Weight loss

For anyone serious about loosing a few pounds or kilos to improve your health, there are a few basic things I find work very well for my clients:

• Prepare before you start making changes. Have a reasonable idea as to what you are trying to achieve and write your target down. Bear in mind that a 5 - 10% loss of weight improves your health if you are overweight; so although your ideal weight may seem like a tough target, you are going to benefit from even a relatively small weight loss
  
• Keep a food diary and use a pedometer for a week so that you have a clear assessment of what you eat and how active you really are
  
• Don't do anthing drastic that you won't make a part of your daily life. Look honestly at where you can make changes to the amounts of food, your way of cooking and your food choices and substitute a smaller serving or a 'lighter' option next time
• Eat regularly- don't skip meals and don't cut out groups of foods (dairy, starches etc) or you'll be hungry and you'll miss out on nutrients. Go easy on the low nourishment/ high kcal usual suspects - sugary drinks, fried foods, sweets, savory snacks and alcohol.
  
• Get some activity into your daily routine...anything! Just decide never to take the lift again, but move more and use your pedometer to check what you're doing. We suggest that people should be taking 10,000 steps a day minimum.
• Drink plenty...it doesn't burn calories or melt fat, but most people are dehydrated a lot of the time, and a lot of people mistake thirst for hunger.
  

Basic stuff, but it does work. Trust me - I'm a dietitian.