Don't go on a diet . . . successful slimming is more likely to be achieved by subtle changes in your eating habits and lifestyle. Changes that you can live
with and come to enjoy.

When you first get the feeling "I'm hungry", STOP, do not eat a thing and reach for a large glass of fresh natural water. Why, because most times the feeling we are having is not one of hunger but one of dehydration. Hydrate your body and wait.. It is practically impossible to tell the difference between being 'thirsty' and being 'authentically' hungry. If you are still hungry, make sure you eat. When you starve your body it goes into survival mode. It is essential when you are hungry to eat otherwise your body can get stuck in a fat storage mode. If you persist in overriding your body's natural cry for food this will alter your metabolism and slow it down. Starving yourself can also cause dysfunctional patterns of thinking in the unsconscious mind, with reference to food. So all you need to do is eat when you are hungry and your metabolism will stabilize, your body will relax and use the nutrients it truly needs from each mouthful.

Eat slowly and you'll eat less . . . put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls, chew each mouthful of food a minimum of 15 to 50 times, sip water with your meals and take smaller bites. It takes a while for your body to recognise that it's had enough food - the slower you can eat, the less you'll want. Just before you start feeling full, stop eating. Don't feel like you have to 'clean your plate' especially
when you're eating restaurant-sized portions.

Don't ban any foods . . . from your slimming plan - especially things you like. Enjoy a small portion from time to time. Banning foods is a sure-fire way to make you crave them. As soon as you declare certain foods off limit you upset the natural order with regards to your connection to them. Instead of wanting the 'forbidden food' less, instantly it becomes more desirable and attactive to you.

Visualise how you're going to look . . . when you reach your slimming goal. What will you be doing? How will you feel? What clothes will be in your wardrobe?

Be conscious when you are eating and enjoy every mouthful. Enjoy what you are eating and savour the taste sensations as you fill your mouth with deliciously healthy food. As you eat consciously and slowly you will notice how tasty each mouthful is and you will notice when you feel full.

Stop eating the minute you think you are full for it is natural to eat when we get hungry and it is natural to stop when we have had enough. Unfortunately most times people eat beyond feeling full and stuff themselves to the point of feeling ill. It is imperative that when you feel uncomfortable, from eating to much, that you stop eating instantly. What is left on your plate you can either take home or put it in the fridge.

Never give up . . . on a goal because of the time it's going to take to get there - the time will pass anyway.

Don't go shopping . . . when you're hungry - if you buy it, you'll most likely end up eating it. Most of us hate throwing food away.

Be kind to yourself . . . if you have a bad day, don't beat yourself up. Congratulate yourself on how many good days you've had and realise that one bad day
isn't going to spoil it all.

Get some exercise . . .successful slimmers tend to make exercise part of their plan. It doesn't have to be hard - even 20-30 minutes of fairly brisk walking a day will pay dividends. Add two weekly sessions of resistance training (which helps you burn more calories even whilst you're asleep) and you'll be looking great that much quicker. Every little helps - look for opportunities to be more active in your daily life. In fact when you take deeper breaths and your heart rate increases you are already kicking your metabolism into turbo boost mode. Walking would have to be one of the easiest and pleasurable types of excercise and investing in a Pedometer to keep track of your steps daily is a great way to challenge yourself to increase your gently effective daily exercise.

Reward yourself . . . give yourself a treat for each pound, kilo and stone you lose. New clothes make a great incentive when you're slimming.