Life After Weight Loss

So once you have reached those weight loss goals, what will your life be like? Once you have shed those final pounds, how will life change? It’s not as if you will be a different person, but you might notice a few changes in your world. Here are a few ways that we, at Slimming Solutions have noticed that people who have lost weight have changed.

1. When you lose weight, you feel better about yourself.
You have more confidence in the world, when you walk in a room you will know you are looking good. Those old moments of insecurity about the way you look are gone.
Now at your optimum weight, you feel healthier and more comfortable in your body.
You have increased energy and bring more vibrancy to bring to the world.
With your weight loss, you feel sexier and therefore wear more flattering, daring clothes. Get dressed is not just another chore…it is an enjoyable activity.
You feel more motivated to do things, to achieve your goals and to have fun. Your new found confidence means more mental space to do the things you want to do without the worry and fear.

2. You notice that HE has noticed.
You catch him gazing at you while you are in the shower. Without letting him know, you create a little show. Work it. Getting clean has never been so much fun.
He’s suddenly wanting SOME all of the time! And with your improved breathing patterns and increased physical abilities, this just got a lot more interesting.
He buys you some nice new underwear, just for the heck of it. Who needs flowers when there are so many pretty knickers out in the world?
He whisks you away on a holiday. It turns into not only a site seeing holiday…It is a bit of a naughty adventure for two. This alone is worth all the time and energy the weight loss took. Time away with your man who finds you oh so sexy…it doesn’t get any better!

3. The girls have noticed. Let’s face it; women are not only concerned with how they look for the men. Girls want to look good in front of the other girls as well.
You show up at the restaurant, and all your mates immediately notice that you look extra fabulous in that new dress.
The girls point you out as an example of pure sexiness.
When you get to the bar, your friend asks you which hot man you want to flirt with tonight. You have choice girl!

4. Not only will you be looking and feeling amazing, your body is shouting with delight about your recent weight loss.
More energy, get up and go, and oomph!
Lower cholesterol levels
Improved mobility (for lots of new experiences)
Reduced blood pressure
Better breathing?
Reduced aches and pains
More restful sleep (or lack of)
Prevention of future illnesses and diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

How to get a Bikini Body for the beach this Summer

OK Magazine brings you tips from Hollywood’s hottest trainers on how to get the body you’ve always wanted in no time!

Strong Arms

Halle Berry quickly got back to her pre-baby shape, and that was thanks to Ramona Braganza, who has also trained Jessica Biel and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Braganza tells us that women should concentrate on working their arms and back and not worry about bulking up.

Military presses – These are usually done standing, with 5-pound weights in each hand. Start with your arms bent at 90 degrees, elbows aligned with shoulders, and push up over your head. Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps.

Lateral raises – Start standing, with 5-pound dumbbells in each hand and your arms down at your sides. Then slowly lift your straight arms out to the side until they are perpendicular to the ground. Do three sets of 15 to 20 reps.

Curls – These are great for biceps. Use a 5-pound weight and do about 30 reps until it burns, then switch arms. Do two sets on each.

Dips – This works the part of the arm that tends to wiggle on most women: the tricep. Sit on the side of a bench with your legs out in front of you and your palms gripping the bench. Lower your body down until your butt almost reaches the floor. Do two sets of 20 to 30 reps.

Bikini Diet

Dieting just before getting into a bikini is like cramming for a test: not ideal, but sometimes it works. Dr. Vincent Portera, a clinical nutritionist at JF Gymnastique in NYC, tells us, “Typically, one day won’t be enough to diminish bloating. Three days is minimum”. Here are some of the things he recommends to reduce bloating before heading out to the beach.

Ø         Avoid foods that cause bloating, which are mostly refined and high in salt and sugar, like bread and pasta.

Ø         Do not starve yourself before hitting the beach. For breakfast, have two poached eggs over a bed of spinach and avoid any sauces.

Ø         While at the beach, try to have small meals throughout the day and remember to stay hydrated. Water is key!

Defined Abs

Gunnar Peterson has trained Penelope Cruz and Jennifer Lopez, so he knows a thing or two about tight abs! He tells us that it’s all about consistency. “No one workout makes you fit, and no one meal makes you fat!” he says. “Just get started and quit dragging your feet!” Peterson is a big believer that the amount of weight you use and the number of repetitions you do isn’t universal – it really depends on each individual. You have to find a weight you can use without sabotaging form. These are some of his favourite moves for getting rock-hard abs.

Kneeling wood chops – You do these on your knees with a cable. Hold the cable up behind one ear and crunch down to your sides, rotating so that it hits your oblique’s and your core.

Turkish sit ups – Lie down with your legs slightly part and hold a dumbbell over your face. Sit straight up with the dumbbell still in front of your face and then go all the way back.

Standing crunch – Stand with a band or cable overhead, the weight behind you. Lean all the way forward to get great extension in the abs, and contract as you come forward. A great alternative is to do this move using only one leg. It’s terrific for your balance and forces you to use many of your core muscles for stability. Set the weight so you can complete the number of reps you want to achieve.

Toned Legs

Trainer Kathy Kaehler, who has worked the gams of Cindy Crawford and Jennifer Aniston, tells us the secrets to great legs, “Keep them shaved. Keep them slightly oiled. Cover bruises or marks with cover-up. And wear a shoe with a heel to accentuate the muscles”. If you want a workout that targets your legs and derriere, these are her favourite moves. Do just one set of each.

Lunges – Lunge forward until your front leg is at 90 degrees, then go back to starting position. Do 10 reps forward with your right leg, then 10 reps forward with your left.

Step-backs – These are backward lunges (stepping back instead of forward). Hold a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand to add some resistance. Step back 20 times, alternating legs.

Squats – With 5-pound dumbbells in each hand, squat all the way down and put the weights on the ground. Stand up without the weights, then when you squat again, pick them back up. Repeat this 20 times.

Jump Rope – This is amazing for the lower body and for burning calories. Try to do 100 revolutions without stopping or missing.

Post Pregnancy Weight Loss

Within weeks of giving birth, Heidi Klum was strutting down the catwalk wearing nothing but some tiny underwear and a smile. While the rest of the women in the world could only shake their heads in bewilderment and utter one word?How?!

For most of us it is easy to feel that you have no hope of ever regaining the body you once knew and successfully losing your pregnancy weight gain.

So how did Heidi achieve, so effortlessly, what seems such an impossible task for the rest of us mere mortals? The answer is of course that she, like many celebrity mothers, was able to have expert help with her post pregnancy weight loss. People like Nicole Ritchie and Gwen Stefani have access to Nannies, Personal Trainers , Chefs and nutritionists to personally guide them through their post pregnancy diet.

As awe inspiring as these women are we have to realise that we can not compare ourselves to them and expect to see the same kind of weight loss after pregnancy. And perhaps more importantly, we need to understand that we should not even be trying to put our selves through any major post pregnancy diet.

After growing gradually bigger and bigger with weight gain during pregnancy, many women can begin to obsess about getting back in shape. That old saying “9 months to put it on, 9 months to get it off” can seem terrifying. But it is a sensible guide to follow.

The average woman has an average of 25 to 30 pound pregnancy weight gain. But actual childbirth results in an immediate weight loss of around 12 to 14 pounds, made up of amniotic fluid, the placenta, and of course the baby!

It is recommended that you don’t rush straight into a post pregnancy diet immediately after giving birth, but give yourself a few months to ease into losing your pregnancy weight gain. Your body has been through a lot during your pregnancy and birth, go easy on it and give it time to recover!

As in all weight loss plans, 2 pounds loss per week is a realistic and healthy target to set . While it might be physically possible for some women to have more dramatic post pregnancy weight loss, like Heidi or Gwen, it can have a detrimental effect on your health.

Look after your body and give it what it needs to look after you! You need a good balance of nutrients to provide you with the energy you will need at the time in your life when you will feel the most tired!

And obviously this is an even more important consideration if you are breastfeeding. Obsessively counting calories shouldn’t be a priority when breastfeeding because your baby is depending on you to provide it with all of its nutritional needs. And because of this it is recommended that you have at least 1800 calories a day. But this is a good incentive to start to really improve the quality of your diet so that you can lay the foundations for long term, sensible approach. The best way to do this is to eat small, well balanced meals approximately every 3 hours, which will help to keep your metabolism and energy high.

And lets not forget that many women consider breastfeeding itself to be the bodies secret weapon, burning off up to 500 calories per day!

It is never too soon to start exercising however!  It might seem hard to contemplate with a new baby to keep you busy but some gentle daily exercise, such as walking, can help to get you back into shape and also help to boost energy levels.  Yoga and pilates are both excellent, low impact ways to start to firm and tighten your body.

