How to lose weight

Crash diets may seem to work while people are on them because they’re usually very strict about the amount of energy intake and the sorts of food allowed. People often start such diets very enthusiastically, but they seldom last the course. Although such diets can be followed for a few days, they get boring and very difficult to stick to. Furthermore, they affect our social lives. You can’t enjoy buying, cooking, preparing and eating food while on a crash diet. And, not surprisingly, we also miss all the associated social aspects of cooking and eating with family and friends. All this means that people invariably give up on these diets, regain any weight lost, say the diet has failed, and move on to another diet.

Top tips for losing weight and keeping it off

• It’s important to maintain a balanced and varied diet, even when trying to lose weight - we still need all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and some fats.
• Reduce your energy intake by cutting back mainly high fat and high sugar foods.
• To prevent feeling hungry, it’s a good idea to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables - more starchy foods like bread, rice, pasta will help you feel full for longer.
• Don’t ban certain foods completely - like chocolate, crisps or cake. This can make the diet more difficult to stick to and more likely to fail. But you should cut back on them.
• Don’t be tempted to skip meals as this can lead to tiredness and lack of performance. Also by having a number of small snacks during the day, you may actually eat more.
• Increase the physical activity you do. Click here for more on Sport, Health and Fitness.