Ditch the diets, move more & eat less crap

Although the ability to sustain a healthy weight stems from moving more and eating less, dedicating our life to a diet defined by deprivation, limitation and restriction is not only unrealistic, but unsustainable.

In fact, subjecting the body and mind to strict rules and regimes such as a reduced caloric intake, precise portion sizes and an excessive increase in physical activity over a prolonged period of time can leave many susceptible to developing an obsessive and abnormal relationship with food, calories and extreme exercise routines as the thought of relaxing a successful weight loss programme fuels their fear of piling on the pounds they've struggled to shed.

Despite the stigma surrounding dieting, opting for a short-term fix to a long-term problem - think deprivation, a severe caloric deficit and the elimination of essential nutrients - is guaranteed to make our chosen weight loss method a struggle to sustain should we fail to make realistic lifestyle changes that can be incorporated into daily life and activities - the lifestyle changes that resemble long-term success.

Maintaining moderation, moving more and achieving a healthy balance will all prove to be far more beneficial for our physical and psychological health than dedicating every waking moment to a diet destined for a lifetime of disaster.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather maintain a healthy weight whilst enjoying meals like this - homemade spicy potato wedges, tuna and granary bread - than subject myself to the strategic rules associated with a diet...