Rule #1: Do your own groceries.

Eating at home is one of the best decisions you'll make on your weight loss journey. You can eat outside from time to time or buy takeaways but most of your meals should be homemade. So adopt the habit of doing your own groceries and get used to preparing healthy meals using fresh ingredients as far as possible like vegetables, fruits, legumes, lean meat and wholegrains. Only use canned foods sparingly as they are usually high in sodium which isn't good for weight loss. Resist the temptation to buy soft drinks, fruit juices with added sugar, calorie-laden snacks like biscuits, donuts, pastries, deep fried potato chips. All these don't have much nutritional value and will make you gain weight if you overindulge in them.

Homemade meals don't need to be complicated. For cooking methods, favor steaming, boiling, baking and stir frying over deep frying. Not all your foods need to be cooked. You can make a delicious and filling salad without any fatty dressing. Here is a simple and healthy salad recipe:

Lettuce
Tomatoes
Boiled broccoli florets
Grilled chicken breast strips
Hard boiled eggs
Feta cheese
Black olives
Coriander
Basil
Dash of balsamic vinegar
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt
Pepper

This healthy salad can keep you satiated for hours and can easily be used for lunch and dinner. You can omit certain ingredients or add more if you like, just make a salad your own way. Making salads is all about creativity. Other ingredients you can use include grilled fish fillet strips, corn, asparagus, green beans, cauliflower etc… If you want healthy detailed recipes, I highly recommend Metabolic Cooking which is packed with 250+ delicious weight loss recipes. Being on a weight loss diet doesn't mean you need to eat bland foods all the time.

Rule #2: Tupperware will be your best friend.

When you go to work, if you don't bring your own food, it's highly likely you'll eat takeaways or fast foods. If you are used to homemade foods, then it's not difficult to take it to work. You just need proper planning. An easy way to carry your food is to use tupperware. Prepare a wholewheat sandwich at home, add some roasted chicken, lettuce, tomatoes with some olive oil and there you have a healthy lunch. You can also use a fruit as a dessert like an apple. Yesterday's leftovers are also practical to prepare tomorrow's lunch.

Rule #3: Opt for walking instead of taking the car.

How many times have you used your car for simple errands? Let your car stay in the garage and walk instead if the destination is not far away. You can do some brisk walking too for accelerated weight loss. In our modern society, many of us are used to sitting in front of a computer and sitting in the car for hours. It's time to become less sedentary if you want to lose weight faster. Another tip is to use the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Become more physically active and burning more calories will become a natural process for you. Each and every little activity you do counts towards your long term weight loss goals.

Rule #4: Sip water throughout the day.

If you have started to do your own groceries, you're already on the path for healthy weight loss. But it's also vital to drink enough water everyday along with proper nutrition. Have a glass of water with each meal and sip water throughout the day. Water is essential for hydrating your body, preventing constipation which is nefarious for weight loss and for general health. Without adequate water intake everyday, weight loss will become more difficult.

Rule #5: Get adequate sleep.

Losing weight is not only about exercising and eating right. Adequate rest is fundamental too because when you're not in shape due to insufficient rest, your metabolism will become more slugglish. This is a bad thing for weight loss because the slower your metabolism, the harder it is for your body to burn fat even when at rest. Having adequate sleep every night and being in shape contribute to faster weight loss. 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night is a must for weight loss adherents. If you can go to bed before midnight, it's better. Sleep early and rise early is recommended.

Rule #6: Have a solid nutritious breakfast.

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is something weight loss enthusiasts should do. Breakfast is the time when you can eat more because you'll need energy throughout the day. A bowl of wholegrain oats with low-fat milk, 1 apple/banana, 1-2 eggs is a solid nutritious breakfast which will kick your metabolism into high gear first thing in the morning and keep you satiated for hours. Skipping breakfast is not a good idea as you don't want to starve yourself when you wake up. Actually this has a negative effect for weight loss.

Rule #7: Avoid eating too heavy at night.

Dinner is the time when you should eat less, focus more on protein and fiber and reduce or skip your carbs intake. You don't need a lot of energy at night as your body will be more at rest. A filling salad is a solid dinner or you can also have baked fish with some veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, spinach and healthy fats like olive oil.

Rule #8: Vary your workout routine.

Losing weight has a lot to do with psychology and mindset. If you are exercising day in day out and doing the same thing over and over again, you might get bored and get demotivated. Spice up your workout routine to motivate yourself. Vary the exercises, instead of jogging every time, why not do some cycling, aerobics or even swimming. Or if you still want to jog, vary the running pace. The High Intensity Interval Training(HIIT) strategy is less monotonous. By alternating between fast, medium and slow pace, your workout becomes more challenging, exciting and fun. Weight loss is not only about cardio training. You can sculpt, tone and shape your body by building lean muscle which helps weight loss. Add some strength training too like weight training and bodyweight exercises.

Rule #9: Avoid late night partying and the booze.

Clubbing and drinking at pubs every weekend is counterproductive for your weight loss goals. Late night partying is bad for your metabolism as you sleep very late and won't have a good night sleep along with the alcohol intake. Drinking every weekend affects your metabolism too and makes you more prone to fat storage notably if you indulge in an excess of beers. Beers have mostly empty calories and if you drink pint after pint, the calories quickly add up and you'll gain more belly fat. It's ok to have a few drinks or go clubbing every few weeks but moderation is key as well. Don't stay up too late at night or drink too much. But to be honest, night life and alcohol don't mix with weight loss and fitness.