Okay, here we go with some hints and tips:

Weigh, measure and Record EVERYTHING
Changing your body size, you first must change the habits that have caused your weight problem. Keeping a journal, it shows what you are consuming on a daily basis and will make you aware of what you need to change and habits you need to break. For example:
THE WRONG WAY = Ham and Salad Sandwich
THE RIGHT WAY = 30Grams Lean Ham, 1 Teaspoon margarine, 2 slices bread & 1 Cup salad.

MEASUREMENT CHART: Take the time to measure yourself on your first day, this is a great way to see your progress, as the scales dont always tell the story. Losing Centimeters is probably more important than losing kilos. For example if you lose no weight but have lost 10 cms, that is great. Measure Upper Arms, Bust, Waist, Hips and Thighs.

WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
1. Digital food scales. 2. Measure spoons. 3. Measuring cups. 4. Reliable bathroom scales.
5. Tape Measure (obviously).

REMEMBER: A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.

HEALTHY DINNER PLATE: Portion and Sizing Information
1. The size of cooked meat you should have at dinner time should be about the size of a pack of
cards or the palm of your hand. 9-grams is a good weight for women, 120 grams for men.
2. Cooked rice should be between 1/2 to 3/4 cup for women, 1-1/2 cups for men.
3. Cooked spaghetti shoul dbe 1 cup for women and 1-1/2 cups for men.
4. Women should have no more than 2-3 average (140g) serves of frit a day, 3-4 for men.
5. Vegetables and salad are unlimited but this does not include potato, corn or avocado. These
need to be weighed and counted separately.
6. Look at the kilojoule count of food. You may be eating low-fat crackers but could be eating
a huge amount of kilojoules. Check the labels of products.
7. Weigh your food. For example, you might be surprised how much cereal you are putting in
your bowl. You could be eating double - the average serve should be 3/4 cup.
8. Dont eat on the run. It is much better to sit and take your time, savor the moment.
9. Most times we confuse thirst with being hungry so drink lots of water and see if this helps
keep your hunger at bay.
10. Don't eat just for the sake of it or out of habit or boredom. Next time you eat something,
ask yourself - are you eating because the clock says it's time to eat or are you actually
hungry.

Exercise at lest five to six times a week.

Stay Hydrated - Drink at least 8 x 250 ml glasses of water a day.

Todays choices determine tomorrow's achievements.

MOST IMPORTANT:

If you want to lose up to 15 kilograms or 33 Lb, you should be having no more than 27-33 grams of Fat and 5100 kilojoules or 1215 Calories per day. If you dont do any exercise, or if you are elderly and not very mobile.
If you have more than 15 kilograms to lose, have no more than 33-40 grams Fat, 6300-6500 Kilojoules or 1500-1550 Calories per day, this is if you are very active.
Somebody who has up to 40-50 kilos or 88-110 Lbs to lose, should be having no more than 40-50 grams of Fat, and 7500-7800 Kilojoules or 1790-1860 Calories per day.
Level 4 of this plan, is for people who want to lose more then 50 kilos or 110 Lbs, but I am not going to include that, as I dont think there is anybody here that wants to lose that much.

If you lose too quickly you may struggle to keep the weight off. If you are eating too little, you may yo-yo diet and not last very long. It is better to be satisfied, happy and make healthy choices that you can sustain.

Enough for today.

Tomorrow: I will include a few recipes that may help you, mainly in the snacking area, things
like muffins, cookies that kind of thing, and they will also include the Fat and Kj
counts.