20 Weight Loss Commandments

1. Eat Breakfast

Skipping breakfast sends a message to your body that you are starving because you have not eaten for around 18 hours. But missing the most important meal of the day means you end up craving carbs by mid morning and invariably going for a sugary snack.

2. Eat Snacks

You need to eat regularly through the day to keep your blood sugar levels stable - ideally you should have a healthy snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

3. Smoothie does it

Get into the habit of having smoothies for breakfast and snacks. They are easy to digest and very nutritious.

4. You've gotta chew

Pay attention to each bite of food you take. Chewing slowly helps release nutrients making it easier for your stomach to absorb them.

5. Sit at the Table

Sitting up at the table can actually improve your digestion as your stomach is not slumped over. Also in front of the TV is where most people do their overeating.

6. Don't over eat

Eating a really heavy meal is a bad idea as you have little chance burning up those calories before you go to bed.

7. Get plenty of sleep

A lack of sleep results in a dramatic increase in hunger and leaves you craving carbohydrate snacks.

8. Banish that bloated feeling.

Cut out salt, sugar, junk foods caffeine and refined and processed foods as they can lead to bloating and digestive problems.

9. Kick the Habit

Try and pin point the reasons why you overeat - whether its boredom, stress, loneliness, habit or anger. Once you do this you can change your habits and lose weight.

10. Eat good fats.

Omega -3, -6 and -9 are essential fatty acids and can be found in oily fish, nuts, flaxseeds, raw shelled hemp seeds and vegetables. Avoid saturated fats as these put on weight and can block your arteries.

11. Detox

Give your body a break to kick start a weight loss program. Drinks lots of juices, salads and fruit teas.

12. Have soup before you eat

Eating soup before a main meal can make you feel more satisfied and will stop you wanting a pudding afterwards.

13. Wake up your digestion

Start the day with a cup of warm water and a squeeze of lemon. This helps wake up your metabolism.

14. Exercise

Do 30 to 40 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week.

15. Don't Shop when you are hungry.

You'll end up buying all kinds of things you know you shouldn't. Instead, have a light snack before you head off, and make a shopping list to take with you and stick to it!

16. Eat more not less

Make sure you eat heaps of vegetables, wholegrain, legumes, beans nits seeds and oily fish - this way you'll have no room for sugary snacks!

17. Get quicker

Do 5 minutes more activity than you did the day before. Muscle burns calories even when you are not exercising so building more muscle means losing more weight.

18. Only eat 1 biscuit at a time.

If you want a biscuit - take 1 biscuit out of the tin, close the tin and put it away. If you really crave another biscuit then go back to the biscuit tin and take another out. This stops you taking a handful of biscuits and eating them just because they are there.

19. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full.

Listen to your body it will tell you when it has had enough - don't ignore it!

20. Eat in pears

Overweight women who ate 3 small pears a day lost more weight on a low calorie diet than women who didn't add the fruit to their diet, according to researchers from Rio do Janeiro.

Mike Toal is the author of many articles on dieting and healthy weight loss. For more information on this and other weight loss plans visit his website http://www.weight-loss-programs.co.uk