Before you get skinny, get real. You can beat your genes only so much. If you have always been a plump child, or most of your family has a natural inclination towards plumpness, then it may not be so easy to rid yourself of embonpoint. Sometimes (and Mendel’s laws of inheritance will bear me out), body characteristics skip a generation and so you might have tendency to attract fat, if any of your grandparents were so. Factor this in, when you set your goal. Next, quantify the goal. How many pounds do you wish to lose?

If you have a personal trainer, skip this article and be guided professionally through an ounce-by-ounce weight loss program. If, however, you are the DIY category, and moreover, do not believe in pill popping or punishing regimes, then read on!

Garner your first resource – will power. Next, chalk out a 20 minute exercise regimen for yourself. Choose an exercise type that pleases you – dancercise, yoga, power yoga, aerobics, walking, jogging, whatever. Exercise at a time convenient to you. Slowly increase the time to 30 min, and also step up the intensity. It is most important to enjoy exercising. Then add a 20 minute brisk evening walk. Remember to swing your legs from the hips as you walk, else you will tire easily. Also, invest in good walking shoes. Your walk must make you feel lighter, not dog tired. And you can be assured of a fitful sleep at night, which incidentally, contributes to systematic weight loss. Your total exercise for the day need not exceed 50 minutes or an hour.

Now, the diet. The old adage – breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper actually works!!! But as a dieter, you have a poorer kingdom, hence a somewhat frugal repast. Breakfast must comprise a small to moderate portion of multi grain cereal in any form, a large helping of raw fruit or vegetable or both. I have found that this makes the urge to nibble practically disappear. Breakfast should be no later than 9 am. Lunch, ideally by 1 or 1.30 pm, can be a little less than your normal helping of bread ( prefer multigrain), a large portion of steamed vegetable made delicious with salt, pepper and garden herbs and a smallish portion of white meat. Dinner before sunset; no arguments here and again, vegetables and a non-fattening protein source, none or very little carbohydrate. If you feel peckish in between, drink a fruit or vegetable juice or sugarless lemonade. Drink 3-4 liters of water each day.

Completely avoid sweets, biscuits, pizzas and the like; anything with butter and refined flour. Turn vegetarian and teetotaler if you can. The more adventurous can plan a salt-free day or two to reduce water retention. Follow this religiously and lose up to 10 pounds in as many weeks. When your weight loss reaches a plateau, walk a little more and try to fit in a healthy liquid-only day.

Remember – any weight loss program faster than this will leave you sans energy and sans good looks as well.