by Jay Ferguson Clarke

Created on: November 07, 2008   Last Updated: November 23, 2008

It all depends on your body and the type of exercise that suits you as a person. Endurance running will certainly knock off a lot of unwanted pounds, but whether or not you are able for it is a different matter. If you've been a couch potato for a while, you'll need to spend quite some time building up your energy enough to get out there and run. It also depends on the time of year you are running as most of us will find it difficult to run in winter. After talking to several people about this topic, most agree that they don't really enjoy running and that it takes a certain type of person to do it. I find the best method of losing weight is to keep generally active, do short sprints and build in dance into your daily exercise routine. Stick on some music and get moving, dance while you are making your meals, dance with the children if you have any, dance with your pets. Most importantly, get your partner up and go mad, let it out. If your partner won't subscribe to it or you don't have a partner at the minute, get your friends round for a dance exercise night once a week. If you want to get your tummy slimmed, go swimming and if you don't like swimming, you need to stretch your tummy in some way our intestines need a good workout frequently to keep them healthy.

Most importantly, cut the calories and drink loads of rubbish free liquid. An appropriate computer acronym is GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out). Sit around on your sofa stuffing your face with chocolate, buns, sweets and crisps and you'll end up with cellulite, weak muscles and a lack of energy. But don't worry, I'm not preaching, I'm just speaking from experience. Up until I was 41, I was slim, active and full of energy not necessarily well as I've lived with illness all my life, but certainly not giving up. I then got ongoing shingles due to stress, got depressed and started to over indulge on all the wonderful meals that my husband cooks me. The weight slowly piled on and my body started to go downwards and I mean everything goes downwards.

So what about illness? Again, it depends on the calories you consume, how active you are with the illness and your body shape and size. I had ME for many years and was told that you always get overweight with ME. I was completely the opposite and was incredibly underweight, which I later found out was due to undereating and burning myself out doing all kinds of exercise and sport, including endurance running!

The best measure to use when trying to lose weight is your clothes. Use your common sense and think of how you used to be. If you've always been overweight, look at familial eating patterns. I once talked to a girl who couldn't understand why she was overweight and yet I could eat what I wanted and stayed skinny. When I asked her about her eating habits she told me she had one or two Chinese's for supper and six cans of beer every night. I was absolutely gob-smacked. I think my reaction was so strong that she gave up Chinese food for a while and surprisingly for her, she lost loads of weight.

My tip is (and one I need to discipline myself to do) that, if you're fit, push your boundaries and if you are not fit, build it up slowly until you are ready. Cut the calories, sprint, dance, swim, or do whatever you enjoy the most. Only do endurance running if you enjoy it and feel able for it you decide you are in control of your own body, mind and soul.

Learn more about this author, Jay Ferguson Clarke.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.