5 Most Stupid Ways to Lose Weight

It still surprises me how so many people can get this so wrong. Here's my 5 most stupid ways to lose weight:

1. Starve - you've got no business going below 1200 calories in a day. You know why? Because Doctors give patients that are in a coma 1200 calories per day to make sure their organs continue to function. Starving yourself over a sustained period of time is likely to damage your metabolism and make it harder for you to lose weight in the long run.

2. Sacrifice a limb - you want to lose weight, so why not just say goodbye to a limb? Stop focusing on the scales and start paying attention to the inches. Grab a tape measure and write down your body circumferences each week. If you're doing any form of toning exercise the scales won't tell you the full story. If the inches are dropping off each week, who cares about the scales?! As far as I know when you try a pair of jeans or a dress on they don't say what weight you need to be on the label.

3. Exercise in the 'fat loss zone' - you've been told that you can't exercise too hard because you won't be burning as much fat. Ok, it's true. At lower intensities you burn more fat, but does that mean we should go and have a nap because we'll be burning more fat. Just reading this email you're predominantly burning fat. BUT, if want to get in great shape you need to ignore this advice. It's old, out of date and if you hear anyone say this you should give them a slap! The harder you exercise the more your metabolism speeds up and the more calories you can burn several HOURS after the exercise has stopped. This works better for fat loss.

4. Do the 'the humpty dumpty diet' - there are so many diets at the moment it's ridiculous. Go back to basics and don't believe the hype you read in the papers. Simply cutting out starchy carbs (bread, pasta, cereals, pastries, white potatoes) will see an improvement in your shape and energy level. Couple this with lean meats, fish and plenty of fruit and veg and you're on to a winner. It's that simple and it doesn't need a fancy name either!

5. Do 1 million sit-ups - this drives me and other trainers bonkers! If you're looking to lose a bit chub from your belly then sit-ups aren't the best, sorry. If they were, then we could scrap all that fancy equipment you see in the gym and just invest in a nice comfy matt to lay down on. But, unfortunately, losing fat from your belly (or anywhere else) doesn't happen by targetting particular body parts. Imagine if I wanted to lose weight from my neck. Would nodding my head back on forward help?! If you're looking to lose your belly, get your diet up to scratch first, then spend your time exercising wisely, not doing 1 million sit-ups.

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