The secret lies in making your own unique set of golden rules that you live by. I do it myself and it works even though I have had three children. When you have your own rules there is no need to diet; drink cabbage soup; only eat bananas or meat; cut out important food groups; or slavishly follows whatever some crazy celebrity is following.

Making changes to your eating patterns should always be a gradual step so that you do not make too many changes at once and send your body into shock.

Having been involved in the nutrition and slimming world I have helped so many people to achieve permanent weight loss by gradually developing healthy eating habits that become a natural part of their routine so that they eat healthy without even thinking.

Simple home cooking is an important key, as when you cook your own food you know exactly how much salt and fat is in there. Food engineering enables manufacturers to adjust almost any aspect of the food they make, from crunchiness and chewiness to density and dryness, using a range starches, gums, fats, emulsifiers and stabilizers — in fact all the things that a mother would never think of adding to one of her recipes.

For many there is just one habit that is causing their weight gain and if they can identify that habit and change it they will find keeping to their ideal weight easy.

For example: A very common problem is chocolate. So many men and women have a great love for it. They have a set of thoughts that apply to eating chocolate: it will make them feel better more energetic; it will make them happier and comforted; and the list goes on. The truth is that chocolate is full of sugar that will rot your teeth and full of calories that will make you gain weight. It contains all sorts of other chemicals that you really do not need. Added to that chocolate is, for many, highly addictive.  They set out to eat just one chocolate but cannot resist the temptation to eat one more until they feel the pangs of guilt and serious regret.

Changing just one unhealthy habit can have a huge impact on your health and weight and self esteem. Swap the chocolate for a grape, or a sweet strawberry or cherry; finish your meal with a small piece of cheese instead of a chocolate. Respond to a difficult day by walking along the beach and watching the sun go down rather than sitting in front of the television with a box of chocolates. It will make you feel so much better. If you have had a negative day and you feel uptight and feel like hitting the biscuit tin to comfort yourself, do something kind for your children instead, or send someone a nice e-mail showing unexpected generosity and thoughtfulness. This is a great way of lifting your spirits.

So now take the challenge and write down your own healthy golden rules; start with just three.
 
Here are a few examples:

• Always eat cereal for breakfast

•  Only 2 cups of tea or coffee per day

•  Eat a banana for energy and potassium mid morning

• Drink water always, and with meals

•  Only one small sweet treat per day usually at 4 o’clock
 
Start the day with exercise. For a copy of my award winning Mini-Morning Workout e-mail: [email protected]. And for a copy of my Healthy Eating Plan e-mail: [email protected].
 


— Mary
 
If you don’t take exercise at the moment, then start by giving the best part of the day to yourself.  E-mail to the above links for my health eating plan and mini-morning workout. You will then be added to my e-newsletter list to receive monthly motivational tips on losing weight etc. It is available for all.

— Alva