So, according to an article today the most successful way to lose weight - after much research at Harvard -  the answer is to eat less fat and do more exercise. Really? I thought we knew this?

In a way, I praise this 'new' diet breakthrough called the 'not rocket science' diet simply because unlike so many of the fad diets out there or quick weight loss schemes....this IS the best one and the one that will help you keep the weight off long term unlike the most of the quick fix plans.



We spend so much money on diet foods, gym memberships, exercise equipment and a lot more, most of which soon becomes banished to the spare room or cupboard (or in the case of the food; eaten, never to be purchased again!) I am guilty of it too. I have been a member of gym's and bought 'diet' alternative to foods but the reality is so much more simpler...buy healthy, natural (not processed) foods to fill up on and move more than you are right now. That's what I've been doing and while I do feel it has taken my lazy metabolism a while to work, I am FINALLY starting to see results. I don't buy diet bars or sweetners (they are full of sugar and chemicals which are just as bad as fatty food) if I want to snack I'll eat fruit, I drink lots of water to keep hydrated and to stave off 'phantom hunger' (when your thirsty it can be mistaken for hunger) and I have started walking to a lot more places that before I would have driven to. I have cut down on portion sizes too which makes a big difference!

Obviously everyone has there own ways of losing or maintaining their weight and this is mine. I really believe that just taking on this simple notion will help a lot of people who - like me - struggle and yo yo with their weight. Even little things like walking up the stairs at work and not getting the lift will make a difference if you do it several times a day, five days a week. I hate exercise and I hate diets more, if I fancy something naughty I want to eat it but it's all about moderation. If I have eaten well all week, drunk lots of water and exercised, come the weekend if I want a takeaway I won't feel guilty.

I have found that for me, walking a lot more and then spending twenty minutes to half an hour a day toning the wobbly bits I don't like works well for me. I can do the exercises in front of the TV and as much as they are hard work, they are actually quite relaxing and not tons of effort. Mix that in with a high impact work out like aerobics or zumba once a week and you're on to a sure fire winner. If you can't get to a class or don't fancy going alone then there are plenty of DVD's out there to buy or if you have EVERY sky channel like us, you will have Fitness TV like we do which is free!!

Quick fix weight loss is great for a party you want to look good at or a holiday you want to feel slim on the beach for but not for wanting to maintain long term weight loss. Unless you are prepared to lose the weight quickly then work hard straight away to keep it off (I know someone who did this to lose their baby weight and have successfully got into running and kept it up after losing three stone in two months on the Cambridge diet).

So really, as much as this 'new' diet find is not anything new....hopefully it will refresh the minds of those who - like me - are trying to find the perfect way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep their weight down!