How much would one get? For each kilogram, people will receive a gram of gold in return. However, you must lose at least 2 kilograms to get any prize.

Apparently there is also room for people who want to push themselves even more. In fact, if you are one of the three participants of the scheme that loses the most weight by the end of the thirty days, you will have a chance to win a golden coin worth about £3,500.

This is a very drastic decision coming from the municipality of Dubai. The government believes that this scheme will motivate people to lose weight. Dubai authorities are also scared of the number of people in the city that are not eating healthily and are not exercising properly.

However, there are obvious concerns one might have with the implemented scheme. First of all, it encourages the idea that losing weight is good for you. Undoubtedly, it is for most people. However, each case is different and people must be assessed properly and by competent medical staff before starting a diet. This is because of many reasons. For example, some people only feel fat without knowing that they are perfectly healthy and at an ideal weight. Others might have other complications that have caused the weight increase which must be assessed either in conjunction with a healthy weight loss diet or even before changing the diet plans.

The government says that the participants will have a session where they will be advised as to how to lose weight without compromising the general health. I hope that it will be enough to guarantee that people do not harm their health.

We have always advocated for healthy weight loss here. We believe that there are tips, tricks and ways that will help you lose weight constantly, healthily and even in a brief period of time. Drastic changes in your diet, such as the one advocated for in Dubai, might be very dangerous for some people. Hence, we recommend seeing a physician or a dietician if you are participating to this contest or if you are thinking of losing weight. This is so you have the peace of mind you deserve when starting a weight loss program.

You’ve decided you want to lose weight: now what? The key point here is: how bad do you really want to lose weight?

If you stick to your plans and make that extra effort every day, you will achieve your goals. Here are some long-term, healthy tips that can get you into the mind-set of losing weight with almost any type of diet (or even without following a specific diet plan):

1. Go grocery shopping with a full stomach: you’ll be surprised how much that makes a difference to what you find in your fridge the next day. Make sure half of what you get is either a fruit or a vegetable. 

2. Plan your meals: when you don’t plan your meals, you end up eating the quickest thing you find because you are hungry and cannot be bothered to choose. Instead of going to starvation mode or buying that ugly-looking sandwich, plan ahead. If you can’t be bothered to plan every single day what you are going to eat the day after then simply do it every week right after your weekly food shopping.

3. Remember to drink: our bodies run on water. Sometimes when you feel hungry you might just be thirsty. Also, have a full glass of water before any meal: it will make you feel full earlier. Green tea is also good as it contains polyphenols that can help burn fat (although the thermogenic impact is modest). Don’t go too mad on the green tea as it contains caffeine, so just a couple of cups a day is enough.

4. Schedule a physical activity: whether it’s dancing, running or going to the gym, find the activity that suits you best, add it to your weekly plans and stick to it.

5. Don’t obsess: don’t feel guilty when you are out with friends and you have a bit more food than what you wanted. Don’t weigh yourself too often: once a week is enough. Set out achievable goals. Every time you feel like you haven’t done enough, instead of feeling frustrated do something about it the next day.

For even more tricks, check out the Reader’s Digest 20 weight-loss tips