The following are some tips for jump-starting weight loss and are simply a guide.

Your doctor is a great person to visit before you embark on any weight loss plan.

1. Eat protein at every meal.

Try a smoked-salmon bagel for breakfast, chicken for lunch and a steak for dinner and you’ll be in the summer swing before you know it.

2. Reduce wheat- and flour-based products for the time being.
And yes, that definitely includes that pasta you love!

If you can’t resist, at least go for brown and wholemeal options.

3. Increase your salads and low carb vegies.

Instead of potatoes with your evening meal, opt for a low carb option such as a salad.

You will still feel satisfied and with a variety of salad vegies you will have increased your vitamin intake too.

4. Chomp on fruit.

Apples, pears, plums and berries are all good low-sugar, highfibre varieties.

5. Go low fat dairy.

Enjoy your dairy products but go for the low-fat varieties.

Just be sure to check the sugar content of your favourite yoghurts.

7. Be a label freak. Read the labels as you shop for your groceries.

Don’t be fooled by labels that claim to be ‘lite’, ‘no cholesteral’ and ‘fat Free’.

Compare products and look at what you are really consuming.

Do a little research and you will make more informed choices.

8. Lose the booze.

There is nothing essential in alcohol that you can’t get in fruits and vegetables.

9. Watch the types of fat you consume.

The amount of fat is probably less important than the kind you eat.

The best fats are omega-3 fats found in foods such as fish.

The worst fats are those that contain hydrogenised and partly hydrogenised oils, fried foods and margarine.

10. Obsessively drink water.

Consume at least eight or more large glasses each day and more if you are excercising in the warmer weather.

The key is not to change your eating habits too radically all at once.

By incorporating small changes with an increase in cardiovascular activity, your body will increase its metabolism and adjust to the changes.

Other good choices would be to eat breakfast every day, eliminate late night eating, and reduce your portion sizes.

By doing this and combining it with aerobic activity, your metabolism will rev up and before you know it you’ll be strutting down the beach confident in your appearance.

After all, it’s not always about how we really look at all but it’s certainly about how we feel.