Drink water to lose weight - sounds crazy, but in fact water is a major catalyst in the fight against that bulging belly!

By drinking a minimum of 1.5 litres of water per day, your body will be much more efficient in flushing out toxins in your body, your kidneys will work much more efficiently and make you feel much healthier.

For many people who have water retention, not drinking enough water is often the problem - when you do not drink enough, your body thinks you are starving it of water, so holds onto every drop you give it, leading to problems with water retention and weight gain. When you give your body enough water every day however, it comes to expect a regular supply, so will not hold on to excess for fear of "drought".

Drinking cold water also helps you to burn calories, as your body needs to work hard to warm up the water to an acceptable body temperature. Try to consume it spread evenly through the day if possible, with additional water needed when it is hot, or you have been exercising, to make up for that you will have lost through sweating.

So know you know that water is important, what actually counts towards this minimum 1.5 litres daily target?

If you are a tea or coffee drinker, that's fine, but these drinks will not count towards your 1.5 litre requirement! Why? Because these drinks actually act as a diuretic, so you will be actually getting rid of more water than you take in. Of course, tap and bottled water are fine, as are diluted squashes, herbal teas and green tea, the latter of which also contains antioxidants to provide additional benefits to your body.

Are you always feeling tired and lacking energy? Do you fall asleep on the sofa each night, or wake up in the morning cursing the alarm clock? If so, what have you done about it? Have you considered that your diet may be a major factor in your continual battle against exhaustion?

In today's world of fast living and eating on the go, we often do not get time to eat healthily and prepare well balanced meals, instead, living on junk food. What we do not often take into consideration however is that these types of meals are full of salt, sugar, excess calories and saturated fats, all of which lead towards that feeling of lethargy and tiredness.

By denying our bodies the nutrition it needs, we are being starved of essential vitamins and minerals, so our bodies have to compensate by slowing down our metabolism, and thus not providing us with the energy we need to lead active lives.

So how can we change our diet to incorporate the full range of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need on a daily basis? Firstly we need to cut out those foods that are providing an excess of junk, salt, sugar, saturated fats and high calories, and replace them with a broad spectrum of foods from the food pyramid. This is basically an American model, put together and amended over the past 30 years, to reflect what type of foods our bodies need every day.

It is broken down into various food groups - fats and sugars, protein, dairy, fruit and vegetables and carbohydrates. Of these groups, fat and sugar should be kept to a minimum, though not cut out completely, as it is important that we do eat some of these every day.

Carbohydrates give us energy, so things like potatoes, rice, pasta and bread should be eaten daily, though in reasonable portion sizes. Similarly we also need dairy products to supply us with calcium for healthy bones and teeth, though by sticking to the lower fat cheeses and yogurts, we will be doing ourselves a favour.

Finally , the 2 most important groups are fruits and vegetables, and protein. By eating a minimum of 5 different fruit and vegetables daily, we are providing our bodies with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, whereas protein (meat, fish, poultry, soya) provides the building blocks for healthy muscle, which will help us to protect our heart and other organs.

Eat all the food groups in the right proportions every day and not only will your energy levels soar, but you will also find it easy to lose weight and shape up!

To find out ways of changing your diet to adopt a more healthy eating plan and lose weight in the process, visit http://www.trim-the-weight.org/ where you can have a FREE online body fat analysis and organise a FREE weight loss consultation.

You are what you eat! An old adage, but definitely true. Over time, everything that you put into your body will reflect in your overall well being and health, so it is important that you give your body the best possible fuel you can.

Nowadays it is so easy to overindulge in the wrong sort of food, especially if you live a hectic life, juggling a career, family and other commitments. With the huge amount of fast food restaurants sprinkled throughout every High Street, and the vast amount of ready meals available in the supermarkets, it is no wonder that many of us live on a diet that is extremely high in salt, sugar, saturated fat and loaded with calories, rather than the healthy option of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables that was a natural choice for our Grandparents.

