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But I don't know where to start. I basically haven't been working out since December as I was finishing up school. I now have my goal to be trim and fit, but my midsection always seems to be the problem. That's where I hold my "pudge" and I really want to shed the pounds. I'm ready to really commit but I'm not sure what diet plan to use? Is the realjock diet plan any good? Any help?

Colossus, there's lots of diet plans out there, but you need to figure out which one best fits with your lifestyle and what you can live with. You have to factor in how well you can cook, what your office eating habits are like, how often and how hard you work out, etc. You might consider seeing a nutritionist about these issues.

Before you start, however, I do recommend the book The Beck Diet Solution. It's a series of cognitive-therapy exercises that will get you into the "diet mindset". It's been a huge help to me; I've lost 30 pounds since the end of January and I'm eager to lose more.

Let us know what you decide. Good luck!

Just some things that I've learned the hard way. I was once up to 270, and at 5'9'', that ain't good. I got down to as low as 160, but I didn't like how I looked because I sacrificed a lot of my lean muscle mass in the process, so I put some weight back on. I'm at 205 right now, and I'm happy with where I am, but I do want to lean up a bit.

Don't think of it as a 'diet', because you may put yourself in the mindset that you're going to exclude a lot of foods. That's not true. You can still have the foods you like, either modified slightly, or just once in a while. A lot of dishes and foods can be modified to be lower in fat, higher in protein, higher in fiber, more veggies, whatever. Something's fried? Broil it, or sear it, or grill it. Sometimes it tastes just as good or better.

Portion control. Eating smaller meals more frequently during the day will help you stay fuller, and with more meals comes a larger variety of foods to eat, so in a sense, you have more of a choice of what to eat.

Have a cheat meal or day. We all have cravings. Set a meal or day to have those things you really like, but don't go overboard. Take everything in moderation. This way you won't think that you cut something out forever, and if you change your eating style drastically, having those "normal" foods will give your digestive system some ease in coping.

When you change your eating style, do it gradually. If you drink whole milk, switch to 2%, then 1% and then finally skim milk.

Keep a journal of what you eat. I don't do this, I don't know why, but others that have do so in order to see exactly what they are currently eating and then figuring out what they need to change. It's like constructing a game plan. Once you see what you're up against, you'll know what you need to change and how.

I recommend reading this book. It explains the physiology behind digestion, metabolism, and fat storage. I found that by understanding how the body works, I can make my own decisions on how to eat rather than try to follow someone else's plan blindly. This is really good for me because I am not a great food lover. So a lot of recipes provided in other diets arent of any interest to me.