Life isn’t all about being strict with what you eat and when you eat it, it’s about the relationships we have with people and the time we share. Therefore it’s really important that we don’t allow dieting to get in the way of those moments – don’t let wanting to lose weight stop you going out to dinner or to a party; instead ensure that when you go out you make sensible choices such as diet soda or half portions. Moreover, if you have to dine out on a Saturday, back it up with strong dieting on Friday and Sunday that way you won’t feel bad about having some fun and your diet will stay on track!

When we look to make changes in our diet it is very tempting to make drastic changes, for example by cutting a lot of calories all at once from our daily intake or slashing the carbohydrates we take in in favour of protein. However, whilst these changes might be what we need in the long run, by making really strong changes in the first few days one simply makes oneself tired, drained and completely turned off to dieting. The same is true with exercise, at first just make a few small jogs week and then increase frequency and distance over time so that you can let this lifestyle change come about naturally and not in a forced manner that is unmaintainable and potentially dangerous.

Last, if you’re on a fairly aggressive diet then there is no need to maintain such a rigid regime over the weekend too as you’ve already created enough of a difference through the week that the weekend can be slightly more than relaxed. Plus, if you are too strict on the diet throughout then you’ll end up in the rather worrying position of losing interest in your diet and find it harder to stay on the wagon! So, on those long Saturday and Sundays, enjoy a little bit more of the nice things in life, maybe a cake or an ice cream and just live a little – the boost it gives you will make as much of a difference as any diet ever will.