Among the problems that being overweight can lead to are heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, all of which can shorten lives. Being obese is, therefore, a killer.

The big question then is how to lose weight and keep it off? Losing weight requires a combination of factors, ranging from the obvious of a healthy diet and exercise to less the obvious of eating more regularly and cutting out alcohol.

Here are eight tips to help you lose weight.

Don’t skip breakfast

Skipping breakfast is a major problem across the United States. A survey last year by the NPD Group found that 31 million Americans skip breakfast every day, about 10 percent of the population. For some, it is a case of simply not having time while for others, they believe that if they don’t have breakfast, it is in some way healthier as it is one less meal from which they can gain weight.

Whatever the reasons, skipping breakfast is wrong on every level – it is called the most important meal of the day for a reason. By skipping breakfast, you miss out on essential nutrients, and you are more likely to end up snacking throughout the day due to feeling hungry later on.

A healthy breakfast such as porridge infused with fruits or protein-packed scrambled eggs will set you up for the day and play a part in a balanced, weight-losing diet.

Eat regular meals

You might think that losing weight is all about rationing how much you eat, but actually, you need to eat more regularly if you are trying to shift some timber. Eating at regular intervals throughout the day helps to burn through calories at a faster rate, and it also reduces the temptation to snack on foods high in sugar and fat.

Adding a bag of nuts or some fruit to the middle of your morning and a salad in the afternoon will reduce your hunger and allow you to exert much greater portion control when it comes to the main meals – just make sure what you are snacking on is healthy.

Have plenty of fruit and veg

Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat and high in fiber. That means they won’t result in weight gain, but they will give you one of the key ingredients that helps with taking the pounds off – fiber makes you feel fuller and less inclined to eat. Fruit and veg are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals; just in case, you were had any other doubts about their importance.

We all know that you are meant to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day as a bare minimum – but how far should you take your consumption of natures ingredients? According to the American Heart Association, you need four servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables for a healthy diet for your heart. That should be about right for weight loss, too.

Take up exercise

Dieting can help you lose a little bit of weight, but if you want to lose a lot and keep it off then exercising is a crucial component of any plan. Even something so small as a 10-minute light jog will burn 100 calories, cutting through weight that dieting alone can’t touch.

There’s a physical activity out there for everyone. Whether it is running, an exercise class, swimming, taking up a team sport or even just walking to work instead of driving, find a way that you incorporate a little exercise into your day and you’ll find your weight dropping off that much quicker.

Drink plenty of water

Sometimes, people confuse thirst with hunger. As a result, they’ll reach for food when their body is telling them it just needs a little hydration, consuming extra unnecessary calories as a result.

If you start feeling hungry in the middle of the day or at strange times, then reach first for a glass of water. Chances are, you’ll polish it off, and the hunger will subside. Remember, the average adult should be drinking about 2 liters of water a day.

Cut down on alcohol

A standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a bar of chocolate – and wine is one of the “healthier” alcoholic drinks out there if there can be such a thing. It isn’t just the calories that alcohol contains that makes it bad for weight loss. We’re more likely to eat junk food after a few drinks while drinking in rounds can quicken the pace significantly, resulting in more calories.

If you are worried about drinking, then this website has some advice on treatments to help you overcome a possible alcohol addiction.

Use a smaller plate

If you’ve got a big vehicle, you can use it to transport more goods around. The same sort of logic works for food and plates – the bigger the plate you use, the more food you’ll be inclined to pile on it.

By buying and using smaller plates and bowls, you’ll be restricting your portion sizes without ever having to truly acknowledge it as your plate will still be full. Gradually, you’ll get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry, reducing the number of calories you consume per meal as a result.

Eat slowly

Your smaller plate gives you a smaller portion and eating slowly will also help reduce the amount of food you eat. It takes around 20 minutes for your stomach to transmit to your brain that it is full, so the slower you eat, the less food you’ll consume.

Chew your food properly, take your time and if you are eating with family or friends then be sure to chat over dinner – especially if you live in a busy household as it might be the only time in the day you are all together. Because of that 20-minute delay in your mind realizing you don’t need any more food, you should also stop eating before you are completely full.