Nutrition

Calories!  Grams!  Food groups!  It seems like everyday a new miracle diet pops up, but if any of those fad diets really worked, we'd all be thin by now.  The goal of weight loss is health (not losing weight), so it only makes sense to simply stick to a healthy diet.  That's where the Food Pyramid comes in.

Note: A range of servings is given for each food group. The smaller number is for people who consume about 1,600 calories a day, such as sedentary women. The larger number is for those who consume about 2,800 calories a day, such as active men.

One problem people have with the food pyramid is knowing what a serving is.  (The size of your plate does not equal a serving.)  You need to start off by measuring your food until you get the feel for what 1 serving really is.

source:  http://health.yahoo.com/health/weightloss/weight_loss_for_life.html

Carbohydrates are sugars.  Starch, fructose, glucose, cellulose, etc. are all sugars.  In the body carbohydrates are broken down into glucose.  Glucose is quick fuel for the body, but it also acts as kindling for burning fat.  Each carbohydrate gram has 4 calories.

Proteins

Proteins are the building blocks of the body.  In the body, proteins are broken down into amino acids.  Amino acids are the components of muscles, tissues, antibodies, enzymes, etc.  Each protein gram has 4 calories.

Lipid (Fats)

Lipids are essential despite their bad reputation.  Fats are broken down into fatty acids in the body.  Fatty acids are necessary for metabolism and used in the nervous system, the endocrine system, and with some vitamins.  Fatty acids are stored as fat, providing us with energy when we need it and helping us to maintain our body temperature.  Each lipid (fat) gram has 9 calories.

Water

Our bodies are 70% water, and you can't survive without it.  Most people get enough water to survive but don't drink enough for optimum health.  If your thirsty, your body is telling you that you are starting to dehydrate.  With the optimum amount of water, you will have glowing skin, reduced acne, increased energy, less hunger, and a more efficient metabolism among many other benefits.