Whatever food we eat, our body has to work hard to digest it and absorb. Some foods need more energy than the others in the process of digestion. It is likely that there may be certain foods that require more calories to digest than the caloric content of the foods themselves. In fact there are certain foods in nature which possess this property. Such foods may be termed as negative calorie foods because these foods take these extra calories from the body fat. Similarly there may be foods that require the same amount of calories as the calorie content of these foods. Such foods are effectively of zero calories.

Most crusts at pizza places are loaded with simple carbs. Thin crust pizza has much less crust in general, so it also has less calories and carbohydrates than an equivalent size regular crust, deep dish, or stuffed crust pizza.

Get a reasonable idea of how many calories it requires to maintain your weight, i.e. if you are basically sedentary (get little or no movement regularly) then multiply your body weight by 12. That would mean that if you did nothing but sit in a chair all day, you'd still need 2400 calories just to maintain your body weight! Start by cutting back the calories required to maintain your weight by 500, so our 200 pound fellow would be perfectly fine eating 1900 calories a day.

I eat around 2200 calories on average every day (weekends I eat more than weekdays but it averages out to around 2200). I'm active, and I maintain my weight at around 135 pounds which on my 5'7" frame is fine for me.

Bread is one of the main source of carbs in your diet. Reducing carbs will help you lose weight. Try just using whole grain breads instead of the higher calorie white bread. And try to use just one slice instead of two when you make a sandwich. This will greatly reduce your calorie intake on a daily basis.

Avoid very low calorie diets. Before going on any diet, look at the recommended calories. You will probably discover that in most cases, you are required to slash your calories to "starvation" levels (1200 or less for women, 1800 or less for men, and active people need even more.

Make sure your calorie intake is customized. Depending on your activity level, age and gender, your calorie needs may be much higher or much lower than the average person.

For a good basic diet overall, eat as much as you like of wholesome, clean foods. Include healthy grains, rice, beans, salads, vegetables, fruits, nuts (in moderation). Use nut and vegetable oils for cooking. Cook at home once in awhile. Stop super sizing. Buy fresh produce when it's available from your local farmers. Buy as close to home as possible, and walk to the store, if you can! What a concept.

There are a large number of foods that combine low calories, delicious taste, and excellent negative calorie properties. Include these foods in your daily meals. You will get maximum benefit if you eat them in raw natural form, with little butter or oil. The most important thing about these negative calorie foods is that you will never feel hungry if you are on a diet with negative calorie foods.