1. MCDONALDS: Stay away from the golden arches! Consider this: A cheeseburger has 295 calories, a large fries has 400 calories, and a Quarter pounder with cheese has 500 calories. If you’ve just got to have a McDonald’s fix, have a hamburger and an ice water.

2. SODA: Prepare to quit cold turkey from the soda habit. Those 100 calories per can, and 200 calories per large fountain drink will add up. If you truly cannot kick the habit, you can have a couple of diet sodas per week, but do not become a soda addict. Replace all lunch time refreshments with water. This will save you calories.

3. SALAD BUFFET RESTAURANTS: We all love buffets. And you would think that soups and salads are healthy. They are healthy, but in moderation. Avoid the self-torture and do not dine at these establishments while trying to lose weight. The temptation will be huge, and afterwards, you will feel frustrated with yourself..

4. TOP-RAMEN: Based on calorie count alone, this seems like a good choice for a mid-day meal substitute. However, take a closer look at the sodium. If you must have a noodle fix, you can cut the sodium substantially by not using the seasoning packet. Do not substitute with soy sauce. Do not eat top-ramen more than twice a week in any event.

5. DOUBLE-STUF OREOS: These cookies will throw your diet off course. One serving (one cookie) has 140 calories, 7 grams of fat and 20 grams of sugar. Don’t forget to multiply those numbers times the number of cookies you actually eat in a serving.

6. DONUTS: You don’t need to overdose on sugar to get started in the morning. Stay away from the donuts. Even if you get an old fashioned cake donut, you’re taking in approximately 300 calories, 19 grams of fat, and 28 grams of carbohydrates. Try instead starting your morning off with a cooked hard boiled egg and a small cup of coffee with skim milk. A grande sized black Starbucks filter coffee only has about 12 calories.

7. BURRITOS: Burritos pack a load of calories into your meal. Perhaps you’ve heard of Justin Hall. He’s the guy in Independence, MO, who lost 40 pounds eating a Chipotle burrito every day. He only ate fruit and salads the rest of the day. Nutritionists advise against this, however. Stay away from any meal that has huge portions. The Chipotle burrito that Justin Hall ate daily was a whopping 1,330 calories.

9. CAKE: A 3 oz. serving of pound cake loads 300 calories into your diet. Don’t think you’re off the hook with a fat free cake, either. A fat free serving will still have you consuming over 200 calories. If you have a craving for something sweet, indulge in a 90 calorie serving of Kozy Shack no sugar added pudding.

10. POTATO CHIPS: We love to tell ourselves that potato chips are okay because they’re made from vegetables. This snack is not okay, and will have you consuming too much salt and too much fat. If you have to have a fix, have a small 1/2 serving of baked lays with a tall glass of water.

Supplement your weight loss plan with lots of water and exercise. Consult your doctor and a nutritionist for additional recommendations. They might suggest you keep a calorie log or food diary. And remember, don’t expect to see results immediately. It may take up to 4 weeks of reducing calories and exercising to see results on the scale.