There is one practical skill which you need above all others when you want to lose weight. That skill will give you the ability to enjoy your food while you`re trying to lose weight as much as when you`re not. It`s a skill that unfortunately is getting less common these days as we lead busier and busier lives.

What`s that skill?

The ability to cook!

If you can`t even boil an egg then you are stuck with eating unimaginative ready meals and TV dinners or greasy take-aways and fast food. And you will no doubt eat out in restaurants more than is good for you. With such a combination you are unlikely to get all the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy and you will be getting far too much food full of fat, salt and sugar and too many calories to lose weight.

With a rudimentary knowledge of cooking, however, you can whip up the most delicious low-calorie healthy meals, eat as much as you need (as long as you don`t stuff yourself) and enjoy everything you eat without doing any damage to your waistline.

Of course, you need to know what to cook but there are any number of helpful low-calorie and low-fat cookery books out there as well as specialist magazines and websites. You can plan a whole raft of delicious meals each week for you and your family and they won`t even know they are eating healthily to keep you company!

If you really don`t have a clue where to start it`s worth joining a beginners class or buying a basic "Learn to cook" book to get the fundamental skills. After that the whole world of delicious cuisine is your oyster.

You may even find that your attempts to lose weight may result in you gaining a whole new exciting relationship with food rather than fearing it as the enemy.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

About the author:
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan". Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn`t want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.comTODAY!