Permanent Weight Loss

2009-09-14T01:52:00.000-07:00

Permanent Weight Loss Menu

Healthy menu choices when eating out

Traditional British

Traditional food can be nutritious with plenty of vegetables and slow-cooked stews. But opt for meat-heavy dishes with lots of pastry and buttery mash, and you'll end up overloading on calories and fat.

Order

* Traditional roast dinner: choose turkey or chicken, avoid the skin and switch roast spuds for boiled potatoes or baked wedges. Go easy on the stuffing and sauces.

* Grilled salmon or white fish with vegetables, salad, new potatoes or plain baked potato.

* Venison or pheasant casserole.

* Turkey, lean ham, beef or grilled fillet steak with salad.

Avoid

* Roast goose.

* Roast or fried duck, particularly with sweet fruity glazes.

* Lamb shanks because they're high in fat.

* Fried fish.

* Giant-sized steaks.

* Chips, roast potatoes, potato dauphinoise and even mash because it generally has added butter and cream.

* Meat pies and pasties.

Top tip
Steer clear of anything described on the menu as hearty, farmer's or traditional country fare - that's generally the code for a day's worth of calories on a single plate.

Chinese

Chinese cooking uses lots of fresh vegetables flash cooked in a wok so they retain their nutrients. However, some dishes can be oily with thick sweet sauces. Ask for only a little soy sauce to be added during cooking to keep salt levels down.

Order

* Steamed, stir-fried or grilled fish, prawn and chicken dishes.

* Stir-fried vegetable dishes, perhaps with bean curd (tofu).

* Steamed dim sum.

* Hot and sour dishes.

* Clear soups.

* Boiled rice and noodles.

Avoid

* Deep fried or battered dishes, eg spring rolls, crispy noodles, prawn crackers and fried seaweed.

* Duck, poultry and chicken dishes that come with the skin on.

* Sticky ribs because they're high in sugar and fat.

* Pork balls and sweet and sour dishes with meat that's been battered and fried.

* Fried rice.

* Sweet and sour dishes.

Top tip

Steer clear of dishes described as crispy or sizzling - they're likely to have been deep fried.

Indian

Indian food uses lots of vegetables, pulses and health-giving spices such as turmeric, cinnamon and cumin. However, it's easy to get carried away with heavy naan breads and buttery chicken.

Order

* Chicken, fish, prawn and vegetable curries with tomato-based sauces.

* Dhal, a lentil-based dish.

* Dishes cooked in a tandoor oven, such as tandoori and tikka dishes - but avoid those that include a high-fat sauce.

* Vegetable dishes.

* Chapatis.

* Raita, a yogurt and cucumber dip.

* Plain boiled rice.

Avoid

* Fried starters such as bhajis, samosas and pakoras and poppadoms.

* Curries and main courses with creamy sauces, such as tikka massala and kormas.

* Naan bread; peshawari naan also has added sugar.

* Fried rice and pilau rice.

Top tip
Traditional Indian dishes are cooked in ghee (clarified butter), so don't go overboard. Only order a few dishes at first and then get more if you need them.

Thai

Sweet, salty and spicy all at once, Thai food is full of flavour. Thai curry paste of ground chillies, garlic and spices with coconut milk is used as a calorific base for curries, so opt for lighter dishes.

Order

* Steamed dim sum.

* Steamed or stir-fried dishes.

* Grilled or steamed fish, poultry and fish.

* Boiled or steamed rice.

* Hot and sour soups.

* Steamed dumplings.

* Mussels or scallops in garlic and herb broth.

* Thai noodle salads.

Avoid

* Thai curries and dishes cooked with coconut cream.
* Satay dishes with their high-fat peanut sauce.
* Any deep fried dishes such as whole fish, spring rolls, prawn toasts and crispy noodles.
* Coconut or fried rice.

Top tip
If you must have a creamy curry, consider sharing one with a fellow diner, along with a second lighter dish.

Mexican

Mexican food includes plenty of spicy salsas, flat pancake fajitas and lots of fillings. Opt for plenty of vegetables and watch out for dishes smothered in sour cream and melted cheese.

Order

* Chicken fajitas or bean burritos.

* Black beans or pinto beans.

* Pasole, a hearty stew.

* Soft tortillas and soft tacos because they're baked, not fried.

* Grilled fish.

* Plenty of salsa and salad.

Avoid

* Crunchy tortilla or taco shells because they're deep fried.

* Refried beans because they often include cheese and are high in fat.

* Chimichangas, chalupus, taquitos and burritos because they are all fried.

* Enchiladas because they are often loaded with cheese.

* Cheesy and creamy dips, eg guacamole and sour cream.

Top tip

For a starter, order a soft tortilla and salsa rather than tortilla chips. Just tear up the tortilla and dip it.

