First thing to do is know and understand the problem, so you need to find out your personal Body Mass Index. This is the figure the dietitians use to asses how much over weight you are. It's very easy to look at this figure and think that's o.k. It's not that much overweight.

Remember that everyday you are overweight you are putting an excess strain on your body and heart muscle so consider even removing a small amount of weight being a very important step in being able to live longer and be healthier.

Body Mass Index can be worked out as follows. Your weight in kilograms is divided by your height in meters squared you can obtain the required conversion to pounds and feet if you require and then put the figures in. Once you have obtained your Body Mass Index its then time to do something about it.

For everyone it's a good idea to have a BMI of between 18 - 25. Its important not to go underweight as this has extreme dangers and can cause major problems for your body to cope. How ever most people have the problem over being over the magic 25 figure which means you require to do some exercise, change your diet and consider what else you can do to reduce Fat intake.

The most important thing to consider is how you feel sometimes. BMI is misleading in the way the figures show. Some people feel fine at being overweight so its important add that into your factor before considering the action you need to take.

If your BMI is over 30 then you are considered obese and this does need to be addressed. Also you need to consider your shape if you have FAT building around the waist this is the most dangerous As this can increase your chance of having heart problems.

Before considering what to do be realistic the following is always sound advice. Fast diets are never good for you and always return you to your previous weight sooner or later. So find out what you are taking in at the moment list all the items and do some serious research on the products that you are eating.

Asses what your findings are carefully and then look at what would be a good for an average days intake of calories and start to measure how much calories your burning. Get a pedometer and make sure you balance any excess food against sufficient exercise.

Try to balance your diet also consider how much alcohol you consume as this carries calories too. Increase your energy output by doing the best exercises like swimming which is a non impact exercise and operates all your muscles.

An average man requires around 2500 calories per day and a woman around 2000 calories try to keep a record of this per day per week and track your progress. Try to consider that eating smaller regular meals is easier for the body to maintain good blood sugar levels.

Don't binge on items such chocolates and cake I know its hard an every time I pass a cake shop I feel the urge to get one. Control your shopping habits try to pre order in your mind the shopping list so that bad items don't get on it.

(1) Set a good goal for a period of time always helps and makes you feel better when you achieve it.

(2) Reduce fried foods and look at alternative ways of cooking the same foods.

(3) Replace fizzy drinks with water as fizzy drinks contain enormous amounts of sugar.

(4) Reduce alcohol consumption always a good idea during dieting.

(5) Try to get the five recommended fruit and vegetables a day if possible.

(6) Water intake needs to have around 6 glasses a day which is around 2.5 pints per day this helps your body tremendously and reduces the urge to eat.

(7) Maintain a good exercise program try to do good non impact exercises.

(8) Consult a Doctor or detritions for proper advice only take pills under medical advice.

(9) Feel good in yourself that you are improving everyday.

(10) Seek good advice from friends and get support from them if you feel depressed.