There are other things that you can do to make you feel good about yourself and your body during this period.  Concentrate on rewarding your body for the hard work it has done for you!  Treat your skin to anti cellulite treatments, fake tan and stretch mark creams.  All of which can give you the confidence boost you need at a time when you feel a little out of control of your own body.  And when breastfeeding is no longer an issue and your body has recovered from the pregnancy, you can begin to introduce supplements into your diet to help you regain your post pregnancy shape.

Herbal teas such as Pu-erh can help to stimulate a sluggish metabolism post pregnancy and herbal supplements such as Hoodia, which Nicole Ritchie is rumoured to have used after the birth of her baby, can help to control appetite.

So whether you are pregnant and worrying about the rate at which you are steadily growing, or if you have just given birth and feel the need to instantly address your weight gain – Stop! Enjoy those first few months with your new baby, relax, look after your self, eat regular, healthy, balanced meals and remain active and you will regain your post pregnancy body.   Sadly there is no guarantee that you will get Heidi Klum’s post pregnancy body!

3 Secrets to A Flat Stomach

Let’s face it, we all want a flat stomach

We Brits spend millions each year in the quest for a flat stomach. Right now there are about 200 or more ab exercise devices out there.

HOWEVER!
Most, if not all of these products, will do little or nothing to flatten your stomach. And that’s because these exercise contraptions cannot eliminate the layer of fat that lies on top of your abs.

In order to be successful at thinning your waistline you must have a basic understanding of how the abdominal muscles function and how your body burns fat. The first thing that needs to be understood is the difference between fat and muscle.

Fat is excess calories and is primarily stored in layers on top of muscle tissue. Muscle is made up of fibres that contract or shorten to produce movement. Fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat! However, you can lose muscle and you can gain fat. That’s what happens to most people.

So if your goal is to thin your waist line and have a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is decrease / eliminate the layers of fat that are on top of your abs. We all have a flat stomach; it’s just some of it is covered by excess fat.

The most effective way of flattening your stomach is a combination of strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).

Step 1
You must do some form of progressive strength training

The primary function of the ab muscle is to flex your torso forward. However, there are also muscles that flex your torso to the side and muscles that rotate your torso. Often times you see people on their ab roller every day doing hundreds of crunches or sit-ups.
If you want to effectively strengthen your stomach you need to incorporate the following types of exercises:

* 1-2 forward flexion exercises (crunch, sit-up, etc.)
* 1-2 side flexion exercises (side bends, side crunches, etc.)
* 1-2 rotational exercises (trunk rotations, standing twists, etc.)

The abs, are muscles just like any other and should be worked at most 3 times per week. You also want to make sure you are training them progressively, working them harder each time.

Step 2
Use short, hard cardio workouts to increase metabolism

Cardio workouts are important because they can, if done correctly, increase your metabolism for 4-24 hours or more! This means you are less likely to store any excess calories as body fat because they are more likely to be used by your elevated metabolism. Plus, you are more likely to burn off some excess body fat.

Below is a sample interval workout that can be done with just about any activity (walking, bicycling, swimming, stepping).

Warm up at easy pace 2-5 minutes. Perform 30 seconds of hard work (almost as hard as possible). Perform 1 minute of moderate work (recovery time-catch breath). Repeat this process 6-10 times. Cool down at an easy pace for 2-5 minutes

Step 3
Stable blood sugar is the key.

And most importantly, you must stabilize your blood sugar! This is by far the most important factor when it comes to burning away that excess body fat and keeping it off! To effectively stabilize your blood sugar you must feed your body frequently; like every 2-3 hours. The key is to give your body only what it needs at that time. Your body burns calories 24 hours a day, so, why would you only feed it once or twice a day? Give your body the fuel it needs: vegetables, fruits, nuts, berries, whole grains, and lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, etc.).

Many people are too hung up on how much fat is in food, or how healthy of a choice it is. Calories are calories and it doesn’t matter where they come from. If there’s extra?where’s it going? Yes, you guessed it?body fat!

This is not to say that what you eat is not important because it is, it just doesn’t have that much of an affect when it comes to fat loss. Try to make healthy choices whenever possible, but don’t feel like if you eat a cheeseburger it is guaranteed to be stored as fat.

The 3 Day Diet Meal Plan

British Heart Foundation Diet

This diet is also known as the British Heart Foundation Diet and the Greenland Diet and has been circulating for many years.The diet has circulated in the form of a one page sheet that claims you can lose 10 pounds in 3 days. The diet has been popular in the UK – but its exact origins are unknown.

Long term weight loss can only ever be achieved through sensible changes to diet and the introduction of regular exercise. But… there is that party/wedding/christening/holiday coming up and the long term diet plan hasn’t quite got you where you want to be yet! And you don’t want to be captured on those photographs when you are not feeling that you look your best.
Oolong Tea

Why not try combining The British Heart Foundation Diet with Oolong Tea?

Every now and then we all feel the need to resort to a strict, short term weight loss eating plan to see immediate results. While a very strict diet meal plan is never something that is advisable to do regularly or for long periods of time, kick start style diet plans can give you the confidence boost and the motivation that you need to continue to maintain a healthy weight loss plan.

So with this in mind, below we have the details of a free diet plan, to be followed for 3 days. For obvious reasons it is commonly known as The 3 Day Diet! And as the name suggests the diet plan should not be followed for any longer than that.

This weight loss plan works because calorie intake is lowered but the diet meal plan still gives some nutritional balance. One of the things that makes this plan popular and relatively easy to follow, is that ‘normal’ foods such as ice cream and hot dogs are incorporated and there is some variety.
DAY ONE
BREAKFAST     LUNCH     DINNER
Black Coffee or tea with low fat sweetener
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice of toast with 1tbsp peanut butter     1/2 a cup of tuna
1 slice of toast
Black coffee/tea/water*     3 oz any lean meat
1 cup of green beans
1 cup of carrots
1 cup of vanilla ice cream
1 medium apple
Black coffee/tea/water*
DAY TWO
BREAKFAST     LUNCH     DINNER
Black coffee/tea/water*
1 egg(served any style)
1 slice of toast
1 banana      1 cup of tuna or cottage cheese
5 plain crackers
Black coffee/tea/water*     2 hotdogs
1/2 cup of carrots
1 cup of broccoli or cabbage
1 banana
1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
DAY THREE
BREAKFAST     LUNCH     DINNER
Black coffee/tea/water*
5 plain crackers 1 oz of cheddar cheese
1 apple     1 hard boiled egg
1 slice of toast
black coffee/tea/water*     1 cup of tuna
1 cup of carrots
1 cup of cauliflower
1 cup of melon
1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
black coffee/tea/water*

*Low calorie sweetener should always be used instead of sugar
CONDIMENTS ALLOWED

    Lemon juice
    Salt and pepper
    Mustard
    Cooking oil spray

VARIATIONS

If you really don’t like any of the foods included you can make some changes;

    Orange instead of grapefruit
    Tuna instead of cottage cheese or vice versa
    Frozen yoghurt instead of ice cream
    Cauliflower instead of broccoli and vice versa
    Green beans instead of broccoli or cauliflower
    Beetroot instead of carrots
    Toast instead of 5 plain crackers

Follow the plan for 3 days with strictly no cheating and you should get the immediate results you want. When you see the differences to the new slimmer you, you should feel encouraged to continue with a healthy lifestyle!

Celebrity Weight Loss

Ever wonder how celebrities manage to shed pounds and look amazing before hitting the red carpet or starring in a new movie?
Celebrity diets range from the complicated to the plain crazy, but we have taken a look at some of the favourite methods of celebrity weight loss.

While some celebrity weight loss is achieved by following extreme diet and fitness regimes for a short period of time, other celebrities are so absorbed by what they put in their mouths that they have been labelled as orthorexic by diet experts. Orthorexia is the condition that sees sufferers become totally obsessed with eating nothing but healthy foods. For example, the Ally McBeal star Portia Di Rossi will not eat any food with sauces. She prefers to stick to steamed chicken and vegetables and egg whites only. Absolutely no dairy products or foods contain any sugar are allowed to pass her lips.

Both Madonna and Gwynneth Paltrow follow a macrobiotic diet. Again, not so much a celebrity diet as much as an entire way of life! This one is for the truly dedicated. This diet dictates that food should not be altered by cooking and should also be chewed 50 times. The food allowed in a macrobiotic diet is vegan, meaning it is centered around whole grains, organic vegetables, beans and pulses. While this is a long term eating regime which helps digestion of food, the downside is a lack of protein and iron.

Both Beyonce Knowles and Natalie Cassidy have followed the Lemon Detox Diet with dramatic results! Beyonce lost an amazing 22lbs in just 10 days to slim down for a film role.

