Eat regularly. When you follow an extremely calorie-reduced diet or skip meals, your body tries to conserve energy. Enjoy three meals a day plus healthy snacks. Breakfast is especially important, because it signals your body that your nighttime fast of seven, eight or more hours is over.

Eat well. Choose a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and unsaturated fat, and get plenty of fibre. Avoid overly sweet and processed foods.

Do something. Anything! All movement causes your body to burn more calories, so if you have a sedentary job or are inactive for long periods of time, try stretching and walking, and gradually extend the duration of activity.

Increase intensity. If you’re already active, dial up the intensity of your workouts to get more out of your workout: increase the speed, resistance and duration of your activity.

Pump iron. Strength training exercises build lean muscle mass — and lean muscle mass causes you to burn more calories even when you’re at rest. To build muscle, you can do a variety of muscular conditioning and strength-training exercises using weights or your own body weight. For the greatest results, focus on the largest muscle groups, which are found in your back, upper legs, buttocks and stomach. If you’re new to weight training, consult an expert first to ensure you’re using proper form.