If you want to lose weight fast, crash diets and bursts of exercise are not the answer.

The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise. For example, someone who hasn’t exercised for years shouldn’t rush into running miles each day or pounding the treadmill. Not only will the struggle likely leave you feeling disheartened and demotivated, you’re also far more likely to injure yourself and set your fitness levels back even further.

The same goes for people who suddenly start depriving themselves. Diets that severely restrict calories or certain foods can lead you to be deficient in the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs. Evidence often shows that once you inevitably give up on your new ‘diet’, you then often regain the weight and possibly more when going back to old ways. Check out one and done workout reviews.

How to lose weight

Your body uses food for energy. It stores any excess energy as fat. This means if you eat more food than your body needs for daily activities and cell maintenance, you’ll gain weight.

To lose weight, you need to get your body to use up these stores of fat. The most effective way to do this is to:

• Reduce the amount of calories you eat
• Increase your levels of activity

This is why experts talk about weight loss in terms of diet and exercise. Find out the best supplement reviews at Gazette.com.

1. Introduce changes gradually

Small changes can make a big difference. One extra biscuit every day adds up to a significant number of calories over a month and then a year. Similarly once the sugar hit of the biscuit goes you are left craving more – one is often never enough.

You’re also more likely to stick to, say, swapping full-fat milk for semi-skimmed or making time for a healthy protein and fibre dense breakfast each morning than a diet that sets rules for all foods.

Any changes you make in your weight loss quest should be sustainable. The end game is to sustain these changes over months and years. Simply think of it as a lifestyle not a diet.

2. Increase your activity levels

Someone who increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight.

No matter if you hate gyms – even light exercise, such as a short 20 minute walk, will be beneficial if done most days of the week.

Every single time you exercise more than usual, you burn calories and fat.

There are lots of ways to increase the amount of activity you do.

Here are some examples:

• Team sports, racket sports, aerobics classes, running, walking, swimming and cycling will all improve your fitness levels.

• If you need some motivation or just want to keep an eye on your activity, it could be worth buying a fitness tracker.

• Find something you enjoy that’s easy for you to do in terms of location and cost. You’re then more likely to build it into your routine and continue to exercise, despite inevitably missing the odd session through holidays, family commitments, etc.

• Get out and about when you can. Leave your car on the drive and walk to the shops. Try to incorporate longer walks into outings to the park, coast or countryside and take a picnic, so you’re in control of what you are going to eat that day.

• Every extra step you take helps. Walking up and down stairs uses the larger muscle groups in our legs and is great for burning calories. Always use the stairs instead of the lift, or get off the bus a stop before the usual one and walk the rest of the way.

• Use commercial breaks between TV-programmes to stand up and do exercise, or consider using an exercise bicycle in the living room while watching your favourite programme.