Liz Hurley is a fan of The Hay Diet. The idea behind this popular celebrity diet is that carbs and proteins are processed differently by the body. And so by never eating them together in one meal, your body can digest your food quickly and more efficiently. Meaning nothing hangs around long enough to be stored as fat! While this may take some getting used to and require a lot of meal planning, it could provide a good way of improving your weight. But Liz has also admitted to eating nothing but watercress soup for days at a time when she needs to really see results quickly.

Kirsten Dunst keeps her slim frame by following something called The Acid Base Diet. With this celebrity diet you must eat 70% alkaline foods and 30% acid! Sounds confusing! Basically processed foods, fish, grains and meat all have a high PH level and so you must balance these foods with alkaline foods such as Fruit, vegetables and soya. Again this seems a bit too complicated and is probably nothing more than a basic balanced eating plan when it is broken down.

Claudia Schiffer does not follow a particular diet, but has instead devised a way to balance her diet in a way that works for her. She eats nothing but fruit before noon and has 3 meals a day to keep her metabolism steady and healthy. Those meals though are small and light, for example steamed fish or chicken with vegetables.

This seems like good sense when compared to Reece Witherspoons diet of choice. She likes to restrict herself to jars of baby food when she needs to drop a few pounds. While this would probably not be the most fulfilling diets to follow, but it is actually not as crazy as it sounds as good quality baby food is actually packed with nutrients. But you would be bored to tears in no time!

Another popular celebrity diet, the principles of which are followed by the likes of Sharon Stone, Gwen Stefani and Kylie – is the GI diet. This is a system of ranking foods according to how quickly your body absorbs them. While it may seem quite tricky to get the hang of, having to remember the GI value of different foods, it is actually a healthy, balanced diet to follow.

Another similarly complicated but balanced diet is The Zone. Fans of the zone include Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston who have both lost weight and maintained their shape by following this high protein diet. 5 small meals should be eaten everyday and each of those meals should be broken down so that 40% of the calories come from carbs, 30% from protein and another 30% from fat.

And finally, Heidi Klum and Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie’s method. They believe that by drinking 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar every day before dinner will suppress appetite, speed up metabolism and breakdown fat. Now that doesn’t seem too complicated!

The Lemon Diet: Drop a jeans size in seven days

The Lemon Diet: Drop a jeans size in seven days
- The lemon diet: lose weight in a week with our detailed weight loss plan
How do Heidi Klum and Jennifer Aniston stay slim, beautiful AND retain a healthy glow?

Apparently these body beautiful celebrities swear by The Lemon Diet, one of the simplest and most effective diets out there!

Lemon can have staggering effects on weight loss, so if you want to increase your vitality, eliminate toxins, get rid of excess pounds and boost your glow, get zesting!

Here's our 7-day plan from nutritionist Dr Andre, with complete Lemon diet menus, recipes and daily targets.

All it takes is seven days on the Lemon Diet to cleanse your body, recharge your batteries and drop a jeans size!

Fancy trying The Lemon diet




- For weight loss, take a detox day to purify your system
Before you start your diet for real, you need to rid your body of the toxins that are hampering it and kick-start your digestive system.
This doesn't mean fasting!
Starving yourself puts your body into a state of deprivation, which, instead of cleaning you out, actually makes your body produce more waste.

So have a whole day eating lots of natural, foods which will aid the detox process, along with water to help the draining process and eliminate toxins.

Boost the cleansing process by drinking glasses of lemonade at room temperature throughout the day.

No tea, no coffee and no alcohol!
How to make Lemon Diet Lemonade

    1-1½ Lemons - squeezed (2tbsp of lemon juice)
    300ml filtered water
    2 tsp Quality organic maple syrup (or cinnamon stick if preferred)
    Pinch of Cayenne pepper.

To make your lemonade, mix 2tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 300ml filtered water and either 2 tsp quality (Grade B) organic maple syrup or a stick of cinnamon and a pinch of Cayenne pepper.

You can also drink herbal or fruit tea and home-made vegetable soup.
Home-made detox vegetable soup

    1 carrot chopped
    1 stick celery chopped
    ½ onion chopped
    4 radishes
    1 handful sugarsnap peas
    ½ fennel chopped

Chop up all your veg into small pieces. Add the carrots, celery and onion to a medium pan of boiling water. After 5 minutes add the radishes, peas and fennel.
Turn the heat down and simmer for 10-15minutes and serve.


At the end of your detox day, you'll feel light and energetic, and you'll have lost 500g to 1kg (depending on your weight and body shape).




- 24 hour detox programme
Wake-up drink (7:30)
Glass of lemonade

Breakfast (30 minutes after you get up)
Fruit salad (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries)
An apple, a pear, an organic yoghurt and a handful of unsalted, ungrilled almonds

Morning snack
A glass of lemonade.
A banana.
A handful of sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Lunch
Bean or lentil salad with lemon, vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing.

Afternoon snack
Glass of lemonade.
A helping of crudités (cucumber, radishes and celery) OR a handful of dried fruit.

Dinner
Grilled fish with lemon juice.
Steamed veg.

1 hour before bedtime
Glass of lukewarm or hot lemonade.






- Lemonade diet
Monday's target is to drink loads of lemonade, from the minute you get up to just before bed.

Why: Like water, lemon is excellent at kick-starting your digestive system, helping bowel movements along and eliminating toxins.

It's also a natural appetite suppressant.

How: As soon as you get up, have a glass of freshly-squeezed lemon juice and filtered hot water. For the rest of the day, focus on hydration!

Carry a bottle of water around with you if it helps, with your 6-8 big glasses' water in. Try and drink outside of mealtimes to help suppress your appetite.


Monday's menu


- Lemonade diet plan menu
Wake-up drink
Lemon juice and hot water.

Breakfast
Bowl of fruit salad, yoghurt and 2tbsp oats.
300ml organic or soy milk.

Snack
8 unsalted almonds.
Glass of fresh fruit juice diluted with water.

Lunch
Home-made or organic vegetable soup.
Brown bread grated cheese and spread sandwich.

Snack
2 oatcakes.
A few cherry tomatoes and a spoonful of cottage cheese.

Dinner
Grilled fish, chicken or tofu with lemon and olice oil sauce (3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and half a clove of garlic).
Green leafy vegetables sautéd in a wok with 1tsp sesame seeds.
Cooked peaches and cinnamon.
Lemon juice and hot water.

Tuesday's target: burn fat

- Eat Vitamin C to burn fat
Today, use the fat-burning power of Vitamin C to your advantage.

Why: Vitamin C is one of the most effective nutrients for fat burning and weight loss.

We mainly find it in fruit and veg, which just so happen to be the best low-calorie, high-fibre slimming allies out there...

How: Along with your morning lemon drink, get at least five portions of fruit and veg throughout the day.

To reach your target, mix fruit with cereal, use frozen or preserved fruit and veg, and snack on dried fruit and raw crudités if you're hungry


Tuesday's menu


- Tuesday's menu
Wake-up drink
Hot water and lemon juice.

Breakfast
1 poached egg.
2 slices of wholemeal toast with a thin spread of butter and 1 grilled tomato.
1 apple.
300ml soy or organic milk.

Snack
2 fresh or dried apricots.
A few unsalted peanuts.
Blended lemon, apple and watercress juice.

Lunch
3 tbsp each of butter beans, chickpeas and kidney beans mixed with tomatoes and green pepper with lemon juice dressing.
1 wholemeal roll.
1 big plate of green salad with chives.
1 kiwi fruit.

Snack
1 oatcake, cottage cheese and strawberries.

Dinner
Vegetable stew (tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, potatoes, raisins and whole grain rice).
Grilled banana with 2 squares of melted dark chocolate.



Wednesday's menu


- Wednesday's menu
Wake-up drink
Hot water and lemon juice.

Breakfast
Raspberries and strawberries mixed with 2 tsp oats and 300ml milk.
Nectarine.

Snack
Fruit salad with lemon juice.
300ml organic or soy milk.

Lunch
Hot dried bean salad (kidney, lima or any dried beans).
Wholemeal roll with a thin spread of butter.
Natural yoghurt.

Snack
1 tsp sunflower seeds.
Small bunch of grapes.

Dinner
Salmon fillet with lemon juice, baked in the oven with a large mix of steamed vegetables
Small scoop of chocolate ice cream with chopped nuts.



Thursday's menu


- Thursday's menu
Wake-up drink
Hot water and lemon juice.

Breakfast
Banana milkshake (blend 300ml organic or soy milk,1 natural yoghurt, 2 small bananas and 1tsp raisins)
2 slices of wholemeal toast with a thin spread of butter .

Snack
Seeds and dried fruit.

Lunch
Jacket potato and a small tin of beans.
Large salad with a pinch of grated cheese.
A pear or peach.

