9 Ways to Lose Weight in a Month ...

1. No Alcohol

Alcohol is the enemy. Not only is it high in calories, it isn't an easy fuel for your body to burn. This means it heads straight for the ethanol and stores fat, which is the toughest fuel for your body to burn. A lot of people are now doing 'dryathlons' in January to raise money for charity. Hold your own personal dryathlon and do your body a favor. As one of the easy ways to lose weight in a month, it helps your body beyond weight loss!

2. Eat Less Meat

We live in a society that kids us into thinking we need meat each day or with each meal. I'm not suggesting that anybody ditches meat altogether. Not all of us want to do that, and we do live in a free society after all! I am, however, suggesting defecting to Quorn every so often. Or, fish if you like! A lot of meat isn't just full of fat, it contains lots of antibiotics and growth hormones, which also contribute to weight gain.

3. Sleep More

When you don't sleep enough, your appetite increases. During some of my worst periods of insomnia, I ate like a pig. I'd get so many temporary highs from eating and then crash, it was like a vicious cycle. If you can, go to bed a little earlier. We don't need to spend as much time awake as we do anyway!

4. Make Fruit Fun

We all know that we need to eat five a day. When I do, I eat a lot less junk. Fruit isn't always fun though, which is why I sometimes find myself eating rubbish instead. Make it fun by buying a smoothie maker. You can also create fruit salads and enjoy them with maple syrup. Another great way to enjoy fruit is to dehydrate it and eat it as chips. It does't always have to be boring!

5. Eat Consciously and Be a Realist

When you eat your meals and snacks throughout the day, consider what you have already eaten. If you have had a carb-laden breakfast, eat a lot of protein for lunch. If you have already had a muffin, start eating fruit snacks instead. You don't need to obsessively count calories, just understand what your body needs and what you have deprived it of so far during the day. Also, chew slowly to recognise when you are no longer hungry, then stop when that time comes!

6. Enjoy Cooking Food

When I first went to college I was terrible with food. At first I lost weight, because I couldn't cook. Then I put it on, because I was relying on junk. When you learn to enjoy cooking food, producing healthy meals is easy. Turn to Asian cuisine for healthy inspiration and you won't crave the convenience or the temporary highs of junk!

7. Vow to Not Have Any Takeout

With that in mind, vow to not have any takeout over the next month! Even if you have just one a week, you could be saving more calories than you realise. Even better, stop eating out. Will the world end because you missed the chance to go out for dinner? Probably not. The more you control what goes in your mouth, the better.

8. Exercise for Fun

Falling off the wagon is easy when it comes to exercise. Why? Because we so rarely do it for fun! If you love running (a lot of my friends do) then keep it up! However, if you prefer walking, do that instead. Similarly, if dancing is up your street, find some videos on YouTube and give them a whirl. When you enjoy exercise, you are more likely to do it every day.

9. Ditch Sugar

Unless you have amazing will power, don't try to ditch sugar entirely. However, you should try to eat it no more than once a day. So if you add sugar to your coffee, don't have any more. Similarly, if you have a chocolate bar, don't eat any more. Approaching sugar this way allows you to eat 'naughty' foods, without going overboard. You also avoid punishing yourself.

Trying to lose weight in a month isn't a bad thing. With these lifestyle changes, you will lose weight without going through a heinous regimen. Apparently, it takes 21 days to change your lifestyle habits. This means you will be able to keep these changes up when the month is done! What approaches do you like to take to one-month weight loss?