A dietary and exercise program provides a step-wise transition from unhealthy dietary/exercise patterns to healthy patterns in a controlled manner, so as to allow the dieters body to adjust to the changes without experiencing strong cravings, stress and/or fatigue. The program comprises three integrated components: (1) a progressive food choice component, (2) a step-wise, transitional caloric intake component and (3) a progressive exercise component. The food choice component progresses through multiple levels in which an increasing proportion of the diet consists of healthy meals, until a target food choice level is reached or the dieter attains his/her target weight. During the first food choice level, the dieter makes a gradual transition from his/her baseline caloric intake to that recommended by the NIH based on age, gender and activity level.
