Five Simple Steps To Lose Weight.

Wading through the masses of information on dieting and weight loss, some of which is contradictory, can be confusing so here are 5 simple steps you can lose to lose weight.   

Step 1. Work out your total daily calorie intake

At the end of the day, losing weight is "simply" a matter of expending more calories than you take in . . . . although this sounds simple of course it isn't for many of us.

You burn calories through exercise and going about your daily activities. So to win your personal battle, you need to know how many calories you are consuming in your average day so you know how much you need to burn off.

1.1 To get a clear picture of what you eat, keep a notebook with you and write down every snack, every drink, and the contents of every meal. It's important you include all the small things because they add up e.g. squares of chocolate, the spoonful of sugar in your coffee etc.

Do this for at least 1 or 2 weekdays and the weekend (it's best to do it for a full week).

1.2 At the end of this process,  you need to work out the number of calories you're taking in. This means reading the packaging fort he food you've eaten or looking up on the information on the internet.

1.3 Then use a health website to determine the number of calories you should be eating per day. there is no blanket rule that covers everyone's recommended calorie intake, because everybody has a different metabolism.

As a guideline, reducing the calories you eat by 500 calories per day can help you lose a pound of fat per week.

Step   2. Review your list and decide which foods to cut out or reduce

Usually it's a lot easier to cut calories than you might think. There are often many more calories than you might expect in "innocent" foods. For example, a tall latte in the morning can add up to 500 calories, so replacing the latte with a black coffee can help you lose a pound a week!

The calculation: You might be wondering how does a latte a day equal a pound. A pound of fat (lost or gained) equals approx.  3,500 calories, so 500 calories a day for 7 days = 3,500 calories = 1 pound of fat. Other "innocent" foods with hidden calories include salad dressing, soda pop, candy, and butter.

Also look at the nutritional information for the foods you eat, and look out for saturated fats and empty calories (high-sugar foods). The more of these things you cut out, the faster you'll lose weight.

Step 3. Look for healthy alternatives to the unhealthy foods you've listed

• Start trying to eat healthy in most meals
• Reduce the amount of soda you drink - drink water instead
• Don't put mayonnaise on your sandwiches - use a healthier dressing, or use mustard instead of mayo.

If you decide to go for low-fat and low-calorie options make sure you choose natural foods because many are made with strange chemicals which will interfere with your body and undermine your efforts to lose weight.:

• Choose lean meats. Chicken and fish are both very low in fat (and certain fish like salmon, sardines, and fresh tuna are an excellent source of antioxidants, which are also beneficial to your health), so aim to replace some or all of the beef or pork in your diet with these foods.
• Replace high-calorie side dishes such as macaroni and cheese, French fries, or potato salad with healthier alternatives. such as fresh vegetables and salads.
  
• Pre-made salads are practically effortless, and when accompanied by a reduced-calorie dressing or no dressing at all, they're weight-loss gold.
• Start your day with a healthy low calorie breakfast s off. Replace a fattening breakfast of bacon/sausage/pastry etc with one of more of fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, high-fiber, low-sugar whole-grain cereals.
• Don't skip breakfast because a healthy breakfast increases your rest metabolic rate earlier in the day, and suppresses your hunger pangs so you'll be less likely to snack before lunch.

Step 4. Plan your meals

Planning your meals helps you to make sure you get a balanced diet. It also reduces the temptation to stop off for fast food or order a pizza.

Tip: It's easier to keep to your shopping list if you shop when you aren't hungry.

Of course, make sure that your meal plan reduces your total calorie intake - d'oh! You're not going to lose any weight if you just get the same number of calories by eating different foods!

Make a list of what you'll need for these meals, and don't stray from your list when you get to the market. Look for healthy meals that you will enjoy in cookbooks or online and create a menu for the week.

Step 5   Watch your portion sizes.

Even if you only make small changes to your choices of foods, if you reduce your portion sizes you will inevitably reduce caloric intake and lose weight.

When you're eating high calorie snacks like things chips, pretzels or nuts, put a portion in a small bowl and then put the bag away so you don't mindlessly munch your way through the whole bag.
  
SUMMARY
If you follow this plan and add in some regular exercise - something as simple as a 20-30 minute walk every day - you can be confident you'll lose weight fast