The principle of an effective diet is simple - a nutritional program that will help you take in less calories than you burn on a daily basis.

Added to this in an ideal world you will be able to lose weight without feeling at all ill, without feeling lethargic, hungry and while still being able to live a full, enjoyable life.

Indeed, if you are constantly starving yourself, saying no to the odd treat and avoiding social occasions you’re unlikely to keep up with your diet for long.

The information on this site includes advice on what to eat, how often to eat and what exercise to do.

And I’ve seen the results myself. The advice isn’t from any “fad” diet. It’s how I live my life. I’ve tried all sorts of diets and eating plans. I’ve done all sorts of different exercise.

I’ve experimented on myself for the last 6 months and have found I can effortlessly lose around 2 pounds a week and still enjoy life.

I still go to bars. I still eat out at restaurants from time to time. And yes ladies I even have the odd bit of chocolate.

The advice on this site therefore doesn’t come specifically from one dietary source. This is not a diet called the “summer diet” but rather a way of life you can start whenever you like - even when the summer comes - and see rapid results in time for your slinky summer clothes!

However if you’re still looking for diets to help you lose weight before summer comes I have a few other resources that I think could be of interest to you.

Firstly I’m not going to go recommending diets like SlimFast or the Atkins Diet. Many people I have spoken to have found they feel ill on these diets and they’re generally agreed to not be very good for you.

No, only diets that make physiological sense will be mentioned and those that aren’t going to muck up your body’s systems.

So lets get going on some diets that *are* healthy (in my humble opinion) yet will help you lose a lot of weight before summer comes.

Summer Diet #1 - Body For Life

More than just a diet, Body For Life focuses on general health. You’ll lose weight, tone up and feel great at the same time. I did this eating plan myself over the summer of 2006 and had a ball.

Highly recommended - and there are lots of before and after photos to inspire you plus a network of people who have succeeded with the plan and are keen to help others achieve the same.

Summer Diet #2 - The GI Diet

GI stands for glycaemic index and refers to how quickly foods can be broken down by your body.

Foods that are easily digested - such as cola, chocolate etc. - “flood” your body with nutrients soon after ingestion.

The problem is that your body can only use so much at a time so the rest is often stored as fat - making you put on weight.

Other foods take longer to break down and so provide your body with a steady, sensible trickle of nutrients that can be used as they are available, greatly reducing the chances of you putting on weight.

By eating the right foods you can quickly lose weight without feeling “hungry”.

Summer Diet #3 - Negative Calorie Diet

Every item of food requires energy to break down into the useable chemical components your body needs.

But some use more than others and some use more energy to digest than they actually produce.

So you can eat foods that actually put you in a calorie deficit and force you to lose weight.

You must take care you don’t overdo it with this diet but once again if carefully monitored should be both safe and effective for you to help you lose weight before summer comes.