There is no 'quick fix' to losing weight even though drugs and surgery are often offered. It is easy to try one diet after another but this will never be a long-term solution. The only way to lose weight safely and to keep it off is to change your eating habits, and then ensure that those new, healthier eating habits become a way of life.

There's no point in adopting strict measure that prevent you from living life to the fullest. After all, food is there to be enjoyed. You need a way of eating where you can eat out with friends, socialise without having to forego the meal. Real and permanent fat loss (not just weight loss) has to be gradual and it takes time. The important thing, however, is that this approach works, and your weight will stay off.

Dietary changes

Follow the recommendations from the nutrition section. In particular, reduce or eliminate foods made with white flour or white sugar, and avoid refined foods where the fibre and goodness has been stripped away. These are 'fast-releasing' , and can have detrimental effects on blood sugar and then your weight.

Cut out all sugar and artificial sweeteners. You will have to become a label reader because sugar can be added to almost anything, including savoury foods such as baked beans, tomato ketchup, and even bread. In order to make sugar content appear lower, manufacturers list all the different types of sugar separately (look for words ending in -ose, such as fructose, glucose and sucrose). Don't be fooled. They all have relatively the same effects on our bodies.

A very simple tip to help with weight loss is to chew well and to take your time when eating. It takes your brain 20 minutes to register that you are full, so if you eat more slowly, you will actually want to eat less.

When you eat matters

What is important to know is that skipping meals can slow down your metabolism because your body thinks there is a shortage of food. It's better to eat little and often, to keep your blood sugar levels (and your metabolism) steady.

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