I wanted to get some heat-and-serve gravy at the supermarket. The first problem was finding the canned gravy section, since I rarely buy any. Once I found it, I remembered why I stopped buying the stuff. Many are very high in sodium, and most contain white flour and other ingredients that I try to avoid.

So I realized that if I wanted a healthy gravy, I would have to make my own.

Generally speaking, people do not go out to eat for the sake of nourishment — they go out to eat for fun. I’m not talking about grabbing a bite at lunchtime during your break at work. I’m referring to a full sit-down fancy restaurant meal. The kind with waiters, menus, candles, tablecloths, and after-dinner mints. You know what I mean.

The food is usually sumptuous, with full-fat everything, rich gravies, and sugar-upon-sugar desserts. A portion of any one item may contain a full day's calories, if not nutrients. Special requests may or may not be accommodated, but asking for wholegrain pasta may be asking for trouble. Some people get what they require by declaring they have food allergies, but this may not always work. In some restaurants the staff speaks little or no English, and, fluent or not, some servers may promise things that they can not deliver.

OK, you have started your weight loss program, and you are doing fine.

You have lost several pounds, and are well on your way to your ideal weight. People are beginning to notice your more svelte appearance. You have much more energy. If you are a gal, guys may be starting to whistle. If you are a guy, gals may be starting to whistle. You feel like you can take on anything. You are encouraged by all this, and have every intention to keep it up until you reach your goal.

Then, one day, you find a box of chocolate-covered toffee on your pillow, or a lemon cream pie in the fridge. You didn’t buy it, so who did? Your Significant Other says it is a little gift for you because you are looking so great.

There are hundreds of diets around. Some are little more than ancient, tattered, many-times-copied sheets of paper, handed from friend to friend. Others are written up in big, fat hardcover books. These might cost as much as a nice meal at a family restaurant. Or you might find them for less than a buck on the discount rack. Some diet plans are touted on television. The commercials often feature a formerly-fat celebrity who bleats joyfully about the merits of the plan.

Some diet plans involve meetings, where a group discusses their problems with food. The support dynamics of a group may inspire you to greater achievement. Many diet plans include packaged meals to purchase. You may or not enjoy these meals, and you may or may not find them cost-effective. And there are so many more…

But what is really the best diet for you?

It is a sad fact that many people skip breakfast. Some do it because they don’t have time, or think they don’t have time, to make something. Others avoid early eating because they think this is a good way to lose weight.

Big mistake. Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast — thinking they are cutting calories — actually eat more throughout the day than people who have a good, nourishing breakfast. As the day wears on, the person’s hunger builds to an unbearable degree. The ravenous person inevitably binges on whatever is available — usually some type of greasy, high-fructose-corn-syrup-filled junk food.

Breakfast can be as simple as a scrambled egg or two, a piece of wholegrain bread, and a spoonful of jam (sugar-free, please!).

Here is a recipe that makes a nice dish for lunch or supper. If you have some leftover cooked chicken on hand, you can put this together very quickly, but I suggest you eat it slowly and savor every bite. The recipe makes two servings. Share it with a friend, or put away the second serving for another day. For dessert, you could have coffee or tea and a sugar-free cookie.

Have you ever watched an infomercial that sells an exercise workout? If so, you probably saw a number of excited people extol the virtues of the program. The product usually consists of exercise videos and a diet, and may include some type of gadget. Many of the products feature one or more exercise bands as their "special bonus".

Do they work? There are several kinds of exercise bands available. One type is a circle of stretchy material with two handgrips at opposite "sides" of the circle. Another is a long piece of stretchy stuff with handles attached at both ends. Others resemble things like rubber scarves and slingshots. All are easily portable.