Snack
Vegetable dips with home-made hoummous (chickpeas, lemon, sesame pasta and garlic).

Dinner
Stuffed pepper: mix 4 tbsp wholegrain basmati rice, 2 tsp pine nuts, chopped chives, cherry tomatoes and 60g feta together. Chop a pepper in half, fill and serve with a large portion of steamed veg.
Baked apple sprinkled with cinammon and a drizzle of maple syrup.





Friday's menu


- Diet plan menu
Wake-up drink
Hot water and lemon juice.

Breakfast
A hard-boiled egg and a sliced tomato on a slice of rye bread.
Half a dozen raspberries.

Snack
A handful of nuts.
300ml soy milk.

Lunch
Cucumber and salmon on toast.
A yoghurt.

Snack
A peach.
A handful of grape seeds.
A handful of sunflower seeds.

Dinner
Tuna and sweetcorn pasta: mix 6 tbsp cooked whole wheat pasta, half a tin of tuna in brine, 2 tbsp sweetcorn and a handful of chopped brocolli or small tin of tomatos. Serve hot, with steamed veg and lemon juice.
Fruit purée and dried fruit.



Saturday's menu


- Saturday's menu
Wake-up drink
Hot water with lemon juice.

Breakfast
A bowl of fresh fruit salad.
A natural yoghurt with 2tbsp oats.
300ml organic or soy milk.

Snack
A nectarine.
A handful of mixed nuts and seeds.

Lunch
A small avocado with prawns.
Salad with lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.
An apple.

Snack
A slice of wholemeal toast sprinkled with grated cheese.

Dinner
Omelette made with 2 eggs, chopped mushrooms, 3 tbsp grated cheese and spray oil. Steamed vegetables.
A small banana.
A few strawberries.


Sunday's menu


- Sunday's menu
Wake-up drink
Hot water and lemon juice

Breakfast
Whole wheat cereal with fresh fruit, seeds and organic milk
Glass of fresh apple juice diluted with water

Snack
Small pot of guacamole with carrot sticks
300ml organic or soy milk

Lunch
Vegetarian pizza: cut a loaf of wholemeal bread into slices 10cm long. Top with tomato sauce, chopped mushrooms and green pepper, 1 tbsp sweetcorn and a small chunk of mozzarella, cut into slices. Bake and serve.

Snack
Fruit salad sprinkled with sunflower seeds

Dinner
Risotto (chicken breast, rice, grated cheese, lemon juice, stock and tomato purée)
Fruits of the forest salad


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- The volumetrics diet

Dairy Free Diet

- Dairy Free Diet
Cutting out dairy from your diet might sound more pain that gain but trust us, if Megan Fox can look this good 3 months post pregnancy, a dairy free diet might just be a genius idea.

Traditionally the dairy free diet was championed by lactose intolerant ladies and gents around the world - not everyone's digestive systems get along with diary. But instead of a dietary requirement, the dairy free diet is set to be the next biggest weight loss wonder to come out of Hollywood.

Yes, that's right, Megan Fox herself has said that the secret to her post baby weight loss is cutting dairy out - pure and simple.

That means no milk, no cheese *sheds a tear*, no chocolate (gasp) no butter, no cream - basically anything that comes out of a cow, sheep or goat -it's all strictly off limits.

She's reportedly said in the Daily Mail: "If you want to gain weight, eat dairy. If you don’t, don’t eat it."

So if we want to take her advice, and for the sake of that body we do, then here's everything you need to know about going dairy free!

How it works:
The idea of the diet is pretty simple, cut out dairy products and you'll lose weight as well as feel a multitude of other benefits.

It is no coincidence that cheese, butter and cream have some of the highest amounts of fats and sugars in them so avoiding these may seem like no genius move.

But for those of you with an intolerance to dairy, cutting it out will have an almost miraculous effect. Dairy products are known to cause bloating, gas, tiredness, skin problems, asthma, diarrhea, nausea and even anxiety for really extreme cases.

You might not even realise you have an intolerance until you cut it out and see if any of your ailments improve.

Depending on how severe your intolerances are or how much weight you would like to lose, it is up to you how much you stick to the 'no dairy' policy, but a complete ban on lactose products is recommended to really notice the benefits of the diet.

Things to stay clear of:
It might seem obvious but it's good to know exactly what products you can and cannot eat on a dairy free diet. For example many people think that eggs are counted as dairy - they aren't - so scramble away.

The foods that you should stay clear of are milk, cream, crème fraiche, butter, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream as well as anything else containing these.

If you're looking to buy ready meals then be sure to read the contents as you'd be surprised how much dairy products feature in your day to day foods.

Instead you can opt for substitutes like Soya milk, Soy margarine, Soy cream cheese, Almond milk, Rice milk and Coconut oil and Coconut cream. Some people even prefer these to normal milk so try not to think of it as losing out on one, but just rather gaining something else.

Typical day:
A typical day on a dairy free diet will not be a hard one to adjust to if you're a big dairy fan with the multitude of other options out there. It might just be worth doing a lot more home-cooking to control what goes into your food.

Breakfast: Cereal or porridge with milk-free substitute like Almond milk or opt for fresh fruit.

Lunch: Home-made butternut squash soup or grilled chicken and avocado salad with cherry tomatoes.

Dinner: Vegetable couscous or black bean chicken stir-fry or sausage casserole.

Results:
Results will vary from person to person and on their own personal goals. Bethany Eaten, Nutritional expert in going dairy free and founder of Coyo Yoghurts says:

"By cutting out dairy I have found in myself and in my clients that it can improve issues such as constipation, bloating, acne and excess mucous.

It is hard to say exactly how much weight can be lost as everyone is different. For example, if someone is eating a lot of dairy and they react to it and suffer with constipation etc. then by removing it from their diet, helping alleviate symptoms, the body will shed excess water weight it has been holding on to and this could mean a drop in weight.

No matter what there will be a change and the best feeling comes from seeing your waist again and getting a flatter stomach."

Plus points:
Going dairy free will have a huge effect on your body. You energy levels will increase and your waistline will decrease without having to do any sort of exercise (though you should be doing this anyway).

By removing these fatty foods, your calorie intake will reduce and therefore so will that waistline.

As well as this you will feel more healthy. If you suffer from the previous mentioned symptoms like bloating, acne, anxiety, diarrhea, nausea, gas or tiredness then you should feel an immediate difference.
Downsides:
Apart from having to eat milk free chocolate and resisting the temptation of that cheese board there are a few minor downsides to the dairy free diet.

Whenever you cut certain foods that provide you with the vitamins and nutrients that you need you will have to replace them.

Bethany says: "People worry that by cutting out dairy they will not get enough calcium, and yes dairy is very high in calcium. However, calcium is also abundant in other foods, so it is just a matter of eating these, ie. lots of fresh leafy green veg."

So this means that when you cut out dairy you will need to replace the levels of Calcium, Zinc and B Vitamins. You can either take specific supplements to do this or you can eat things that contain these vitamins.

It can also be a bit inconvienient at points, especially when eating out but this can be easily be overcome with a little forward planning.

Cabbage Soup Diet

 The Cabbage Soup diet has got to be one of the most famous quick fix diets out there, but it has it downsides too.

The seven day diet which consists of mainly eating, you guessed it, cabbage soup, has got a real cult following and is great if you want to lose weight quickly.

The problem is that you can only go on it short term and once you go back to your normal diet the pounds pile on pretty quickly.

How it works

So for seven days you can have as much cabbage soup as you want, in fact some people say that the more soup you consume the more weight you lose.

You can also have a limited intake of certain fruit and veg.

Cabbage soup has a very low calorie count, so you're essentially forcing your body into a state of semi-starvation which in turn slows down your metabolism.

Each day of the seven day diet is different and works as follows.

Day One:
On day one limit yourself to eating cabbage soup and any fruit you want - except bananas. Wash down your grub with unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water.
Day Two:
Day two should be dedicated to more cabbage soup and a range of vegetables. Whether you eat your veggies raw, cooked or combined, make sure you keep hunger at bay with veggies and where possible try to include leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach.
Avoid dry beans, peas and corn. In the evening or at lunch eat a baked potato to fill up but importantly don’t eat any fruit today.
Day Three:
On the third day of your cabbage soup extravaganza you can eat all the cabbage soup you want, and can nibble on fruit and veggies too - this time no potatoes.
Day Four:
This day will be fun. Day four aims to quash your desire for sugary foods, so you’re able to eat as many as eight bananas and drink skimmed milk to your hearts delight. You’re also able to eat as much cabbage soup as you like - as always.
Day Five:
Finally you get to eat some real food. On day five you’re able to eat ten to twenty ounces of beef and fresh tomatoes. Try to keep hydrated and drink up to eight glasses of water to dilute the uric acid from your body. As well as beef and tomatoes you’re also allowed to eat your trusty cabbage soup.
Day Six:
On day six treat yourself to some beef or chicken and some veggies - but no potatoes. But don’t get carried away you’ll have to eat your cabbage soup at least once.
Day Seven:
On day seven you’re nearly there! Make yourself some brown rice, and fill up on unsweetened fruit juices and some veggies. Make sure you have at least one bowl of cabbage soup today and keep hydrated.

