There are thousands of fad diets out there and very few of them work at all, let alone work for the long term. Despite what companies and celebrities tell you, there are some simple, straightforward ways to safely lose weight. We are going to list four very effective ways to lose weight and keep it off just to prove them wrong!
We aren't going to pretend losing weight is easy because it isn't. What we will say is that the rewards for your efforts result in more confidence, better health and a much happier you. If they aren't reason enough to make some changes, we don't know what is!

1. Swap your foods

Making small changes can quickly accumulate. They are also easier to manage and to sustain, especially if the new foods taste just as good. Making simple changes such as swapping supermarket bread for freshly baked bread or swapping white bread for wholegrain is a step in the right direction. Swapping crisps and chocolate for fruit or having a fresh fruit smoothie for dessert instead of cake will still leave you satisfied with far fewer calories.
Finding a healthier alternative to your fatty, sugary snack foods is a simple but very effective way to make long-term, sustainable changes.

2. Cutting out invisible calories

Liquid calories are not registered in the same way solid ones are. That means that extra coffee with cream or beer after work is often invisible. Swapping a full-fat cappuccino with chocolate powder for an Americano is a simple way to still enjoy coffee without the calories. As is drinking green tea instead of a can of cola. Green tea is now proven to burn more calories per day. An extra 70 calories per cup, so a couple of cups a day, every day for a year soon mounts up!

3. Get spicy

Scientists believe that a chemical called capsaicin which is contained in jalapeno and cayenne peppers can help you lose weight. The chemical causes the body to release adrenalin, which speeds up your metabolism. This burns extra calories as it happens and means your body can be burning more than usual even sitting down doing nothing. It is also thought that capsaicin helps suppress appetite by making you feel full for longer. Everyone knows that helps us lose weight!

4. Get moving

Getting more exercise doesn't have to mean hitting the gym. It could be as simple as walking somewhere each day instead of driving, getting a dog, walking to the store, walking to work, taking the stairs instead of the lift, taking up an active hobby or something gentler. The general advice is that any activity over and above what you do now and that elevates your heart rate for periods of 20 minutes or more will have health benefits and burn calories. Losing weight doesn't have to be painful, expensive or dull. Making small, incremental changes can have a cumulative effect that far exceeds the change itself. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make those changes!