There's no point in going on a diet if it's just lasting for a short period. Only a change of eating habits for life is meaningful when it comes to losing weight. There is no need to reduce the calorie intake to less than the body requires, it is sufficient to just remove the superfluous intake. It takes calories to keep a body big and heavy. If you cut down on these calories you will lose weight gradually. Thus the food intake when losing weight need not be less than that required to maintain an ideal weight.

The best diet is one that the individual is happy with and which provides all the necessary nutrition. It is important to learn to identify satisfaction and hunger and only eat as a response to physical hunger and not use food as a drug to reduce anxiety. More

You could, of course, have a look at diet suggestions by "Weight Watchers" and others and use the parts which appeal to you most. It is essential that the individual makes choices of food that is most appealing and not eaten only for nutritional value, as this may later result in attacks of compulsive eating.

Examples of good food:

• Fish, lean meat
• Berries
• Onions, spinach, aubergine, broccoli, cauliflower, green beens, sprouts, sallad, olives, avocado, cucumber, pimiento, leek.

Many overweight individuals put on weight gradually. Some may accept a weight of 90 kg but not 120 or 150 kg. Sooner or later they come to a point where they can no longer accept their weight, for example when illness sets in.

A person who eats 100 kcal too many a day for 10 years will gain 50 kg. Great changes in diet are not needed in order to produce considerable changes in the long term.