Results

It's said that you can lose up to 10 pounds in one week, but don't forget that that will probably go back on when you eat normally again.

Plus points

The main reason that the Cabbage Soup Diet is so popular is because it quickly gets rid of a fair few pounds.

It's also a good way to kick off a normal diet.

Finally, the soup helps you to cleanse your body so is a good detox.

Downsides

As we've said, the weight loss isn't permanent.

Side effects include nausea, weakness and a lot of gas.

Cellulite & Saggy Skin

Women with cellulite problem are often embarrassed to wear shorts or skirts that reveal the dimpled skin at their hips or thighs; whereas women with saggy skin are likely to feel their skin jiggle with each step they take, especially so if they are taking a brisk walk or jogging. Affected women without firm buttocks and taut skin will avoid any form-fitting dress that is not flattering to their body. They also feel self-conscious about their cellulite and will try to hide them as much as possible, in case their friends notice the obvious dimples on their skin.

Cellulite and saggy skin is a problem that plagues women of all ages, sizes and weight, and many women are at a complete loss as to how to deal with it. More commonly found among women with excess body fat, cellulite are clusters of fat deposits below your skin, pushing against connective tissue between your skin and muscles, resulting in a dimpled appearance. Saggy skin is a result of the skin being unable to conform to the new shape, which can be due to weight loss and smaller body mass.

Women with cellulite and saggy skin usually feel insecure about their bodies, and wear layers of clothing to hide their flaws. With cellulite usually occurring at the hips and thighs area, they will usually wear pants to avoid people seeing the dimpled skin. With saggy skin, they will not feel confident in clothes that conform to the body shape. Instead, they will choose to wear loose clothings.

Slimming 101 provides customised slimming solutions for cellulite and saggy skin, enabling you to achieve a figure you can flaunt in tight fitting dresses!

Belly Fats

Belly fats can occur even among women who are slim in all other areas. They are likely to have been teased by friends about their “pot belly” or “beer belly”, or even mistaken for being pregnant on the various forms of public transport. While the common complaints among other females are their weight, big thighs, love handles and imperfect legs, women with belly fats usually complain about the “forever-there” fats around their belly area.

The main cause of belly fats is due to the consumption of more calories than the body is able to burn off. Other causes include pregnancy and menopause. During pregnancy, the skin around the belly area is stretched and the muscles that are separated begin to sag. Fat present in the belly area then becomes more prominent. Menopause also causes belly fats due to weight gain from dropping estrogen levels, and the excess weight resides at the belly area.

Women with belly fats tend to feel self-conscious about their bodies, and wear loose clothings to conceal their tummies. They avoid going swimming, as they are worried about people staring at their bulging bellies. This causes them to have low self-confidence, and affect their daily lives by restricting their activities. In addition, belly fats are also closely associated with heart diseases.

At Slimming 101, customised slimming programmes can help you to understand and solve your belly fats problem, providing you a healthier and more active lifestyle!

30 Diet Tips – To Help You Lose Weight Healthily

1. Stay clued up

Knowledge is power. By arming yourself with the facts about healthy diet, and ignoring the fads, you are more likely to build confidence in your abilities and achieve your weight loss goals.

WLR can help! Long term weight control is about being realistic, and enjoying healthy eating and exercise habits for life – and reaping all the benefits.
2. Have clear motivations

Write down your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Having clearly identified reasons helps your feeling of commitment. Try to include reasons that aren’t just about appearance, for example, ‘will help me feel fit enough to do more of the things of I want to do’ or ‘will help my back pain’. Looking back on them can also be a very useful motivator if the going gets tough.
3. Keep a food diary

Writing down what you eat and drink and any thoughts linked to that eating helps you become more aware of your eating habits and problem areas. Recognising what is going on and understanding more about yourself is a powerful way to start planning changes to your diet and puts you in control.

Keeping a food diary, even intermittently, also helps you stay on track, and lets you look back to see the great progress you’ve made. (You can try WLR's online food diary free for 24 hours.)
4. Weight goals

Losing 5-10% of your weight is an ideal target, according to research. This can be broken down into smaller manageable steps, for example, 4-5lbs at a time. Remember too that just keeping your weight stable is a great achievement in itself these days. Losing modest amounts of weight are not just easier to keep off but bring big health benefits. For example, if you are overweight, losing 5-10% of your weight can halve your risk of type 2 diabetes.
5. Set realistic goals

When making changes to your diet and exercise habits start small and set a few realistic goals. If they are realistic, you are more likely to achieve and stick with them and feel successful, which in turn boosts your self-esteem and self-confidence for ongoing success.
6. Work out how to achieve your goals

Setting a goal ideally includes a plan for how to achieve it, and how to overcome things that might get in the way such as trigger eating (see below), poor food choices at work, eating the kid’s leftovers or too many takeaways. Writing your goals and action plans helps enormously.
7. Trigger eating

Much of the eating we do when we aren’t hungry, or the cravings we have, is a habit-like response to a variety of triggers. These can be external, such as the sight or smell of food, or internal and emotion-led, such as a response to stress, anger, boredom or emptiness.

A food diary helps you recognise this ‘trigger’ or ‘non-hungry’ eating, which in turn places you in a better position to deal with it. For example, make a conscious choice to eat (or not to eat - see below) a food. Or plan ways to avoid triggers in the first place, for example, keep ‘binge’ foods out of the house or join an evening class to keep you away from the TV, crisps and wine bottle!
8. Be a conscious eater

Try to make conscious choices about what you eat, especially when tempted to overeat. For example, ask yourself, ‘I can eat this if I want to, but do I really feel like it?’ You can then choose to eat it (or some of it), or not, as you will have considered the consequences. Not only will it help you feel in control and achieve your goals, it will stop you feeling deprived.
9. Coping with cravings

If unwanted food cravings do strike, acknowledge them – have a chat to them even – then distract yourself, for example, with a chore, a more involving task, go out for a walk, call a friend or colleague, play with the kids, or paint your nails. Like a wave, cravings rise then ebb away. By waiting 15 minutes and ‘surfing’ the craving, you should find they pass away – and your conscious choice becomes simple.
10. Eat regular meals

Regular meals, starting with breakfast, help you to regulate how much you eat by stabilising blood sugar levels and allowing you to recognise natural feelings of hunger and fullness. They also stop you worrying about hunger as you will know your next meal or snack is not far away! And a healthy breakfast, is not only linked to long term weight control success, but a healthier, more nutritious diet overall.
11. Plan ahead

Plan ahead to ensure the right foods are available at the right time. Think about breakfast, lunch, healthy snacks and an evening meal. Have some ready meals in the fridge (serve with extra veg) for those emergency moments. Planning can take extra time and effort, but it will soon become a habit that will really make a difference.

Losing weight healthily can be easy and doesn't have to cost a fortune if you plan ahead. Try our Budget Diet Plan to get you started.
12. Beware ‘all or nothing’ thinking’

You know that feeling when you really overdo the chocolate or a night out and think you’ve blown it so may as well give up – and keep on eating… The blow out isn’t a problem, but your reaction could be.

Lapses are a normal part of change. You can’t be, nor need to be perfect 100% of the time to lose weight. Doing well 80-90% of the time is great progress. Rather than feel you have failed and give up, look at what you can learn from a bad day or week and plan to do things differently in the future. Then forgive, talk positively to yourself about what you have achieved already, and get back on track.
13. Build in some fave foods

It’s fine to build some fave foods into your healthy diet plan. Successful slimmers do it as it helps them avoid feeling deprived. Make sure you choose quality foods that you really feel like eating (do you fancy sweet, savoury, crunchy, creamy at that time?), sit down, eat slowly and savour them.

