Diet & Fitness 

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Five ways to start losing weight today

No more delays. No more waiting until Monday. No more looking for the perfect diet. No more expensive fad diets that don't work. Follow these simple and effective steps and you'll get started losing weight today, and keep it off tomorrow.

1) Carry a notebook and a pen.
Make sure you write in that notebook. Every single thing that you swallow should be written down, preferably as soon as you swallow it. If you finish your daughter's leftover cereal at breakfast, write it down. Sampled some chocolate at the office? Write it down. Just a `taste' of the stew you're making for dinner? You've got it: Write it down. Writing down what we eat and drink forces us to be aware of what we're putting in our mouth. It also gives us an easy way to track our intake and decide what changes we want to make.

2) Ask 'why?'
Every time you start to eat or drink, ask yourself one word: Why? Why am I eating this? Am I hungry, tired, bored, stressed, lonely? The correct answer is simple: hunger. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Work out what you need to do to satisfy that emotion: Take a nap, read a book, call a friend - just don't eat if you're not hungry.

3) Eat to lose.
That's right, if you skip meals you won't lose weight. Why not? Because then you'll get so hungry that you snack, or eat more than you want to, or end up feeling miserable and give-up straight away. Everybody needs to eat and deserves to eat three meals per day. Snacks, too (if, of course, you can answer question 2 correctly first). And forget those skimpy little diet meals. They just leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied. A meal should include whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein and even a small amount of fat.

4) Remember your favourite things.
If you've ever tried to completely avoid your favourite food, then completely lost control and devoured the entire packet of biscuits, you know what I'm talking about. Stuck on chocolate? Eat one delicious, exquisite piece of high-quality chocolate every evening. Savour that chocolate. Sit down, relax, and do nothing but enjoy the flavor, texture and experience of eating the chocolate. Eat slowly, enjoying every bite. And whatever you do, don't feel guilty. A small portion of your favourite food will keep you satisfied and happy - and losing weight.

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