More often than not you’ll be tempted to shed those extra pounds by starving yourself for a few days. What does it do for you? Yes, you’ll look slimmer, you’ll fit into dresses a size smaller and you may even earn a few compliments. But what happens next? Obviously, you gain back all that weight.

So what do you do to get the perfect figure? I suggest try these smart tips on effective dieting. Follow these simple guidelines to cut that ugly flab.

Foods that you must resist

You must avoid refined, processed and junk foods. These contain huge amounts of ‘empty’ calories that will leave you hungry soon after a whole meal. This means you end up eating a lot more calories than necessary.

Similarly, beverages like beer, alcohol and soft drinks too contain lots of empty calories that are fattening.

Flavored foods must be avoided as you keep craving for more of them. Like the popular advertisement goes ‘no one can eat just one’.

Simple carbs like sweets, pasta, bread; fruits like banana; vegetables like carrots must be replaced as they raise your blood sugar levels.

Foods that you must eat

High fiber fruits and vegetables like apple, leafy vegetables are a must. Your body uses more calories in digesting them than the calories they contain.

It is important to include a good source of essential fatty acid in your diet as they help in speeding up the metabolism rate.

If you crave for sweets try berries. They are low in calories, high in fiber and therefore excellent for weight loss.

Try to have six small meals in a day so your body does not get the time to store fat.

Eat slowly so you feel full sooner.

You should try and substitute stir frying by grilling as it keeps the natural sweetness of the food alive and means lesser calories.

Drink plenty of water

This is very important in an effective weight loss program. Water helps in preventing you from feeling hungry. In fact, cold water helps you in burning more calories. This is because body spends additional energy in bringing water to normal temperature.

These tips on effective dieting will be incomplete without one more suggestion. That is, indulge yourself in your favorite food once a week. After all that sacrifice, your taste buds do need a little pampering.