Most people have an area or two where they put weight on first, and lose it last.  It could be your arms, your thighs, bum, hips or even your face, but it seems that no matter what you do, you can’t shift this last bit of fat.   This is just the way your body is built, but we have a few tips for losing that annoying weight.

Whether you’re 20 or 70, there are a few simple things to remember that will help you to convince your body to give up its fat reserves.

Here are 5 tips for losing that annoying weight:

1)     Get your activity level up. If you’re not already exercising frequently, there’s no better time to start. Daily exercise of 30 minutes should be good enough to get your fitness levels to optimum within about three weeks. Think about joining a running program to lose weight.

2)     Cut out the starch. There’s a good chance you’re still retaining a bit of water.  Don’t lose starch entirely, but keep it down to a minimum for two to three weeks, eating only whole grain carbs.  You should shed a pound or two in water.

3)     Drink more water. It might sound contradictory, but if you’re exercising, and not eating a lot of bad carbs, your body will process the water without storing it, helping you to metabolise food faster.

4)     Exercise right. Doing 50 push-ups in a row isn’t as helpful as you think.  If you’re toning, you should be doing three sets of between 12-10-8 (for things like push-ups and pull ups that use your own body weight) and 16-14-12 (for weights or weight-training machines).  If you’re toning you also want to make sure you’re lifting weights that are just light enough for you to finish all three sets.  If you’re not finishing the last set, you’re bulking muscle.

5)     Eat little and often. Eating five to seven small meals a day, known as ‘grazing’, is popular with athletes and models because it speeds up your metabolism and your body doesn’t expend most of its energy three times a day digesting food.  If you sit at your desk all day this can have a dramatic effect on your metabolism.