Use the Food Guide Pyramid as the basis for your healthy eating pattern. Be sure to include the minimum number of servings from each food group. You need to monitor both calorie and fat intake to lose weight. A low fat eating pattern is not necessarily low in calories. In order to lose weight, your calorie intake must be less than calories burned.
Portion size is also key to any healthy eating plan.
Large servings of even low-fat foods can undermine your weight loss goals. Hitting a plateau during a weight loss program is normal. Your body requires fewer calories to function as your weight decreases. Everyone's body levels off at a different weight. Some people will level off at a higher weight than others.