Be smart about it 3 - Don't attempt to lose weight quickly

When you decide to go on a diet with the aim of losing a few pounds or kilograms, take your time. Any attempt to achieve fast results will conflict with your body's nature. Why fight the body if you can work with it?

Chose the intelligent option that is aligned with the body's system to achieve optimal results. Patience pays. When you venture on to a diet, set up intelligent expectations rather than ambitious ones.

The best way to diet is to aim to lose between one and two pounds (about a kilo) per week, in a safe and pleasurable way. You'll achieve this by simply cutting down your normal food intake by 300-500 calories each day, while also increasing your output of energy by an extra 300-500 calories per day. In this way you will cut out up to 1000 calories each day and the results will show almost immediately.

Cutting 300-500 calories from your daily diet involves only a moderate compromise to your current lifestyle. Have a lighter breakfast; choose a light meal for lunch, something like steamed rice and vegetables or mozzarella and tomato salad; give up desserts for a while; drink water instead of soft drinks. In other words, don't pig out - eat firstly to nourish yourself and only secondly for enjoyment. Train yourself to enjoy lighter food and smaller dishes. The stomach will adapt to smaller quantities and will give you the same sensation of saturation.

If you overeat one day, eat lightly the next day. Make it easy for yourself by avoiding dramatic or fad diets. You don't need to make major lifestyle changes, just be mindful of your eating habits and moderate and refine them.

At the same time, burning the extra 300-500 calories per day should not be regarded as a chore. Make your exercise a pleasurable habit.