by Shaheen Darr

Created on: December 24, 2008   Last Updated: October 09, 2010

Shedding extra pounds that have piled on after the holiday season will need time and effort but with the right dedication you can make them come off and stay off for good.

Begin by making a promise to yourself that you need to lose that extra weight for the sake of your health and happiness. This means reminding yourself of this promise on a regular basis in all kinds of ways. Use written notes on the refrigerator, near your bed or in the cupboard where the cookies are stored so that each time you want to comfort eat, the note puts you back on track. Change the messages on the notes often by making them bolder and more colourful to hit the message home.

We all have a photograph taken when we were slimmer or at our ideal weight. Put it somewhere where you can see it so that you do not just have verbal reminders but a visual one too. Another way is to hang the dress that you have been longing to wear but cannot due to the extra pounds you have piled up, and hang it outside your wardrobe. Look at it regularly and try it out each week to see how if it fits better as the weight starts to drop.

The aim is to lose weight gradually as rapid weight loss is never a good idea for anyone. In time you will put the weight right back on if the loss has been due to missing meals or drastic dieting. These diets might help you lose weight very quickly but they are definitely not recommended for a longer period. The healthier option is to eat your normal meals but cut down on portion sizes. Do not eat so that you feel bulky and uncomfortable. Leave a little space in your stomach so that it does not bulge out and have small portions each time you feel hungry. Concentrate on proteins and increase the salad and vegetable portions to fill you up. Make sure you have a variety of foods to give you all the necessary vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function at its optimum. Healthy meals will be beneficial for all the family members including children who should be encouraged to prepare a variety of meals with you to learn about the benefits that food provides for the body.

Have lots of snacks around the kitchen and in the fridge for those hunger moments that make you reach for the chocolate or the cake. Keep carrot and cucumber sticks, lots of fruit of every kind in the fruit bowl, small pots of low fat yogurt in which you can add some chopped nuts for extra health benefit or cottage cheese pots. There are many options available in grocery stores that you can change

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