by Katherine Everett

Created on: June 07, 2010   Last Updated: June 15, 2010

Losing weight can become the bane of people’s life. We are surrounded by people that look and come across as being perfect. Because of this many of us believe that we too can achieve ultimate success by losing weight. Unfortunately most people lose sight of the most fundamental issue surrounding weight loss.

1: Three meals a day

If you think about it, you need breakfast to get you started for the day, lunch to sustain energy levels and dinner. Three main meals a day is an easy rule to follow and means that you allow you and your body to become established with a routine. Skipping breakfast is also a no no as you will find yourself hungry by mid-morning.

2: Portion Size

The majority of us are aware what a sensible portion size is. The easy way to remember it is that you should always have a quarter of a standard dinner plate for carbohydrates, a quarter for proteins and half for vegetables. Overeating is sometimes what makes us gain those few extra pounds and before you know it the scales are slowly creeping up.

3: Calories and Fat

Calorie counting can be difficult and time consuming but they do count. Some tips would be to try and cook as much fresh food as you can and avoid processed foods as these can be overloaded with both calories and fat. Calorie and fat guidelines can vary between people but an average is around 2500 (90 grams fat) calories for men and 2000 for women (70 grams fat). To lose weight at a sensible pace try reducing your calorie intake by 500.

4: Snacking

Snacking is something that will hinder your weight loss. Try to avoid snacking at all but if the need arises choose the healthy option such as fruit.

5: Drinking

Alcohol is another hidden calorie monster. Try to avoid alcohol while losing weight or if you do want a drink try the lower calorie options. For people that drink spirits you can opt to have diet tonic water as a mixer rather than fizzy cola or lemonade.

6: Exercise

You can follow every rule in the book but if you don’t exercise it will all be in vain. Exercise should be part of your daily routine. Try using those two things on the end of your legs called feet. Gentle walking and then start building up to brisker walking and who knows, you could be jogging before long. Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, there are all sorts of fun ways to exercise and if you look hard enough you will find something that suits you.

7: Unrealistic Diets

Give us faddy diets and crash dieting as this just make your weight yo-yo. Dieting and then binge eating is not good for you and you should try everything in moderation.

8: Not eating enough

DO NOT starve yourself. You must eat enough to allow your body to work correctly. Cutting back excessively is a very unhealthy way to diet and can sometimes do the opposite as your body goes into starvation mode and actually ends up storing fat.

9: Fresh vs Fast

In this day and age it is all too easy to grab a take-away. Try to resist as these are some of the highest sources of calories and fat. They are the easy option yes, but they are not very good when eaten on a regular basis. Always try to opt for the fresh food option whenever possible.

10: Everything in moderation

I think the most important factor is to enjoy life and believe in the motto “everything in moderation”. Yes you can try to love a sensible and healthy lifestyle but treats are there to enjoy and not to make you feel guilty. If you fall off the dieting wagon then just hop back on the next day and give yourself a pat on the back for doing so well going back to it so quickly.

Always try to do your best but don’t expect perfection, after all…where’s the fun in that?

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