Italian

Italian food at its best is rustic fare with flavoursome ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, fish and olive oil. But choose badly, and you could end up with a heavy pizza base laden with too many fatty toppings.

Order

* Thin and crispy pizzas topped with lean meat, fish, prawns, tuna and plenty of vegetables. Ask for only a little cheese.

* Pasta with tomato-based sauces.

* Grilled fish or chicken dishes.

* Traditional country stews.

* Vegetable based soups.

Avoid

* Stuffed crust and deep pan pizzas.

* Pizza toppings that include pepperoni and other processed meats, meatballs or extra cheeses.

* Dishes with creamy pasta sauces like carbonara and lasagna.

* Garlic bread or focaccia.

* Risotto.

* Dishes that include the words 'fritto misto' - it will be battered and deep fried.

* Italian spicy sausages because they are high in fat.

* Dishes with pesto sauces because they can pack almost 100 calories in a tablespoon.

Top tip
Restaurants often use huge plates and pile on the pasta because it's cheap. Your portion could be 450g - the recommended serving size on most store-bought packets is a third of this!

Starters and desserts

Be wise and skip the starter if you can. If not, keep it simple or munch on a plain roll while you are waiting for your main course to arrive. Pass on the butter and dipping oil if it’s offered.

Don't order a starter if you know you'd rather have a pudding. Opt for lighter fruity desserts and ask for custard and cream on the side. If you can't resist a decadent dessert, share it with a friend.

Order

* Salad starters, but ask for the dressing to be served separately.

* Grilled fish or prawns.

* Clear soups.

* Stuffed baked apple.

* Baked or poached fruit with yogurt or fromage frais.

* Sorbet or frozen yogurt ice cream.

Avoid

* Any starter described as fried or crispy.

* Creamy pasta starters.

* Garlic bread.

* Crème brulee and pannacotta.

* Cheesecakes and trifles.

* Sticky toffee pudding.

* Chocolate fudge cake with hot chocolate sauce.

* Carrot cake because of the cream cheese icing.

Top tip
The golden rule: if you want to keep control of the calories, choose wisely and settle for just a main course. Order first so you’re not swayed by other people's choices. Every extra course you have only equals more calories.

Drinks

We're all liable to drink too much at a big dinner and shared bottles of wine are the norm. Politely refuse if waiting staff try to top up your glass. Start with a soft drink and order tap water for the table.

Order

* Soda water with a splash of cordial or fruit juice.

* A glass of red or white wine, but watch the size of the glasses - many used in restaurants can be 250ml or even more.

* A glass of lager or pilsner.

* Your drinks 'on the rocks' - as the ice melts, it dilutes the alcohol.

* Spirits with a low-cal mixer to dilute the alcohol.

Avoid

* Premium beers and vintage ciders because they have a high alcohol content.

* Creamy liqueurs.
* Cocktails because they are individually mixed, so judging the alcohol content can be difficult.
* Irish coffee (or any liqueur coffee) for the cream and sugar.

Top tip
Alternate your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water or a low-cal non-alcoholic drink.

2009-09-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

Permanent Weight Loss Plan

Weight loss plan

Commit to our four-week plan of healthy eating with regular exercise and you can soon make a difference to your figure.

Our plan, devised by a registered nutritionist, will help you lose weight at a steady rate of about 1lb to 2lb per week. The good news is, the more weight you have to lose, the faster the pounds will disappear.

Be sure to complete the recommended exercise too. It will help you build muscle tissue that will speed up your metabolism. A faster metabolism means you will burn more calories even when you're not being active.

Weight loss plan basics

* The plan works out around 1400kcal per day: 300kcal for breakfast, 350kcal for lunch, 450kcal for dinner and 250kcal for snacks. But these figures are approximations that average out, because people’s ideas of what ‘small’ or ‘thinly spread’ is varies so much.

* Watch your portion sizes - stick to the recommendations. Little changes like using more oil than suggested, having extra meat or using standard margarine or whole-fat milk will add to your daily calorie count and mean weight loss is slower.

* Never skip breakfast.

* Keep hydrated: drink at least six to eight glasses of water each day.

* Dress your salads with fat-free salad dressings or a splash of balsamic vinegar.

* Use low-sugar and low-salt products where you can.

* Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk in drinks.

* Try to use wholemeal breads, pasta and brown rice.There's little difference calorie-wise, but wholemeal versions are higher in fibre so will keep you feeling fuller for longer.

* Try to vary the fruit and veg you have as much as possible so you get the widest range of vitamins.

* All these recipes are for one, but quantities can be easily doubled if you're cooking for more.

Margarine, butter and oil

* For frying use a spray olive oil or vegetable oil such as sunflower or olive.

