Diet time

[smithy]

adz, don't take meat and so called 'junk-food' out of your diet! That's what life is all about!

Get rid of the junk food, but not the meat.  Like someone else said, it's reducing calories (those that come from carbs) that's important for losing weight, not reducing fat (but if you have a high-fat diet, you should cut down on that too).

Bread, rice and pasta are absolutely sky-high with carbohydrates, so it's more important to cut down on these than it is on steak.

Fruit and vegtebles are relatively low in carbohydrates (and therefore calories), and because they are high in vitamins and minerals, these are good things to eat.

[smithy]

Remember that diets aren't just short term plans. You'll have to keep them up for a good while - even after you've reached your ideal weight - otherwise the weight will just pile back on.

A 2-phase diet is appropriate:
1.  Get into shape (burn more calories than you take in)
2.  Rest of life (maintain calorie-balance)

Do sit-ups and press-ups before you go to bed (30 should do, but you won't be able to do that many at first!).

This would be like drinking 3 cans of Red Bull before you go to bed!  Don't do it!  Exercise produces all the hormones that keep you awake.  And sleep is very important when you're going through body-changes... feeling tired makes you hungry.

A half-hour daily power walk is also a great workout

Anything that gets your heart going is good... but if you get to the 'zone' then that's much better.  This 'zone' is where your body has used up all of its energy stored in muscles and has to start getting it from body fat.  This usually happens after 25 minutes and it's at this point where your body is screaming at you to stop, and at this point where you get the benefits to your cardio system (youe heart) and also weight loss.

[smithy]

The problem with cutting down carbohydrates is that you need them - they're the slow burners that keep your digestive system going all day long. Without them you will feel tired, weak - and very hungry.

A good tip to avoid getting tired is to have a morning and afternoon snack.  A cup of tea and an apple is a good choice.  Apple's contain slow burning carbs that will see you through the morning/afternoon.  I find that citrus fruits (usually an orange) is good for a quick perk up too.