10 Tips to Losing Weight.
Safe to say, most people want to lose weight yet despise the method, mean and ideas in which to do it. It comes as no surprise in our fast paced, quick fix era of cookie cutter diets, promise pills, medical surgeries... that sometimes we lose sight of the little things that make the biggest impact. Here are ten things that I think should be able to help people (I actually could only think of eight... but squeezed a couple more so it ended up being a well rounded 'ten' lol).

1. Cut out calorie containing drinks. If you limit your drinks to water or tea... it'll significantly improve your metabolism (esp. tea). Body Builders and people who want to be physically fit in general consume abundant amounts of water.

2. Eat fat to burn fat. Try to consume 20-30% of your caloric needs from fats, keeping your fat ratio at 1:1:1 (Polys/Monos/Sats). Avoid trans fat and "hydrogenated" fats.
Example:Polyunsaturated fat (safflower, sesame, soy, corn and sunflower-seed oils, nuts and seeds)Monounsaturated fat (olive, canola and peanut oils, avocados)Saturated fat (animal fat)

3. Eat little and often. In body building, we eat a lot and often, however this rule also applies to losing weight. Eating often will ensure your body is always getting the macronutrients and micronutrients it needs, this will speed up your metabolism and keep you healthy. You should be eating 6-8 small meals per day. As opposed to 6-12 large meals that body builders do lol.

4. Never starve yourself. If you starve yourself your body will breakdown muscles for fuel and maintenance, less muscle results in less calories burned, your body will go into survival mode to conserve energy supplies (fat), your metabolism will slow down until you cave in mentally, and you end up gaining more fat than you had in the first place. Aim for 500 Kcal deficit each day. Periodization & patience is the key.

5. Watch your carbohydrates. Try to consume most of your carbohydrates around training times. Keep your daily carbohydrates from fibrous vegetables and whole grain sources. Avoid sugars and starchy carbohydrates like biscuits, cakes, chocolate, etc.

6. Exercise regularly. The bane of most people. Exercise burns calories - not only during exercise, but also after. More muscle mass means more calories burned, so it might be worth taking up a weight lifting program

7. Set realistic goals. Setting yourself realistic goals can be a great way to motivate you and keep you going. Aiming for 1-2 lb of fat loss per week is a good ballpark figure. This rule applies to body builders as well.

8. Water and hydration. Dehydration impairs intensity, strength and endurance. Water helps cleanse the blood of toxins released during the breakdown of fat cells. Keep well hydrated, try to consume at least 2.5 litres of water each day.

9. Eat protein with every meal. Try to get a good source of protein with each meal. Protein burns more calories when being metabolised and helps maintain muscle mass. Save slow releasing proteins (casein) for periods of long fasting eg, sleep, and quick releasing proteins (whey) around training times.

10. Avoid sugars. Just don't do it.