Like most people in life the battle to keep the weight off is a consistent one. There are some in our society who embrace this by regularly going to the gym and exercising as part of a regime.

For most of us though we go through bouts of being overweight and shifting some of the excess weight then piling it back on.

Weight loss is not a quick fix where we diet like mad for two months and then pile it back on after a short time, what is needed is an adjustment to your day to day life that makes a difference over time.   myself as well as many members of the public will always continue to have this constant battle with the scales.

Being skinny should never be your goal, but being comfortable at a certain weight and feeling energetic should be your real objective.

I haven’t been below 100 kilos for over 10 years and have been as heavy as 115 kilos.

My ideal weight would be around 90 kilos but we are all different and should aspire to get to and maintain a body weight that is comfortable for you and not for anybody else.

Fifty per cent of the battle is won by accepting that you need to change your lifestyle and also that you are going to do something about it.

Once you have decided this then you are about to begin a wonderful journey where you can slowly but surely start feeling better about yourself by getting fitter and mentally stronger day by day and week by week.

Simple things like taking the stairs and not the lift on a daily basis can make a tremendous difference over time. Getting off two stops before your usual bus stop and walking home increasing your daily walking out can help. Taking time out to go for a brisk walk every day will definitely help in maintaining a more healthy lifestyle.

In regards to food this is also very important indeed. Consuming more fresh fruit and vegetables from the market is certainly a step in the right direction and will dramatically help in being more alert and feeling a lot more energetic as time goes by.

Watch your drinking habits and drink responsibly.

The real killer though is smoking. Statistically it has been shown that in developed countries where the general public are well informed of the health risks of smoking the numbers of smokers has dropped considerably making it an anti-social habit and very un-cool.

Having lost out on these markets the tobacco sellers have set their sights on the developing countries and regions like the Pacific Region where they hope to sell their products to members of the public who are not as well informed about the dangers of smoking.

Also the young teenagers are targeted to get them started on this very addictive habit.

Make a stand and start today, with weight loss combined with a healthy lifestyle you will be able to live a full and fun life indeed.

Famous actors and singers like Jennifer Hudson and Raven Symone have also fought the battle of the bulge and have come back fighting fit.

So remember “If You Believe, You Will Achieve”

–  The writer is a Fiji Sun columnist.

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