- Do not skip breakfast - Don't start your day on an empty stomach. Your body will perform better with fuel in the tank and you will not keep looking for sugary snacks to see you through until lunch.
- Eat regular meals - this will prevent you from becoming too hungry and over eating later. Hunger leads to bad choices.
- Make sure your diet is made up mainly from fruit, vegetables and fibre rich foods like wholemeal bread, pasta, rice etc. ( Food pyramid )
- Use low fat substitutes for dairy products wherever possible e.g. skimmed milk, low fat cheese, cottage cheese and yoghurt.
- Drink 2 litres of water everyday. Take a 2 litre bottle to work with you and drink it throughout the day.
- Do not be fooled by low fat biscuits and cakes or you might eat the whole packet! Instead, allow yourself a small portion of the full fat version and savour it.
- Don't eat large heavy meals last thing at night as your body won't have time to burn those calories.
- If you have a dessert, leave it until about an hour after your dinner. This will prevent you from having something else extra later.
- Allow yourself treats occasionally or you may end up bingeing.
- Alcohol contains a lot of calories, do you really want to use large amounts of your daily allowance on something that gives you very little in the way of nutrition. Alcohol is also a diuretic; it takes fluid away from the body so you need more water to compensate. So drink sensibly and keep alcohol to a minimum.
SUMMARY
In general, try to adopt a healthy attitude to food for life, rather than constantly being on a diet. That way you will be able to achieve and keep the body shape you want.