Weight Loss FAQ

Real-life answers to common weight loss questions

Q. How can I lose weight without starving myself?

A. I’m a keen believer in weight loss without crash dieting. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make changes to the quality of food and maybe even the amount you eat. But it’s a lot easier (if you love food as much as I do that is) to cut extra calories through regular exercise and ramp up your metabolism by building muscle.

When it comes to the eating you just have to make sure you take in more of the good stuff and avoid the bad. Some fats, like the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated varieties, are actually good for you and if new studies are correct the second type may be able to help you lose fat around your midsection. The fats to avoid are saturated and trans fats. It can seem like a daunting task, but just making one or two changes right now and sticking to them will make a big difference. After you get used to your new habits, change a few more.

Q. I’m losing weight but the cellulite is still there. How do I get rid of it?

A. I’ve got bad news for you. Cellulite doesn’t just happen to heavy people, even supermodels get it! Cellulite is actually just plain old fat, albeit in an even more unattractive form. It appears on our butts, thighs and tummies making the skin look dimpled. Forget creams and cosmetic surgery, the only real way to battle cellulite is to lose weight (or more accurately fat).

And that doesn’t mean you should go on a crash diet, because there’s a good chance if you do that it’ll get worse. When you crash diet you lose fat, but also muscle, which is the only thing that stands between you and completely pockmarked thighs. Instead, do some strength training to build more lean muscle mass. If you were looking for an easy answer I don’t have it. Eating healthier and exercising will work wonders, but you’ve got to give it time. In the meantime stop worrying about it so much and focus on getting active and eating better because it will make you healthy and you’ll feel better. Some women will never get rid of all their cellulite, but at least it can be made less visible. Besides, there’s no use hoping you’ll end up looking like that airbrushed model on the cover of a magazine - the picture’s probably not even close to what she really looks like.