Deciding on what you will truly enjoy (and knowing that you can have it again another time if you want to) adds satisfaction and means you’re likely to be happy with a small amount.
14. Reward yourself

If you have set yourself some specific goals, for example, to have regular meals, or lose 3lbs in 2 weeks or eat your 5 a day, reward yourself when you have achieved it for example, with a new CD, seeing a movie, a new hairstyle, or outfit. It will also help to plan a big reward for when you have achieved your longer term weight goal. You will definitely deserve it.
15. Get some support

It could be from a friend, partner, colleague at work, self-help group, health professional, health club, slimming group, book, tape or video, diet ‘buddy’ or chat room. Have a good chat with your supporters about how they can best help you. Getting the right support is a vital part of long term slimming success.
16. Keep it balanced

Make meals automatically healthy, balanced and satisfying. Half fill your plate with plenty of vegetables and salad and divide the other half between lean protein-rich foods such as lean meat, chicken, fish, pulses, Quorn or tofu and healthy carbs such as pasta, new potatoes, Basmati or brown rice.
17. Eat without distractions

Don’t let your best efforts to control how much you eat be sabotaged by doing something else during meals. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who ate while listening to a story on the radio ate 70 calories more than women who ate with no distractions.
18. Avoid crash diets

They may be tempting, but a crash diet ultimately leads to rebound weight gain and feelings of failure.

The American Heart Association has "declared war" on crash diets, which they say "can undermine people’s health, can’t be followed for long, cause physical discomfort, and lead to disappointment when people regain the weight soon after." Still tempted?
19. Be active

Being more active and staying that way is one of the key strategies for long term success. Finding something you enjoy, and can fit into daily life helps ensure you keep it up. Walking suits many people (see below), but gardening, dancing, team sports, gym workouts, martial arts, any active hobby all count. Doing it with someone else boosts motivation too.
20. Step 10,000

Aim to walk briskly for a total of 45 minutes each day to burn around 2000 calories a week (250 to 300 calories a day). Or buy a pedometer from a sports’ shop or via the internet and build up to doing 10,000, then if you can 15,000 steps – over the day. Research now shows that this level of daily activity is most effective for weight control.
21. More good reasons to be active

Regular physical activity, especially if you include some strength training, not only burns calories and boosts mood and energy levels but can build muscle. Muscle burns loads more calories than body fat, and just a 3 pound increase in the amount of muscle in your body can potentially burn enough extra calories to lose an extra 10lbs over a year.
22. Spice up your cooking skills

Cut fat but not flavour with herbs, spices, lemon juice, tomato paste, wine, low fat fromage frais, olives, capers, chilli, and sauces with less than 5g fat per 100g. Grill, stir fry, bake, steam, char-grill, BBQ or microwave. A low fat cook book helps too – not to mention WLR’s fab recipes.
23. Read food labels – carefully

Check portion size, numbers of portions per package, and calorie content to make sure you aren’t getting more than you bargained for. Check and compare similar products too – as there can be big calorie differences between brands. And remember that ‘low fat’ doesn’t mean ‘low calorie’.
24. Fill up on low energy density foods

Foods like vegetables, salad, fruit, chunky soups, low fat pasta sauces, low fat dairy foods, porridge, vegetable-based casseroles, beans, fish and lean meat are great building blocks of every meal and snack. They have a low energy density (low number of calories per bite), most have a low GI (glycaemic index) and all are not only healthy but help you feel fuller for longer.
25. Drink plenty

Have at least 6-8 glasses or cups of low calorie drinks over the day – more if you are hot or exercising.

The aim is to keep your urine a light straw colour – if it’s dark you need to drink more. Drinking plenty helps you feel fuller and stops you confusing thirst with hunger, and eating when you really just need a drink. Spicy tomato or vegetable juice or a berry fizz (puree some fresh berries and top up with fizzy mineral water) are great, low cal between meal (or early evening) satisfiers to stop the nibbles – or the wine, if you want to cut back.
26. Practise saying ‘no’

We are often pressured to eat when we aren’t hungry. If you really don’t want to eat something, learning to say ‘no, thank you’ takes practise as we may feel we are upsetting others. But you are in fact looking after your own needs. First practice saying ‘no’ at home by yourself. It will soon get easier.
27. Keep food out of sight

Food is everywhere – on TV, magazines, shops, petrol stations - and can trigger cravings. At home, keep weakness foods out of sight, or out of the house! Serve meals onto plates rather than from dishes on the table. And steer clear of buffet meals – studies show they encourage us to eat more.
28. Watch portion sizes

Keep a careful eye on portion sizes, when eating out or serving up your own meals at home.

The WLR approach will automatically help you with this, while you keep your calorie tally over the day. It isn’t always what you eat that can make weight loss tricky, but how much. This can be especially true for dishes like bowls of pasta or fruit smoothies – their intrinsic ‘healthiness’ makes it easy to forget the portion size and calorie content.
29. Eat out wisely

    ‘Bank’ some calories for your meal out
    Try not to view every meal out as an indulgent treat – eating out is now a regular part of life and restaurant food can be high in calories
    Skip high fat butter, dressings, garlic bread, cream or cheese sauces, pastry, deep fried, battered foods and indulgent pudds (unless served with 4 spoons!)
    Pile your plate with vegetables or salad
    Watch the booze – quench thirst with water

30. Believe in Yourself

This final diet tip is just as important as the tips about eating and exercise.

If things go wrong don’t panic. Learning new habits takes time. Think back to when you learned to ride a bike. No-one expected you to do it the first time. You no doubt fell off a lot and needed picking up, with help along the way. Step by step you took control of that bike and learned how to keep it on course.

How you think, affects how you feel, and in turn the actions you take. Believe in yourself every day. Focus on what you want – being fitter, healthier – rather than how unfit you are. Setting realistic goals and having positive expectations will make all the difference.

Healthy foods and snacks to eat at your desk

your desk
As much as some of us hate it, the cliche of the January detox is alive, well and very much happening.

If you're back in the office you'll be sure to have noticed the increase in suspicious looking healthy foods and snacks and the disappearance of the pre Christmas chocolates and cakes.

As heartbreaking as it is to banish the biscuits from your desk, eating healthily is - shockingly - really good for you , so it's worth jumping on board!

Plus now that everyone else is doing it you'll have more support to do it to. Sometimes the sheep really do have it best.

But rather than hunt round the shops peering at those confusing calorie counts and fat contents in tiny-typefaces, we've done some research into the best healthy foods and drinks and found our favourites to share with you.

The Paleolithic diet

The Paleolithic diet was never invented as such: it involves eating what our earliest human ancestors ate! In 1985, the American Dr Eaton revived the Paleolithic Stone Age diet as the 'ideal' diet.
- The Paleolithic diet
The Paleolithic diet

The Paleolithic Diet, also know as the Cave Man Diet and the Paleo Diet, was never actually meant to be a diet.

It simply involves eating what our ancestors ate (a long time ago). Back in the '80s American expert Dr Eaton gave the Paleolithic Diet a bit of a revival when he decided it was the 'ideal' diet for a human being.

Since then, Jessica Biel, Miley Cyrus and Matthew McConaughey have become big fans of the diet.

How it works
According to Dr Eaton, our genes determine what our bodies need nutritionally. Since we have very similar genes to our prehistoric ancestors (there's just a 0.02% difference), our bodies basically need the same food that they ate in the Stone Age.

The Paleolithic Diet is a low-carbohydrate diet, and there's no dairy or wheat. During the diet you have just 20% to 40% carbohydrate, 20% to 35% protein, and 30% to 45% fat.

The good news is that you don’t have to count grams or calories; the golden rule is to simply stop eating when you feel full.

But this diet does more than just help you to lose weight. It also protects against cardiovascular diseases and cancer and aids digestion.

Foods allowed
Lean meat, poultry, fish and seafood, eggs, low-starch fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Foods to eat in moderation
Cold-pressed oils, avocado, dried fruit, tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks.

Foods to eliminate
Wheat products, legumes, dairy products, processed or tinned foods, starchy vegetables (potatoes, cassava, yams), fatty meats, salted foods, fizzy drinks.

Breaking with routine
According to Dr Eaton's theory, you can allow yourself one, two or even three meals made up of “non-approved” foods each week. These breaks make easing into the new lifestyle a little less tricky.

A typical day

Breakfast 1 orange, salmon with fine herbs, nuts.
Lunch Salad with selected vegetables, olive oil and lemon vinaigrette, turkey breast, almonds and raspberries.
Dinner Veal escalope, selected vegetables, melon and sunflower seeds.

Results
During the first six months, this sort of diet can lead to more weight loss than your standard low-fat, high-carb diet. However, after six months, people who follow the Paleolithic Diet tend to put more weight back on than those on a low-fat diet.

Plus points
You eat lots of protein, which makes you feel full quickly. Plus, it's not hard to follow the diet as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, seafood, fruit and vegetables can be bought pretty much anywhere.

Downsides
The Paleolithic Diet might cover all your nutritional needs (with the exception of Vitamin D), but it's pretty monotonous so over a long period you might get pretty bored with it, plus you need a lot of discipline and control to follow it in the first place.

