The truth about dieting is that the vast majority of people who lose weight do not maintain their loss over the long term. Dieters get bored with the restricted range of food choices their plan dictates, yield to temptation, or simply tire of the self-imposed discipline.

British literary agent Ed Victor was middle-aged, overweight and unhappy with himself when he decided to lose twenty pounds. After reading many of the most popular diet books, he decided that he could not succeed with any of them and chose to create one of his own. Drawing upon the ideas of many other diet plans, the result is The Obvious Diet, a book that states what we all intrinsically know, that losing weight is not complicated and need not be difficult. Victor lost twenty pounds in three months without drastically changing his eating habits. Everyone knows which foods to avoid and we are generally aware of what foods are healthy and conducive to weight loss, but to succeed a diet must become a part of your lifestyle that is effortless to maintain rather than an unsustainable gauntlet of self-denial and chronic hunger pangs.

To eat for weight loss and generally improved heath, these are the simple guidelines:

Avoid processed foods. Ninety percent of what you consume should be fresh food. When weight gain first became a public concern in the 1970′s, low-fat foods were the proposed answer and processed food manufacturers ordered their scientists to remove fat from their product lines. Unfortunately, removing fat destroyed flavour. Industry found a solution, however, by adding sugar. The number of processed foods that contain high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener is astonishing and an epidemic level of diabetes and obesity has been the result. Consumers are still taking in alarmingly high calories, but the "low fat" label disguises the culprit.

Limit simple carbohydrates. If you must have bread, keep the amount small and make it whole grain. The same goes for pasta. Rice should be brown and in small portions. Potatoes and other starchy foods should be no more than an occasional indulgence. Dessert once a week should be enough.

Meat, poultry and fish should be eaten in moderate amounts and prepared simply. Chicken fried steak is the nutritional equivalent of sticking your finger in a light socket. A deck of playing cards is a good size comparison for a healthy portion.

Drink water, milk and coffee if you must, although tea is preferable. Sugared drinks can can torpedo any diet and don’t be fooled by so-called diet soft drinks. Research shows that consuming drinks with artificial sweeteners can actually cause more weight gain than the real thing.

Have all of the vegetables and leafy greens you want.

Enjoy fruits in moderate amounts and have them available for healthy snacking, along with nuts.

Try and have six small meals per day rather than three big ones.

Eat breakfast.

Also, get regular exercise. Even if it is just a walk after supper, it makes a difference.

None of these recommendations requires great expense or inconvenience. All of it can be accomplished without any significant change to your current lifestyle. The only challenge is getting started. Commit yourself to one month and when you will find yourself a few pounds lighter after thirty days, with increased energy and generally feeling better, continuing your new diet will require no effort at all.