11 Things You Need to Know about Dr. Oz's Ultimate Diet ...

One of the first things you’ll need to do when starting Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Diet is a pantry purge. The doctor has you toss the top five worst items out of your cupboards and your life to lose weight. These items include foods with: simple sugars (refined sugars), syrups (corn, tapioca, brown rice, chocolate and maple), white flour (or anything made with it), saturated fats, and trans fats.

Now that you’ve gotten rid of all the bad foods in your home, you’ll need to fill it up with good-for-you foods. So go grocery shopping and fill your cart with the following: fresh and frozen vegetables, whole grains (oatmeal, brown and wild rice, quinoa), low-glycemic fruits ( apples, berries, kiwi), and lean proteins like lean poultry, fish, eggs, and plain Greek yogurt. Other items to include in your diet include beans, legumes, raw nuts and seeds, and unsweetened non-dairy milks like almond or soy.

The next goal the doctor has you take a stab at is cutting 100 calories from your day somewhere. This is actually easier to do than you think. It equates to only having one square of dark chocolate instead of 2 or 3 or skipping the 2% milk in your latte or coffee and choosing unsweetened almond milk instead. See how easy that was?

One of the easiest ways to ensure you lose weight and keep it off is to put your meals on auto-pilot. This means preparing them ahead of time or eating similar foods every day. This way you don’t have to make the choice between having something healthy or grabbing something through a drive-thru because you're unprepared.

Most people eat off plates around 12.5 inches in diameter which leads many to overeat if they’re not mindful. To scale down your portions, use a smaller plate around 7-9 inches in diameter. This will cut calories and you’ll find you’re just as satisfied without being stuffed after your meals.

Another tip from Dr. Oz's Ultimate Diet gives is to think ahead. This means preparing snacks to have on hand so you can keep them in your purse or eat them right when you walk in the door from running errands and you’re starving. Good options include items high in fiber and protein with healthy fats like raw almonds (100 calories packs), endamame, some carrots and celery, or a cup of Greek yogurt.

It’s also a great idea to get a buddy on board with you when you start Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Diet. Dr. Oz says this will help hold you both accountable and keep you motivated when you want to give up.

Dr. Oz acknowledges that there will be times you will want to cheat, such as times of boredom or stress. To get past those moments, he advises you take deep breaths, choose something healthy, and get back in touch with why you started the diet.

Spicy foods help curb your sweet tooth so Dr. Oz advises everyone to incorporate a little bit of heat in their life through cayenne, red peppers and other healthy spicy foods like chili powder and mustard. You don’t have to go crazy but try to incorporate these in your cooking or salads dressings a little bit here and there.

The doctor also advises you don’t only take his word for it, but also be sure to see your own doctor. He advises getting your blood pressure, waist size, weight, blood sugar, and your cholesterol levels checked to make sure you don’t have any medical conditions to be concerned about.

Lastly, the doctor advises wearing a pedometer and ensuring you hit 10,000 steps per day. This won’t only help you reduce your waistline but also decreases stress, increases flexibility, and even improves your appetite levels.

For more on Dr. Oz’s Ultimate Diet check out the website here: doctoroz.com and even download your own healthy grocery list here: doctoroz.com. Have you ever tried The Ultimate Diet by Dr. Oz?