight loss and weight maintenance.

This section of the USDA web site has also been beefed up to provide more in-depth information along with some interactive components and downloadable material. If you haven’t seen the new food pyramid and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, go to the site to see if your eating habits measure up to the revised government standards.

Whether you are trying to lose weight for the first time or have been focusing on a healthy lifestyle for a while, smart eating and a regular exercise routine are the way to go if you want to be successful at losing weight. Now, the revised food pyramid is a better resource to help you make wise dietary choices than ever before.