Steps to fabulous: Change your life by reducing your kilojoule intake

When it comes to healthy eating, there is one basic principle that always has and always will hold true: the less kilojoules your eating plan consists of, the less fat you will have to burn to maintain your goal weight. Find effective ways of reducing your kilojoule intake and the results will follow.

Restrict yourself to one serving of starch a day and where possible replace foods such as white bread, pasta and pastry with wholegrain products instead. A low kilojoule eating-plan consists of lean meats, low-fat dairy products, unrefined foods with high fibre content and at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day.

Foods that are high in fat and sugar will do the most damage. Avoid large quantities of alcohol and drinks that are loaded with sugar as well. If you struggle with your sweet tooth, find a substitute. Sweeteners such as Stevia will satisfy your craving for sugar without adding to your kilojoule intake. Extracted from the Stevia plant, which originates from South America, Stevia sweeteners like Canderel Green contain very few kilojoules and are used in many countries around the world in a number of products such as ice-cream, chewing gum and soft-drinks. By replacing sugar with products such as Stevia you can drastically lower the amount of kilojoules you consume, without denying yourself that sugary taste.

Physical activity is essential to the maintenance of a healthy body. The key is to find an active pastime that you genuinely enjoy and focus all of your energies on that. Try and incorporate increased movement into your daily routine. Even something as simple as getting up to go and talk to a colleague instead of sending them an e-mail will help your body to burn kilojoules.

Don't allow the pursuit of a great-looking, healthy body to rule your life with an iron fist. Rather focus on simple changes that are easy to implement and easy to sustain. You might be surprised to find that fabulous version of yourself sneak up on you sooner than you thought.