34 diet and fitness tips you need to know

11. Put your best foot forward
'When looking for a parking bay, try to find one further away from your destination and walk briskly. Walk when talking on your mobile phone. If you need to get a message or documents to a colleague at work, get up and do it yourself rather than sending an SMS, email or messenger.'
Tanya Wyatt, author of Be Your Own Personal Trainer (£11.24 New Holland)

• Read: The sofa workout
• Try: Walk off the weight in six weeks
• Chat: Meet other iVillagers getting fit

12. Start drinking pints of water
'Drink eight glasses a day. Water is a natural appetite-suppressant. Nettle tea is a great weight-loss tea as it supports metabolism and has diuretic properties.'
Dr Gillian McKeith, author of You Are What You Eat (£7.69 Penguin)

• Read: How to liven up your water intake
• Try: Lose weight with water
• Chat: Find friends on You Can Do It Diet Support

13. Play with your pinkies
'Try playing imaginary piano scales with your toes. Joseph Pilates was a great believer in body control and this is a great exercise for trying to re-establish the links between brain and body. It's not as easy as you might think.'
Steve Shipside, author of Power Up Pilates (£9.74 Infinite Ideas)

• Read: The pros and cons of Pilates
• Try: Relax your way to a better body
• Chat: Meet yoga and Pilates fans

14. Keep your eye on GI
'Eat low GI foods. They result in lower insulin levels which makes fat easier to burn and less likely to be stored. Low GI foods include multigrain bread, rolled oats or muesli, biscuits made with dried fruit and whole grains, apples, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes and sweet corn.'
Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, The Pocket Guide to the Glucose Revolution with Kaye Foster-Powell, Dr Anthony Leeds (£3.74 Hodder and Stoughton)

• Read: How does GI affect weight-loss?
• Try: Your GI diet plan
• Chat: Get advice and ideas about the GI diet

15. Less is more
'Frequency is almost always more beneficial than duration when working out. For example, although theoretically you are burning the same amount of calories, five 30-minute workouts are going to be more beneficial to your health than two 75-minute sessions.'
Nick Hudson, Holmes Place Academy

• Read: What kind of exercise burns the most calories?
• Try: Find your exercise quotient
• Chat: Meet other iVillagers getting fit

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