Reducing the amount of calories that you take in every day is key to losing weight effectively. This does not necessarily mean reducing the amount of food you eat, but transforming your diet to ensure that meals are healthier. However, there are a few small steps that, when implemented on a daily basis, are bound to make a massive difference.

•    Eat off of a smaller plate – one of the main habits people who are concerned about their weight have is to pile their plates with unhealthy foods and then finish it out of habit. If smaller portions of healthier food are eaten at a slower pace, the eater will feel much fuller at the end of their meal.
•    Don’t go shopping when you are hungry – browsing through the grocery shelves with a grumbling stomach is likely to influence us to buy more, and the type of food we buy will generally be the type that is instantly gratifying because we are not in the “food preparation” frame of mind. Instantly gratifying foods include chips / crisps, biscuits, pies and sweets.
•    Weigh your options – when faced with a full fat and low fat / fat-free options, always opt for the low fat or fat-free version of the same product. The argument that the full fat versions taste better is only true to an extent. This is based on what you have become used to and you will adapt very quickly. The same is true of sugared and sugar-free options. However, there are many reports of the negative effects of some of the sugar replacements and each person will need to do research to ascertain the dangers.
•    Getting greasy – oil is sometimes necessary for food preparation, but it is vital that cooking oil be oils from vegetables (e.g. canola or olive oils). Even when using vegetable oils, be sure to use them sparingly, they are not rich in the nutrients that our body needs. When eating out, you have little control over the types of oil they use in your food preparation. If possible, opt for grilled versions of the same meal, or ask if they can use just a little olive oil to prepare your meal.
•    Eat more often – rather than eating 3 large meals a day, split these meals in half and stretch them over the course of the day. Eating less food more often increases you metabolism as your body is not struggling to digest big lumps of food at one time, but is rather kept active for extended periods as it efficiently digests comfortable portions of food.
•    Move it – exercise does not initially have to mean running marathons. Start slowly by parking further away, taking the stairs and jumping up from the couch more often. As your fitness gradually increases, take the next step, which may be a run around the block or a social game of tennis.
•    What’s on the menu – when eating out, resist the temptation to indulge in all 3 courses. Dessert is obviously the least desirable indulgence, but even a Starter and a Main Course can prove to be far too much food for one sitting. It is advisable that you either order 2 Starter portions or take a doggy bag home so that the rest of the meal can be enjoyed on the following day.

It has become a cliché that even a journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step, but clichés are born from phrases that are too true to ignore. The same is true of a weight loss programme, which usually feels like a mammoth task but, when dealt with in small, manageable steps, is certainly doable.