what diet should i follow to loose my weight?

[neethu]

i'm 83 kg and 40 years of age.

[Prin]

how much weight do you need to lose - are you going for a healthy BMI? or some other goal

[healthofmen]

There are no magic diets, why not make one up for yourself. Analyse honestly what you now eat, keep a strict record, for a day or two. Don't forget to put down every snack, the cups of cappuccino, the bits you pop in whilst you're cooking etc etc. then look at it and see where the extra weight is coming from. Do you have regular meals, or do you graze. What fat and sugar is there, even small amounts are very fattening, and they are hidden everywhere, dairy foods, snack foods takeaways, meat, sweet food and DRINKS. Are your portion sizes one plate one layer deep and high in vegetables, or do you still pile it up and eat it up to avoid waste. Start from a position of honesty with yourself, you don't have to show anyone your list. Now think about small changes like sugar in drinks, beverages and pop, alcohol - calorie rich and makes you want to eat. When you have your plan set a start date and start by changing your shopping in advance to reduce or remove snack foods, sweet treats, fatty milk, and cheesy type foods from your list as well as pastry and bakery items that have little value in a healthy diet. When you have done this start to eat at the table, sat down with no distractions other than whoever is with you. Pay attention to your food and eat slowly. Meanwhile increase your exercise levels; calorie burning by exercise is not easy, but moving about raises metabolism and makes you feel good once you have the habit. Keep going, don't look for fast results, they are possible but can't be maintained. Steady weight loss through persistent effort is what works, it is not a diet you need but a whole life rethink. Best of luck.

[Hidden]

Hi neethu,

I kind of agree with healthofmen, I think your probably need a weight loss plan, rather than a "diet". And on the NHS live well lose weight pages you will find not only a free 12 week plan but lots of other good advice about losing weight and related subjects as well as a BMI calculator.

There's also plenty of good advice on this blog, mainly from people who are currently on weight loss journeys.

And, yes, the most usual cause of people failing to lose weight IS that they don't realistically or accurately count the food they eat or the calories they expend in activity/exercise. (And there can be a range of reasons for that!).

So, by way of examples, don't just count calories in the pasta, count the cheese sauce too. Don't just count the fruit, count the cream or the custard on top of it too! Don't just count what you eat at home or at work, count what you get from the sweetshop on the way home, and the snack you had on the way back from that meeting, and the food they laid on at that conference! It ALL counts.

Good luck with your weight loss efforts.