Q:

I have been trying to lose weight. I've gone on diets or tried eating healthy but after about a week, I would go back to my old eating habits. It seems like I can't resist junk food. I seriously think I am addicted. HELP!

Developing healthy eating habits isn't as confusing or as restrictive as many people imagine. The first principle of a healthy diet is simply to eat a wide variety of foods. This is important because different foods make different nutritional contributions.

Secondly, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol—should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. The rest should come from low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry, and fish.

You should also try to maintain a balance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don't eat more food than your body can utilize. Otherwise, you will gain weight. The more active you are, therefore, the more you can eat and still maintain this balance.

Following these three basic steps doesn't mean that you have to give up your favorite foods. As long as your overall diet is balanced and rich in nutrients and fiber, there is nothing wrong with an occasional cheeseburger. Just be sure to limit how frequently you eat such foods, and try to eat small portions of them.

You can also view healthy eating as an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat. A healthy diet doesn't have to mean eating foods that are bland or unappealing.

The following basic guidelines are what you need to know to construct a healthy diet.

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Do-It-Yourself Home Gym

You don't need a home gym to exercise at home. Here are four inexpensive, easy-to-store alternatives that, together, enhance all the elements of fitness: muscle strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. All are sold in sporting-goods stores.

Getting on the bandwagon

Elastic exercise bands are a perfect option for beginning strength training. They've been used by physical therapists for years. Cheap (usually about $3 a band), portable, and versatile, these long, wide bands provide the resistance you need to work your muscles. They often come with illustrated booklets. The bands' colors reflect the level of resistance. You can strengthen and tone virtually all your major muscles—and work them from a variety of angles, depending on what you use as an anchor for the elastic band.

Rowing. Sitting on the floor with your legs extended, loop band under arches of feet and hold one end in each hand. Start with arms extended forward. Keeping your back straight and shoulders down, pull your elbows back slowly, contracting shoulder blades. Hold for 2 seconds; release slowly. Repeat.