Informed choices when eating out.

Brilliant! The Food Standards Agency are recommending to restaurants that they include the calorie content of individual dishes on their menus so that customers can make informed choices and many of the fast food chains are happy to comply.

Previously, you had to log on to Pizza Hut's websites to investigate the calorie content of their menu which was helpful for folk like us who needed the information when putting together articles for my magazine that highlighted the best and worst choices to make when dining out. But putting the calorie content alongside each item is terrific. At a glance we can make the choice between two equally appealing items and, if we are watching our weight, select the one with fewer calories. Let's hope all restaurants follow suit.

I have always believed that following a calorie controlled diet is the only guaranteed way of losing weight. Yes, I suggest we eat low fat because that reduces the number of calories you eat dramatically without necessarily eating less quantity. Fat contains twice as many calories compared with carbohydrate or protein so not frying things and not adding fat to food knocks off hundreds of daily calories without even noticing. It doesn't take long to get used to your food not dripping in fat.

And just in case someone is reading this blog who is not really into understanding weight loss and calories.... to keep our weight constant women should consume between 1800 - 2000 calories a day whilst men should have around 2200 - 2500 a day to maintain their weight. As we get older we need fewer calories and if we are very physically active we will need more. To lose weight we need to cut those figures by around 500 calories a day. Combine this with regular exercise and physical activity and you will lose weight to the tune of around 2 lbs a week which is considered a very healthy rate of loss.

If you want a calorie controlled diet that works incredibly effectively, look out for my Gi Hip and Thigh Diet which is available via our website if you do not have a book store locally, plus you will always find a diet in my magazine which is sold in supermarkets or from our website