It can cause a yo-yo effect because of the rapid weight loss in the first two weeks, and in the short term you might have a Vitamin D deficiency, so you should compensate by taking supplements.

How to track your calories on the plan

Online calorie counters are one of the easiest ways to track your calories while following the NHS Choices weight loss plan.

To lose weight, you need to eat and drink fewer calories than you use each day.

If you're following our diet and exercise guide Losing Weight - Getting started, your daily calorie allowance is 1,900kcal for men and 1,400kcal for women.

Calorie counters

There is a wide range of online calorie counters. We can't verify their data but they can help you track your calories. Examples include:

    My Meal Mate (free app for Android phones)
    MyFitnessPal
    Calorie counting
    FatSecret

Simply enter the food and drink you consume and the quantities, and the calorie counter does the work for you.

You'll also need to get used to reading food labels to find out the calorie content in packaged food and drink.

Keep a running tally of your day's calories and enter the total figure in the food and activity chart (view sample PDF, 545kb) at the end of each day.

You may find it helpful to have a list of your favourite food and drink and their calories before starting our 12-week weight loss plan.
Calorie counting in practice

Here are some practical examples to show you how to work out the calorie content of your meals, snacks and drinks.
Calorie-counted recipes

For an easy start on the plan, why not use Change4Life Meal Mixer, which contains over 120 easy, calorie-counted recipes for breakfast, lunch, evening meals, puddings and snacks.

Snacks

It’s easy to find the calorie content of a wide range of snacks. Use these examples to help:

    Banana: Use an online calorie counter to find out the calorie content in fruits. The MyFitnessPal calorie counter says that a medium-sized (112.5g) banana contains 100kcal.
    Kit Kat: Use food labels to find out the calorie content in any packaged foods. Look for the “per bar” or “per packet” figure. A two-finger Kit Kat contains 107kcal.
    A scone: If scones, pastries and muffins come in a packet, use the food label. Some cafes and restaurants have calorie labelling in store, on their menus or online.

Lunch

If you’re grabbing lunch on the go, it will often consist of a number of packaged foods, perhaps accompanied by a piece of fruit. For example, you might choose a sandwich, a bottle of orange juice and a banana.

Simply use food labels and an online calorie counter to find out the calorie content of each part of your lunch.

For example:

    Tesco Light Choices chicken, tomato and rocket sandwich – 285kcal
    +
    Tropicana Trop50 smooth orange juice 330ml – 69kcal
    +
    Apple – 65kcal

Grand total = 419kcal

Buying food from your work canteen or a cafe can make it harder to work out calories. Some cafes and restaurants have calorie labelling in store, on their menus or online.

Cooking from scratch

When cooking from scratch, you can work out the total calories by adding up the calorie content of each ingredient.

You’ll need to use food labels, kitchen scales to weigh ingredients, and an online calorie counter.

Say you’re making spaghetti bolognese for four people. Use a non-stick pan so you only need to use a tablespoon of oil to fry the ingredients.

The bolognese sauce contains lean beef mince, onions, chopped tomatoes, carrots, vegetable stock, olive oil, and herbs and spices.

    280g of dried wholewheat spaghetti. The packet tells you that 100g of dried spaghetti contains 348 calories. So 280g of dried spaghetti contains (348/100) x 280 = 975kcal. 
    200g of lean beef mince. The packet says the raw mince contains 171kcal per 100g. So 200g of raw mince contains 171 x 2 = 342kcal.
    Two cans of 400g of chopped tomatoes. Each can contains 96kcal. So that’s 96 x 2 = 192kcal.
    One onion. The MyFitnessPal calorie counter says an 85g white onion contains 34kcal.
    Two carrots. The same calorie counter says a carrot contains 30kcal. So that’s 30 x 2 = 60kcal.
    A tablespoon of olive oil for frying the ingredients. The calorie counter says this contains 119kcal.
    The calorie content of the vegetable stock, herbs and spices is almost zero, and can be ignored.

The total calorie content of this meal is 975 + 342 + 192 + 34 + 60 + 119 = 1,722kcal.

If you eat one quarter (one serving) of the meal, you will consume 1,722/4 = 430.5kcal.

12 tips to help you lose weight on the plan

Get off to the best possible start on the NHS Choices 12-week weight loss plan with these 12 diet and exercise tips.


1. Don’t skip breakfast

Research shows that eating breakfast helps you control your weight. Some people skip breakfast as they think it will help them loose weight but missing meals doesn’t help us lose weight and isn’t good for us because we can miss out on essential nutrients.  It could also encourage us to snack more throughout the day because you feel hungry’. Check out five healthy breakfasts.
2. Eat regular meals

Some people think missing meals will help them lose weight, but it has been shown that eating regularly during the day helps to burn calories at a faster rate as well as reduce the temptation to snack on foods high in fat and sugar. Find out more about eating heathily.
3. Eat plenty of fruit and veg

Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat and high in fibre – three essential ingredients for successful weight loss. They also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals. Read up on getting your 5 A Day.
4. Get more active

Studies show that regular activity is key to losing weight and keeping it off. As well as providing numerous health benefits, exercise can help burn off the excess calories you can't cut through diet alone. Find an activity you enjoy and are able to fit into your routine.
5. Drink plenty of water

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. You can end up consuming extra calories when a glass of water is really what you need. You should aim to drink about six to eight glasses (1.2 litres) of fluid, preferably water, every day – or more if it’s warm or you’re exercising.
6. Eat high-fibre foods

Foods containing lots of fibre will keep you feeling full for longer, which is perfect for losing weight. Fibre is only found in food from plants, such as fruit and veg, oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, beans, peas and lentils.
7. Read food labels

Knowing how to read food labels can help you choose healthier options, and keep a check on the amount of calories, fat, salt and sugars you eat. Use the calorie information to work out how a particular food fits into your daily calorie allowance on the weight loss plan. Find out more about reading food labels.
8. Use a smaller plate

Studies show that people who use smaller plates tend to eat smaller portions and still be satisfied. By eating with smaller plates and bowls, you may be able to gradually get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it’s full, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.
9. Don’t ban foods

Don’t ban any foods from your weight loss plan, especially the ones you like. Banning foods will only make you crave them more. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy the occasional treat as long as you stay within your daily calorie allowance.
10. Don't stock junk food

To avoid temptation, avoid stocking junk food, such as chocolate, biscuits, crisps and sweet fizzy drinks, at home. Instead, stock up on healthy snacks, such as fruit, unsalted rice cakes, oat cakes, unsalted or unsweetened popcorn and fruit juice.
11. Cut down on alcohol

Did you know a standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate, and a pint of lager has about the same calorie count as a packet of crisps? Over time, drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain. Find out more about calories in alcohol.
12. Plan your meals

Plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the week, making sure you stick to your calorie allowance. Try to plan for four to seven days’ worth of meals and snacks. Make a shopping list, but don’t shop when you’re hungry as that can lead to high-calorie impulse buys!

Get fit with Strength and Flex

the Strength and Flex workout plan is for you!

Find out how this five-week plan will help you get up and moving and improve your health and wellbeing.

    Download the Strength and Flex podcasts
    Watch video clips of all the exercises
    Download the plan from iTunes

What is the plan?

The Strength and Flex plan is a five-week exercise programme delivered through five podcasts. As its name suggests, the plan is a fun way of improving your strength and flexibility and to get you motivated to exercise regularly.
What’s in the podcasts?

Each podcast consists of an easy-to-follow workout, lasting between 35 and 45 minutes, narrated by Laura, who also lent her voice to the Couch to 5K and 5K+ running podcasts. There are video clips available of all the exercises in this series, so you can check you’re doing each move safely and effectively.
Who is Strength and Flex for?

If you’re not very active, don’t enjoy exercise, need a bit of a push or you simply want a way to get fit again, then the Strength and Flex plan is for you! Strength and Flex is an easy way of getting fitter and more healthy. If you have any health concerns about exercising, see your GP before starting.
Why do Strength and Flex?

Probably the biggest challenge of getting active is not knowing how or where to start. Often when trying to get into exercise, we can overdo it, feel defeated and give up when we’re just getting started. Strength and Flex works because it starts gently and builds up your fitness gradually, making the challenge feel achievable from day one.
Can I do Strength and Flex with Couch to 5K?

You can easily combine the Strength and Flex workouts with our popular Couch to 5K running plan or the 5K+ running series, by following the plans on alternate days of the week.
What equipment do I need?

No technical gear is necessary. Wear something loose and comfortable in a breathable material, such as cotton, and pick shoes that offer support and cushioning. To exercise with the podcasts you’ll obviously need an MP3 player, such as an iPod and most mobile phones.
Where can I do the workouts?

