The big mistake that many people make is how they interpret the word diet. Diet has become linked to weight loss where in fact all it means is the food we eat. Linking the word diet to weight loss has meant that many people see diet as simply restricting food, but this can be the big mistake. If you want an easy way to lose weight through diet what you really need is a sensible eating plan.

If you see diet as meaning starving yourself you may be tempted to cut out food groups that are essential. The only thing that will happen if you cut out a food group is that your body will go into starvation mode. It will start to conserve energy and the best way it can do that is to turn your food into fat that your body can easily store. In addition to that if your diet is low in protein then you will begin to lose muscle. If you lose muscle your metabolic rate will lower and less muscle tone will mean you are less likely to achieve the slim body that you want.

You need to view the changes in your diet as lifestyle changes. This is going to be a new way of eating rather than a diet to a fixed amount of weight. If this is to be a new way of eating then you really don’t want to get into counting every calorie you eat or working out the fat content of different foods.

Despite what the diet industry would like you to think healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to be a biochemist to know that a piece of fruit is healthier than a donut.

These few simple guidelines will put you well on the way to naturally adopting a sensible eating plan. And this new way of eating will soon become a habit that just becomes part of your life.

* Eat more meals a day. That’s right I said more. By eating small meals regularly you are maintaining a high metabolism and this will mean your body will burn calories even when you rest. You need to spread the amount of food that you eat across 5 or 6 meals rather than the traditional 3.
* Include protein, starchy carbohydrates and fibre carbohydrates in your three main meals
* Your “snack” meals needs to be mainly protein and fresh fruit/vegetables
* Start making healthy choices. Replace your muffins and chocolate bars with fresh fruit.
* There are hundreds of hidden calories in drinks. Cut out the fizzy sodas (even diet sodas are full of chemicals and will leave you bloated). Drink water whenever you can and herbal teas instead of coffee.
* Always eat breakfast. You have already fasted for 7-8 hours. Eating a good healthy breakfast will kick-start you metabolism and start burning calories
* Drink plenty of water. I know I have already mentioned water but it is so important it worth mentioning again. We often mistake thirst for hunger and drinking plenty of water will also make sure all your organs are functioning healthily.
* Eat more slowly. Put your fork down between mouthfuls and make sure you chew. This will make your digestion more efficient and you will also notice when your body sends signals that you are full. If you need proof of this one just take a look at the way fat and thin people eat when you are next out. Fat people tend to eat quickly. They begin to gather the next forkful before they swallow the first. Thin people tend to have a much more leisurely style of eating
* Reduce the amount you eat gradually. Try reducing your portions and switching to a smaller plate. But do this slowly – one reason that many break their diet is it is so difficult to cope with a massive reduction in food. Cut by a small amount each week and you are more likely to be able to stick to it.
* And don’t forget you will also need to increase your levels of activity

So there you have it, not really a diet but a sensible new approach to eating, but if this becomes part of your new lifestyle you will start to shed those extra pounds and keep shedding them well into the future.

If you like my sensible real world approach to diet you will find more similar tips at http://burnflab.org there are many more Diet and Nutrition Tips along with easy ways that you can add physical activity to your life without spending hours sweating at the gym

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