h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Cut down on what you're eating. Sounds obvious, doesn't it? Eating less means less calories, so less weight to put on. If you have trouble eating less, try serving your food on smaller plates. Then the same amount of food looks like more.

Cut down on carbohydrates - these are the main source of energy. Sugars are especially bad. But remember that nothing is bad - all things are good, so long as you have them in the right proportion.

Keep exercising!

Drink plenty of water - this does *not* include tea/coffee or fruit juices!

Surely the point is to balance intake to expenditure, therefore, if one cuts down on both calories and exercise then one will not lose weight. But if one increases exercise but keeps the calories down then the pounds will flow off.

Second thought! if you increase both then you may not lose weight but you may become much fitter.

The average calorific intake of people has come down steadily over the years but the amount of exercise has dropped even more (expediture).Thus people tend to be fatter now.

Surely the point is to balance intake to expenditure, therefore, if one cuts down on both calories and exercise then one will not lose weight. But if one increases exercise but keeps the calories down then the pounds will flow off.

Second thought! if you increase both then you may not lose weight but you may become much fitter.

The average calorific intake of people has come down steadily over the years but the amount of exercise has dropped even more (expediture).Thus people tend to be fatter now.

I think I was trying to say something like that.

Just off the top of my head (remembering from an old Home Economics lesson) - I think you could get your complete calorific intake for one day from three mars bars (or it may be five?) But you'd probably still be hungry, so take in more calories than you really need.

Oh - before I forget - it is extremely advisable to visit your GP before embarking on *any* weight loss programme. They will be able to help and advise you, and help monitor your progress.

I eat like a horse, but since I spend seven hours per week in the gym I need to.

So you eat standing up in a 'shed' and eat nothing but hay, oats, bran and grass (and the occasional sugar lump), and drink nothing but water? (Athough I understand that some horses like beer, eggs or Polo mints.)

Seems unlikely. My BMR suggests I would need to eat around 2,200 calories per day if I didn't even get out of bed. How many calories in a Mars bar?

I was employing the gift of metaphor, which is like metaphysics only more accurate.