You can do Strength and Flex anywhere, for instance a park or a garden. The exercises don’t require any equipment. All you need is enough space to walk about freely, a fixed bench, a wall or tree and either some shoulder-height railings or a shoulder-height horizontal bar.
What are the health benefits of Strength and Flex?

The aim is to gradually build up your fitness levels so that by the end of the five-week plan, you’ll be feeling stronger, more flexible and full of energy to go about your daily life. Improving your flexibility can improve your posture, reduce aches and pains and lower your risk of injury. Seeing your fitness improve can also help boost your self-confidence and relieve stress.
Can I do Strength and Flex with a friend?

Yes! You can do the Strength and Flex workouts on your own or with one or more exercise buddies. Exercising with a friend is a good way to stay motivated for exercise and, by adding a social element, can also make it more fun.
How do I get the podcasts?

Download the NHS Choices Strength and Flex podcasts from here for free. Instructions will be given to you, and once downloaded you will be able to listen to them on your iPod or even just your mobile phone if it has MP3 capabilities.
How often should I do the podcasts?

Starting with podcast 1, your goal is to work your way up to podcast 5 in five weeks. To achieve this, you need to do each podcast at least three times in a week. Podcast 5 is designed to be used on a regular basis after completing the plan. You can download a no-intro version of podcast 5.
What happens when I finish Strength and Flex?

Podcast 5 is designed to be used beyond the programme. It provides a regular 30-minute workout to de-stress and feel good. For example, you could do podcast 5 twice a week and one of the 5K+ runs three times a week.

Eat bigger, get slimmer

That familiar half-starved feeling is what sends most of us off the rails when we’re trying to shift the pounds. But if you follow these hints and tips, you can stay satisfied for longer and lose weight. Better still, you can even eat more food than before.

Add water

With zero calories, water is the perfect slim line filler. But recent research has shown that it is better incorporated into meals than drunk alongside them.

EAT BIG: Go for soups with lots of water-rich vegetables. Food that absorbs water during cooking, like pasta and rice, are good bulkers – but watch portion sizes.



Pack in proteins

Foods rich in protein are particularly good at making you feel fuller quicker and for longer.  It’s thought they stimulate the release of hunger-controlling hormones in the gut.

EAT BIG: Add playing card sized portions of your favourite protein to your lunch and dinner. Choose from lean meat, skinless chicken or turkey, grilled fish, Quorn, tofu or fresh prawns.



Go for wholegrains

Wholegrain foods are chewy and satisfying, and the insoluble fibre they contain provides bulk to help you feel full, but with no calories. Plus, they will improve your bowel function, help to lower the risk of heart disease and are higher in iron and B vitamins – important for maintaining energy

EAT BIG: Exchange white carbohydrates for brown – choose wholemeal bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice and breakfast cereals that are labelled wholegrain, but check sugar and salt content.



Pile on the pulses

Pulses like peas, beans and lentils are rich in soluble fibre, which absorbs water and swells, creating a feeling of fullness. They also lower the GI (glycaemic index) of the meal they’re added to, slowing the rate of sugar absorption and so helping keep energy levels stable and hunger at bay.

EAT BIG: Use them to bulk out stews, soups and casseroles. Try baked beans on toast or with a jacket potato to make a quick satisfying meal.



Fullness fakers

Fat – It’s the least filling nutrient with nine calories per gram, compared with four calories per gram found in protein and carbohydrate. Consuming moderate quantities of heart-healthy unsaturated fats in olive oil and vegetable oil is good, but measure with a tablespoon rather than random glugging. One tablespoon will be all you’ll need for a stir-fry, for example.

Sugary drinks- The calories in beverages don’t trigger the body’s fullness mechanism anywhere nears as efficiently as those in solid food. Stick to water or the occasional diet drink instead.

Alcohol- Drinking lowers blood sugar levels, leading to increased hunger. Make it a rule to drink alcohol only with meals, when you’ll find it easier to stick to a sensible amount of one or two small glasses.

Are you struggling to lose weight?  Try some of the tips above and let us know how you get on.

A balanced diet

Despite what you see in some diet books and TV programmes, healthy eating can be really straightforward.

A diet based on starchy foods such as potatoes, rice and pasta; with plenty of fruit and vegetables; some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish and lentils; some milk and dairy foods; and not too much fat, salt or sugar, will give you all the nutrients you need.

When it comes to a healthy diet, balance is the key to getting it right. This means eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

Most adults in England are either overweight or obese. That means many of us are eating more than we need, and should eat less. And it's not just food: some drinks can also be high in calories. Most adults need to eat and drink fewer calories in order to lose weight, even if they already eat a balanced diet.
Food groups

The eatwell plate

    To help you get the right balance of the five main food groups, take a look at the eatwell plate (PDF, 120kb)
    To maintain a healthy diet, the eatwell plate shows you how much of what you eat should come from each food group

All the food we eat can be divided into five groups. Try to choose a variety of different foods from the first four groups.

They are:

    Fruit and vegetables.
    Starchy foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. Choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can, or eat potatoes with their skin on for more fibre.
    Meat, fish, eggs and beans.
    Milk and dairy foods.
    Foods containing fat and sugar.

Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, and too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables and fibre. It's important to have some fat in the diet, but you don't need to eat any foods from the 'Foods and drinks high in fat and/or sugar' group as part of a healthy diet.
1. Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals. It's advised that we eat five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day.

There's evidence that people who eat at least five portions a day are at lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

What's more, eating five portions is not as hard as it might sound. Just one apple, banana, pear or similar-sized fruit is one portion. A slice of pineapple or melon is one portion. Three heaped tablespoons of vegetables is another portion.

Having a sliced banana with your morning cereal is a quick way to get one portion. Swap your mid-morning biscuit for a tangerine, and add a side salad to your lunch. Add a portion of vegetables to dinner, and snack on dried fruit in the evening to reach your five a day.

See 5 A DAY for more tips to help you get your five portions of fruit and veg.
2. Starchy foods

Starchy foods should make up around one third of everything we eat. This means we should base our meals on these foods.

Potatoes are an excellent choice of a starchy food and a good source of fibre. Leave the skins on where possible to keep in more of the fibre and vitamins. For example, when having boiled potatoes or have a jacket potato, eat the skin too.

Try to choose wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta and brown wholemeal bread. They contain more fibre (often referred to as 'roughage'), and usually more vitamins and minerals than white varieties.

Learn more in Starchy foods.
3. Meat, fish, eggs and beans

These foods are all good sources of protein, which is essential for growth and repair of the body. They are also good sources of a range of vitamins and minerals.

Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B vitamins. It is also one of the main sources of vitamin B12. Try to eat lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible to cut down on fat. Always cook meat thoroughly. Learn more in our section on Meat.

Fish is another important source of protein, and contains many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish is particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Aim for at least two portions of fish a week, including one portion of oily fish. You can choose from fresh, frozen or canned, but canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.

Eggs and pulses (including beans, nuts and seeds) are also great sources of protein. Nuts are high in fibre and a good alternative to snacks high in saturated fat, but they do still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation. Learn more in Eggs and Pulses and beans.
4. Milk and dairy foods

Milk and dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt are good sources of protein. They also contain calcium, which helps to keep your bones healthy.

To enjoy the health benefits of dairy without eating too much fat, use semi-skimmed milk, skimmed milk or 1% fat milks, lower-fat hard cheeses or cottage cheese, and lower-fat yoghurt.

Learn more in Milk and dairy foods.
5. Fat and sugar

Most people in the UK eat too much fat and too much sugar.

Fats and sugar are both sources of energy for the body, but when we eat too much of them we consume more energy than we burn, and this can mean that we put on weight. This can lead to obesity, which increases our risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke.

But did you know that there are different types of fat?

Saturated fat is found in foods such as cheese, sausages, butter, cakes, biscuits and pies. It can raise your blood cholesterol level and increase your risk of heart disease. Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat, which puts us at risk of health problems.

Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, can help to lower cholesterol and provide us with the essential fatty acids needed to help us stay healthy. Oily fish, nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oils and vegetable oils are sources of unsaturated fat.

Try to cut down on foods that are high in saturated fat and have smaller amounts of foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead. For a healthy choice, use just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. Learn more in Eat less saturated fat.

For more information on fat and how to reduce it in our diets, see Fat: the facts.

Sugar occurs naturally in foods such as fruit and milk, but we don't need to cut down on these types of sugar. Sugar is also added to lots of foods and drinks such as sugary fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, pastries, ice cream and jam. It's also contained in some ready-made savoury foods such as pasta sauces and baked beans.

Most of us need to cut down on foods with added sugar. Instead of a fizzy drink, for example, try sparkling water. Have a currant bun as a snack instead of a pastry. Learn more in Sugars.

Find out more about healthy eating in our Food and diet section.