Is your New Year's resolution to lose weight? You might want to read this....
January is a popular time to think about battling the bulge - it's a fresh start laced with new hope after the calorie carnage of and New Year.
Men and women across the country will turn to the scales this month in a bid to start losing weight and the question on everyone's lips is, "what is the best way to do it?"
We've all heard tips, tricks and 'quick fixes' - but do they actually work? The website ha about weight loss, take a look and see if you would have tried any.
What are your best tips for healthy weight loss?
Tell us via the form at the bottom of the article and your advice may feature on Mirror Online.
FACT:
'Crash diets are unlikely to result in long-term weight loss. In fact, they can sometimes lead to longer term weight gain.
'The main problem is that this type of diet is too hard to maintain. Your body will be low on energy, causing you to crave high-fat and high-sugar foods.
'When you finally give in and eat those foods, you will often eat more calories than you need, causing weight gain. Learn more about a healthy diet in the NHS
'Not true. Successful weight loss involves making small changes that you can stick to for a long time. That means building regular physical activity into your daily routine.
'Adults between 19 and 64 should get at least 150 minutes of physical activity – such as fast walking or cycling – every week, and those who are overweight are likely to need more than this to lose weight.
'To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. This can be achieved by eating less, moving more or, best of all, a combination of both.'
FACT:
'Slimming pills alone will not help you keep the weight off long term. They should only be used when prescribed by a doctor.'
FACT:
'Healthy foods are not necessarily more expensive than their unhealthy alternatives.
'You'll typically pay more for a high-fat, high-salt ready meal than you would if you had bought fresh ingredients and made the meal yourself.'
FACT:
'Foods labelled 'low fat' have to meet legal criteria to use that label. Labels such as 'reduced fat' do not have to meet the same criteria and can be misleading.
'A reduced-fat snack should contain less fat than the full-fat version, but that doesn't automatically make it a healthy choice: it could still contain a lot more fat than, say, a portion of fruit.
'Low-fat foods also sometimes contain high levels of sugar.'
FACT:
'Margarine and butter contain different types of fat. Margarine is usually lower in saturated fat than butter. But it's more likely to contain hydrogenated fats.
'Hydrogenated fats, also called trans fats, may be more harmful to health than saturated fats. To lose weight, and for a healthy heart, reduce the amount of saturated and hydrogenated fats you eat.
'If oil in margarine has been hydrogenated, this has to be listed on the ingredient listing on packaging, so check labels carefully.'
FACT:
'Eaten in the right quantities, carbohydrates will not cause weight gain. A 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that dieters on the best-known low-carb diet, the Atkins diet, tended to lose weight not because they ate fewer carbohydrates, but simply because they ate less overall.
'Eat whole grain and wholemeal carbohydrates such as brown rice and wholemeal bread, and don't fry starchy foods when trying to lose weight.'
FACT:
'Snacking isn't the problem when trying to lose weight: it's the type of snack. Many people need a snack in-between meals to maintain energy levels, especially if they have an active lifestyle.
'Choose fruit or vegetables instead of crisps, chocolate and other snacks that are high in sugar or saturated fat.'
FACT:
'Water does not cause you to lose weight, but it does keep you hydrated and might help you snack less. Water is essential for good health and wellbeing.
'Sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger – if you're thirsty you may snack more. The Department of Health recommends that we should drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day.'
FACT:
'Skipping meals is not a good idea. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to reduce the amount of calories you consume or increase the calories you burn through exercise.
'But skipping meals altogether can result in tiredness and poor nutrition. You will also be more likely to snack on high-fat and high-sugar foods, which could result in weight gain.'
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