Two of my favorite F-letter words are fashion and food. Being plus size, I always see to it that I follow certain diets every now and then to stay happy and healthy.

Dieting is no joke though. It can be pretty difficult to do at first but once you start, you’ll surely feel the progress. I have tried weeks and months of no rice, no sweets, no junk food, and even Cohen. Proudly enough, I have seen major changes as I deeply commit myself to these. However, there are always days when I get extra cranky from being super dedicated to my goal.

You don't always have to deprive yourself of good food. With all the programs I've tried, I was able to sum up the essential steps for a successful diet in five basic rules:

1. Rice is the enemy.

Rice is a carbohydrate containing starch and sugar making it a major contributor to weight gain. However, as one of the main staple foods in most people's diets, rice might be a bit difficult to avoid.

If you cannot avoid rice in general, perhaps try brown, red, or black rice as an alternative to the usual white as these colored rice has relatively lesser carb content. Also try to avoid fried rice.

2. Pork is a no-no.

Pork is fattening for obvious reasons. Stick to eating beef, chicken or seafood.

3. Eat your vegetables.

Always. Your parents forced you to down these healthy goods for a reason. Green, leafy veggies contain fiber that greatly helps indigestion. Most vegetables contain mostly water and are good for you.

If you enjoy salads, try to avoid cream-based dressings. Have vinaigrettes and seasoned olive oil instead of your usual ranch and thousand island.

4. Oily = fatty. 

Avoid eating fried food. The human body was not designed to dissolve saturated fats. Try to avoid fast food and junk food as these are usually the main source for massive amounts of oils and unwanted fats. 

You can perhaps enjoy a really tiny amount of butter every now and then but try to stick with olive oil instead of frying your food with butter or the usual cooking oils.

5. Water is power.

Our bodies are made up of 70% water. Did you know that losing even just 1% of it will already make you feel thirsty? Help your cells work faster by making sure that you drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. As the universal solvent, water also aids in blood flow for faster metabolism and better digestion.  

Drink water to lessen soda and juice intake. If you feel hungry quickly after enjoying a meal or even late at night, drink a glass of water instead of helping yourself with some snacks.