10 easy weight loss tips

If you're fed up with your muffin top/saddleback thighs/bingo wings, a quick-fix diet which promises to shed half a stone in a week might seem like the obvious solution but the fact is that 90% of people who go on crash diets end up regaining some or even more of the weight they lost. So, forget everything you've ever read about fad diets and read our top 10 effective tips for slow and steady weight loss so you can look trim and feel great all year round...

	Move it to lose it Our first tip might not be the most popular but if you're serious about losing weight and keeping it off, it's a must. It's a well known fact that 30 minutes of exercise a day five times a week will drastically increase your chances of losing weight. Not only is exercise great for your health but it's also a great appetite suppressant so, if you feel like you can't live without a large Dominos stuffed crust pizza when you get home from work, go for a brisk walk and we can guarantee all that stodge will have lost its appeal by the time you get back.
	Drink up You should be drinking between six to eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated and keep your body functioning effectively. As well as keeping you energised throughout the day, drinking water can help stave off hunger pains and it will have huge benefits on your skin so drink up!
	Eat breakfast Hands up who has vowed to skip breakfast for a week after jumping on the scales and getting a nasty shock? Missing out on what's known as the most important meal of the day always seems like an easy way to cut back on the calories and shed a couple of pounds by the weekend but, in fact, studies have shown that not only do people who eat breakfast weigh less than those who don't, but they also have a better chance of losing weight. Eat a healthy breakfast like muesli, wholegrain toast with sliced banana or porridge and you'll keep hunger away 'til lunch, reducing your chances of pigging out mid-morning and eating twice as much at lunch.
	Hit the shops We've all bought an item of clothing that's too small in the vain hope that, one day, we might fit into it. The chances are that that day never came but in fact wearing snug, fitted clothes can actually help you lose weight. Pour yourself into a snug pair of jeans or a tight tailored dress and the chances are that you won't feel like reaching for that double choc chip muffin because you're conscious of your figure. Compare this to days when you've worn a smock dress or boyfriend jeans and the biscuit tin has lovingly thrown itself into your arms knowing that a full, round tummy will be invisible under all of those loose layers. So do yourself a favour and ditch the baggy clothes and shop for some figure hugging numbers instead if you want to stay on track.
	Laugh your ass off Ever laughed so hard and for so long that your stomach hurt? That's because you use your stomach muscles to laugh and, as well as giving your stomach a bit of a workout, a good 15-minute laughing session can burn up to 40 calories! So grab your funniest friend and have a giggle about your ex/your boss/that bitch in your office and have a laugh or, if you really want to shed the calories, head on down to the nearest comedy club for a night of fun. Not only will you end up thinner, you'll feel happier too!
	Dear diary... If you find yourself bingeing on chocolate, crisps and desserts on a regular basis, there could be a deep-rooted problem going on other than your sweet tooth. Try keeping a food diary to log everything you eat and how you feel when you eat it and you might see some patterns emerging. If you do find that you grab a king size Dairy Milk whenever you're stressed, tired or upset try using other outlets to manage your emotions like picking up the phone and calling a friend or taking up yoga, meditation or kick boxing.
	Weight training It might be the last thing you think of if you want to lose weight but lifting a few weights and building some muscle can actually help you burn as much as an extra 50 calories a day. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. If you can't face standing among the meatheads at the gym, try lifting a couple of large cans of potatoes or beans and doing some nightly lunges before bed instead.
	Think before you drink There's nothing wrong with the odd drink but if you want to lose a steady 1-2lb a week you need to keep a close eye on your alcohol intake. A small glass of wine can have as many as 116 calories in while a bottle of that beloved of all summer drinks - cider - will cost you a whopping 210 calories so, the next time you feel like a drink, either stick to soda water or a low-cal tipple like gin and slimline tonic which weighs in at just 56 calories.
	Size matters Losing weight isn't rocket science and it can just take a few small changes to help the weight fall off without you even realising it. Portion sizes can make or break even the healthiest of diets if you pile too much on your plate. Eat too much and the excess food your body doesn't need gets stored as energy. If you don't burn off this energy it is stored as fat. The general rule of thumb is to ensure you eat a portion of protein no bigger than the palm of your hand and roughly twice that much of carbohydrates for each meal.
	Gut instinct There are many diets out there that throw bread and potatoes into the same evil camp as chocolate and crisps. But, while cutting down on bread will definitely help you in your quest for a slimmer you, cutting it out completely will do your digestion no favours at all. Bread, potatoes and other high fibre foods are essential to a healthy diet as they help to lower cholesterol, move food through the digestive system more easily and can prevent that dreaded bloated feeling. To get the most out of fibre ensure you stick to wholegrain like All-Bran breakfast cereal, brown bread, sweet potatoes and rice.

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