The results of this change are obvious - throughout the Western world, the rate of obesity is climbing at an alarming rate with worrying consequences. Not only are people unhappy about the way they look, but they are also putting themselves at serious risk of fat related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, strokes, heart disease and even some types of cancer.

In the majority of these cases however, these facts seem to be ignored - as everyone's waistline increases, it is seen to be the norm and many middle aged people simply ignore their modestly expanding waistlines and turn to the clothes stores who cater for the "fuller figure".

It is important that we reverse this trend before it is too late. Hospitals will soon not be able to cope with weight related diseases; indeed many Doctors are already turning away patients who need operations until they have lost a certain amount of weight.

So how should we go about trying to redress the balance? It is important that you know that losing weight is not just about cutting back on food, but that an overall package is required to ensure both healthy long term weight loss and increased energy levels.

As well as healthy nutrition, your body also needs water, exercise and maybe some supplements to deal with those problem areas. Healthy weight loss is not rocket science, but if you have support and the right information to start with, it will be far easier than struggling along with a "go it alone" approach, which rarely works.

To discover a great way to adapt your diet and lose that excess weight, visit http://www.trim-the-weight.org/ where you can have a FREE online analysis.

For people who are trying to lose weight, protein should be a very important part of their diet. Many people who are on a diet think that all they have to do is survive on a meagre diet of salad and the weight will drop off. This is a big mistake however. Although the pounds will ultimately melt away, it is not the fat you will lose, but more importantly, the healthy lean muscle that gives you your shape and protects your vital organs. Because of this, you will feel forever hungry whilst on your diet and the bulging stomach will not necessarily end up as trim and flat as you would hope.

By incorporating a higher amount of protein into your diet, not only will you eliminate your hunger pangs, but you will also be building lean muscle to give you the shape that you desire. Protein will also help to protect your heart and other vital organs in the process, and when taken in conjunction with a balanced meal plan containing your full complement of vitamins and minerals, you will also find that your energy levels rocket, and suddenly, you won't get that mid afternoon slump and you will be able to keep going much later into the evening.

Although some protein can be incorporated easily into a diet, it is often difficult to eat enough every day through the consumption of a normal daily diet. As such, you may need to consider protein supplements to top up your intake. Whereas many protein supplements on the market are whey based, it is worthwhile considering a slightly more expensive quality soy protein alternative, as not only will this provide the additional protein you need, but soy has also been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol levels. As high cholesterol is a contributory factor towards strokes and heart disease, cholesterol should always be maintained to a healthy level.

To find out the right amount of protein for your particular needs and how it can be easily incorporated into your diet, visit http://www.trim-the-weight.org/ where you can have a FREE online analysis and personal consultation.

1) Drink plenty of water - at least one and a half litres a day, not including tea and coffee (which act as diurectics)

2) Moderate exercise - no need to pump iron or run a marathon - just small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the lift, getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking, a brisk 10 minute walk in your lunch hour

3) Keep up your fibre intake for a healthy digestive system - if you are suffering from constipation, taking aloe juice can really help.

4) Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables every day - at least 5 servings, preferably of different colours to provide different vitamins and minerals

5) Lots of protein rich foods to help build muscle and burn that fat - meat, poultry, fish and soya are great

6) Don't weigh every day - you'll get depressed when the scales don't move. Set aside one day a week, and weigh straight after getting up and going to the toilet.

7) Don't just think about weight loss - measure yourself every week as well - some people lose inches before weight, and at the end of the day, its the shape that matters

8) Cut down on the alcohol - alcohol has a very high calorific value and just one or two glasses a day really add up

9) Cut down on carbs (but don't cut them out altogether - your body needs some!)

10) Find a new interest or hobby - when your mind is occupied, you are less likely to feel the urge to snack. If you do get a craving for food, try snacking on fruit, nuts and seeds rather than those chocolate bars.