There are so many people out there telling us how we need to lose weight. The problem is not knowing whether or not we should trust them. All too often they are simply trying to sell us some product that doesn't work. So how do you get to learn the truth about how to lose weight? Well, it's a pretty difficult question to answer but learning from others is often a great way. Especially those who aren't trying to sell you the latest "must have" pill or item of equipment.

A little about me: first of all, I've always been fairly slim. I wouldn't say I was stick thin but I was certainly never fat. In the early 90's I became pretty addicted to exercising and was also on the Rosemary Conley's Hip and Thigh Diet. I would exercise just about every day and often I would get to the end of an exercise video only for me to rewind the tape and do it all over again. I was also not taking any fat because I believed the eating fat made you fat. This is the biggest myth ever told, believe me. Healthy nutrition is important.

Anyway, unfortunately I suddenly became ill in 1995 and after undergoing lots of tests found out that I had MS. For six months I had no energy what-so-ever and basically lay on the sofa all day. I then started to regain my energy but nowhere near to the levels they once were. I'm not sure if it really was MS or not but I still get really tired and find it difficult to get a deep sleep. My weight has also been yo-yoing about a lot over the years.

2 years ago I joined my local gym and employed the services of a personal trainer for an hour every week. He trained me really well and I did gain a lot of strength. Unfortunately it did nothing for my energy levels and in the whole 6 months that I went to the gym I lost a total of 2 pounds.

Looking back on it I realize what I was doing wrong. I had bought a book about low GI which said that you should eat a bowl of porridge every day but being careful about carbs. This may be OK for some people but I strongly feel that it's the porridge that prevented me from losing weight. I doubt it was anything to with other foods in my diet because I really was eating a lot of salads and other good quality foods.

This year I decided to go down the route of joining Weight Watchers where I have been doing the "core plan". It just involves eating healthy and doing a bit of exercise. Basically I've really just been doing my own thing but for me having the weigh-in every week has helped me focus on what I'm doing. For many people, Weight Watchers really helps with will power.

So here is what I have done to lose 2 and a half stone in the last 6 months:-

1. Cut out bread, potatoes and pasta. These products increase insulin levels which cause you to be tired and also put on weight. Whenever I cut out these products I start to lose weight very quickly. Look for alternatives such as sweet potatoes, rice and quinoa.
2. Put ankle and wrist weights on when you go out for a walk. At first they feel very strange but as your muscles develop you get used to them. I would recomend doing push ups but I have a sore wrist so cannot do them.
3. Don't forget that certain fats are good for you. As I mentioned, eating a diet without any fat in it is very bad. If you have dry skin or brittle nails this is also an indication that you aren't eating enough of the good quality fats. This includes olive oil, walnut oil, fish oil and pumpkinseed oil. Drizzle these oils onto a salad or even take them in capsule form if it suits you better. Even avocados which are rich in fat is very healthy for you.
4. Avoid all these so-called diet foods. You know the type I mean. The snacks that are supposed to have less fat and sugar in them. Look at the ingredients to see whether they really are any better than non-diet snacks. You'll be amazed to find out that often they aren't. Also, when I started to buy them, I found myself eating more snacks rather than less. It's easy to think that because they are made by Weight Watchers that somehow you can eat all you like of them. No, you can't. Stick to truly healthy snacks like carrot sticks or brazil nuts.

So if you've got any other tips and advice other people might like to know please feel free to leave a comment. Other people on the net have written about their weight loss efforts which I think is a really great idea. Halle has written her thoughts on weight loss at Gather whilst DeMerchant has written his opinions at Squidoo about running 3k a day to lose weight. Keep up the good work! Another good site to check out is Good Health. And if you are interested in health generally you should check out this Squidoo lens on Alt Cures.