I'm sure there has been a time in your life when you have felt physically inadequate. Surrounded by skinny people seemingly everywhere can be rather overwhelming at times, particularly when losing weight is at the forefront of your mind. However, one must remember that being a certain digit on a pair of scales doesn't necessarily equal happiness - those who crash diet, starve themselves or abuse laxatives are on an incredibly fast emotional rollercoaster that will never end in good health. For this reason i have compiled an article on the basics of healthy, happy, permanent weight loss. However, i know all too well the temptations of a quick fix - last year i dropped 1 stone in 3 weeks, only to result in nosebleeds, insomnia and the inevitable weight gain. Trust me when i say that it isn't worth it.

There are a lot of misconceptions behind the word 'diet'. People associate a diet with carrot sticks and mood swings, but in fact it includes everyone. The definition of a diet is the "usual food and drink consumed by an organism". Bearing this in mind, forget all your preconceived notions that losing weight is about uprooting eating habits and devoting your life to exercise. You merely have to swap certain foods in your diet for others and make compromises for a long term positive impact. However i understand that it is easier said than done.

First of all, do not set yourself unrealistic targets; you are not going to lose 10lbs in 3 days, so don't even try at the risk of feeling rubbish when you fail. Permanent weight loss can be achieved at the consistant reduction of 500 calories a day, resulting in a 1-2lb weekly weight loss, depending on your lifestyle. Remember this when you set your target date. Another common pitfall is to weigh yourself daily - your body weight will fluctuate before and after exercise, your water intake and so on. The only way to obtain an accurate measurement is to weigh yourself once a week. Despite this, you may not lose weight straight away; if you exercise, fat may be exchanged for muscle. Therefore invest in a tape measure - once a month, measure an inch below and above your belly button, around the largest part of your thighs as well as your hips. The inches may be melting off without a numerical decline on the scales - just remember that everybody is different.

Secondly, weight loss can not be achieved permanently without regular exercise. Fact. If you are new to exercise i would recommend swimming; not only does swimming burn calories, it improves muscle tone with little strain on the body. However, i understand that swimming regularly may not be practical. Another good idea is to start walking a certain route, then slowly building it up into a run. You would physically be able to see your fitness improving. By 'regular' exercise i mean anything from 30 minutes a day to an hour 3 days a week, as long as if you keep consistancy.

Ok, so we've covered targets and exercise; this next paragraph will be discussing the third important part for weight loss - diet alteration. I would strongly recommend starting a daily food diary. All you have to do is simply write down what you have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snacks throughout the day. Be honest with yourself - no one is going to know if you had an extra slice of cake in the afternoon. You will not be able to improve otherwise. Armed with this information, take note of a couple of things:

1. What food are you eating outside of designated mealtimes?

2. How large are your portions?

The rest of this article will be focussing on the above 2 points. To start with, many excess calories can be found outside mealtimes, sometimes without even realising it. Ideally i would say to cut out snacking. However, by merely finding alternative snack foods you're already half way there. For example, instead of grabbing a chocolate bar in the afternoon (200-300 calories), chop up an apple alongside a plum (100 calories). I hope now the idea of removing 500 calories a day doesn't seem so daunting. I would also say to pay strict attention to what you are drinking - sugar, full-fat milk and fizzy drinks all have calories too, you know. Therefore limit your tea intake if you can't survive without 2 spoons of sugar. Whatever you do, do not 'pick'. People are culprits of 'picking' particularly at home - if you're cooking pasta, do not for one second think that a bit of penne will go unnoticed in your body. Popping a grape here and a truffle there can only slow down your weight-loss. Importantly, do not feel pressured by those around you; if a coworker offers you some birthday cake, politely decline and don't eat your children's leftovers.

People tell me they find portion control the most difficult part about weight-loss, and i can understand why - the temptation to indulge yourself is unbelieveably easy. This is where strong motivation is needed (check out my article - the keys to motivation and willpower, for help). Aside from that, physical portion contol can be achieved quite easily; for small fruits and vegetables, a handful counts as a portion. Nuts are 5-7 and for meat a portion is approximately the size of one's palm. Knowing this, a significant amount of calories can be cut during each meal by correct portioning. A good example of a portion controlled lunch is as follows: a portion of grilled white meat, alongside 1 portion of steamed carrots and 1 of steamed brocolli and 1 portion of wholewheat rice ( half a cup).

Even with all this information i can see why people are still disillusioned by the idea of losing weight. I empathise if you're not sure where to start, so i've compiled a couple of activities to get you started:

1. Shop around - read the nutrition labels of your favourite foods and try to find lower calorie alternatives.

2. Plan ahead - decide what you're going to eat tomorrow. Stick to it and then feel great.

3. Calculate your Body Mass Index (B.M.I) to help set your goal weight and your Basal Metabolic Rate (B.M.R) to establish how many calories you need to maintain your weight daily. Minus 500, and you have your calorie limit.

In conclusion, you must remember that you are human - the journey to a better you will be fraught with mistakes. The trick to coming out of the other end is to learn and grow from them and accept the past. Most importantly, accept yourself. No amount of weight loss will ever make you healthier if you cannot truly and deeply accept who you are on the inside and outside. It's never too late to start losing weight either - if you've had a weight problem for the past 20 years, don't let it consume another 5.

katacham - Florence