A Diet That Works

Not everything has to be complicated. Take the "Three Rule Diet."

In his book No White at Night: The Three Rule Diet, Bill Gavin has simplified the rules for healthy eating, weight loss, and maintenance.

• Eat three meals every day.
• Eat lean protein with every meal.
• No white at night.

The no white means things made with refined sugar, flour, corn, etc.

While there's more to the book and the diet than just the three rules, they're all you really have to keep in mind. (He does emphasize eating good fats and avoiding saturated and trans fats, eating whole grain bread and cereals, and allows you to eat all the fruit and vegetables you want.)

But with only three rules, eating, whether at home or at a restaurant, is actually quite easy. That, in turn, means that it's easier to make it a lifestyle rather than a diet, which makes it easier to stick with. So I've been able to stay with it for about seven weeks now, and I've managed to lose about nine pounds. Not bad, but more to go.

What else about life that seems too complicated or complex might be handled better with a three rule version?