The Ten Golden Rules of Dieting
Somebody once said that you can never be too rich or too thin. Whilst it might be true about being rich, it isn't necessarily true about being too thin. However, many of us don't have to worry about that because we would look better if we lost weight and our health would be improved as well. So how do we do it?

Rule 1
If you are overweight, you are eating too much. The body uses food as fuel and what it doesn't need it stores as fat. Usually, it's that simple. If your body needs 2500 calories a day to perform all the functions you ask of it and you eat 3000 calories a day, you will put on weight. To lose weight you have to eat less than you need.

Rule 2
If it has taken 5 years for you to put on weight, you cannot expect to lose the excess in a few weeks. Crash diets don't work. You might lose some weight in the first two or three weeks but, in the long term, they are counter-productive. First of all, it is very hard to stay on a strict diet without cheating. Secondly, if you are eating too few calories your body will start to consume muscle, not fat. When you come off a crash diet your body will be far more likely to lay down fat as an insurance against a future famine, i.e. a strict diet.

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Rule 3
Strange eating regimes only work because they restrict your calorie intake. Perhaps you have tried diets where you don't mix food groups. Have you thought how these work? If you eat protein without carbohydrate, that actually restricts the amount of protein you can eat as well. Most protein (or fat) is unpalatable without carbohydrates. If you eat meat, you really want something like bread or potatoes to go with it. Similarly, if you are on a low fat diet, it restricts the amount of carbohydrates because they are unpalatable without some kind of fat.

Rule 4
Potatoes, pasta, bread and other carbohydrates are not necessarily fattening. More than that, they can actually be beneficial when trying to lose weight. The way you cook them and what you put on them is important. Mashed potatoes with full fat cream are obviously not helpful on a diet. On the other hand, a couple of plain boiled potatoes as part of a calorie controlled meal will help you to feel less hungry for longer because they take more time to digest.

Rule 5
Going on a weight reducing diet isn't enough. You must try to work out a diet that reforms your eating habits. When you have lost the required weight, hopefully, your sensible diet will have reformed your old eating habits. If this isn't the case, you will very quickly put all the weight back on. Remember, it was your old eating pattern that led to excess weight.

Rule 6
Really this is a continuation of Rule 5. Try to eat as normally as possible on your diet. Just reduce the quantities and cut out calorie rich food like cakes, cream, cookies and candy. If you can eat fairly normally whilst losing weight, it will be much easier to keep the weight off afterwards.

Rule 7
If you succumb to temptation, don't beat yourself up or take that as an excuse to come off the diet. Just forgive yourself and remember that tomorrow is another day. It is even a good idea to work a treat into your diet occasionally, that way you won't get bored and depressed. It will also mean that if you go out for a meal, you won't become a 'diet bore' because you can eat smaller portions and choose the least fattening options.

Rule 8
Don't snack! Eat at least three meals a day and, most importantly, eat a proper breakfast because that is the meal that is least likely to migrate to your hips! It will also stop you becoming ravenously hungry mid morning. When you eat, sit down and concentrate on what you are doing. Eat slowly, chew properly and enjoy your meal. If you are really hungry between meals, have a glass of water or something like a stick of celery.

Rule 9
Practise leaving some food on your plate when you have finished a meal. So many of us are conditioned to eat everything put in front of us. Similarly, don't clean the children's plates by eating what they have left.

Rule 10
Exercise helps in a weight reduction programme. Walking, swimming, cycling or other exercise requires more calories than a more sedentary lifestyle. It also tones your body. Don't have a lengthy exercise session once every week or two, it is better to have shorter sessions at least two or three times a week.

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Copyright © 2005 - Carol Fisher