* We haven't included butter in the plan because it's high in saturated fat.

* If you don't like low-fat olive spread, save the calories and leave it out.

* If the recipe would be dry without, substitute one teaspoon of low-fat mayo.

* If you want to use standard margarine, be aware that this will add around 100kcal per day to your total per slice of bread (most calories in toast come from the butter not bread). Spread thinly and you can halve this amount.

Permanent weight loss plan: mix and match breakfasts

Choose one each day. Try to have as much variety as possible

Cereal breakfasts

Have each of these breakfasts with a small (110ml) glass of pure fruit juice. Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk for the cereal.

* 40g no-added sugar muesli with milk. Two tablespoons of low-fat natural yoghurt topped with a sliced banana.

* 40g low-sugar breakfast cereal (look for cereals 'of which sugars' is less than 2g per 100g) with milk. One slice of melon.

* Two Weetabix or Shredded Wheat, topped with four chopped dried apricots and four prunes with milk.

* Medium bowl of porridge made with milk, topped with a small pot of fruit in juice.

Hot breakfasts

Have each of these breakfasts with a small (110ml) glass of pure fruit juice. For jam, use low-sugar jam or fruit spread.

* One slice of toast, spread with a little low-fat olive spread and jam. A small low-fat natural yoghurt topped with a tablespoon of chopped nuts and seeds and sweetened with a teaspoon of honey.

* Two slices of toast, spread with a little low-fat olive spread and jam.

* One slice of toast topped with a small tin of baked beans and a grilled tomato.

* An English muffin, split and toasted. Top with a poached egg, two rashers of lean grilled back bacon and a grilled tomato.

* Two slices of fruit loaf, toasted and spread with low-fat olive spread. A small low-fat natural yoghurt topped with a handful of berry fruits and a teaspoon of sunflower seeds. Have each of these breakfasts with a small (110ml) glass of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.

* Two slices of toast topped with a small tin of tomatoes and one poached egg.

* A tin of sardines in tomato sauce, sprinkled with a little Worcestershire sauce, grilled on two slices of toast and a grilled tomato. One piece of fruit.

* English muffin toasted, split and topped with one scrambled egg and eight mushrooms boiled in a little water. (You can also spray the mushrooms with one-cal olive spray and grill or fry them in a non-stick pan.) One piece of fruit.(Tip:-0% fat Greek yoghurt is a great low-fat creamy choice for natural yoghurt.)

Smoothie

Blend one banana, half a mango, 150ml milk and three tablespoons of low-fat natural yoghurt. Have with one slice of toast spread with a little low-fat olive spread.

Weight loss plan: lunches

You'll find weekday recipes to make at home as a packed lunch. If you can't make the weekday lunches suggested in the plan, buy any sandwich, wrap or filled pitta (preferably whole meal) under 350kcal.

Weekend lunches might need a bit more preparation or cooking, but are still very easy.

If you are making sandwiches at home, use wholemeal bread and spread with either low-fat mayo or salad cream, low-fat olive spread or chutney before putting in your filling.

Pack your sandwiches with as much salad as you can, then fill with either:

* 75g lean meat or poultry

* 100g tinned fish

* 1 boiled egg

* 20g cheese or 30g low-fat cheese (grating makes it go further)

* low-fat cream cheese, lightly spread

* 1 tablespoon reduced-fat coleslaw.

Fill a plastic box with a salad to eat with your sandwich. If you want to dress your salad, use a fat-free dressing or a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Weight loss plan: dinners

If you don't have time to cook the evening meal, choose a ready meal under 450kcal, 20g fat and 2g salt - but limit these to two a week.

Try to cook some fresh vegetables or have a salad to accompany your ready meal.

You can swap your lunch and dinner meals at the weekend if you prefer to have your main meal at lunchtime.

If you don't like the recipe for that day, you can choose any equivalent recipe from the

plan. We've included some extra vegetarian choices at the end of the plan (week 4).

Weight loss plan: snacks

The plan is designed with two snacks per day: one in the morning between breakfast and lunch, and one in the evening between lunch and dinner.

It's best not to skip these snacks to save the calories for bigger treats like alcohol, because you're likely to end up hungry and then ditch your healthy eating habits.

Weight loss plan: treats

You can swap one snack each day for one of these special treats:

* 25g packet of Twiglets

* cereal bar (under 120kcal)

* two-finger KitKat

* two Jaffa Cakes

* 125ml pot low-fat rice pudding

* three squares of good quality chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

* small glass (125ml) red or white wine - no more than four each week.

Weight loss plan: exercise

If you're accustomed to more exercise than our plan suggests, rev up your activity levels accordingly. You'll need to push yourself slightly all the time to reap weight-loss benefits.

If you're totally unused to exercise, just do what you can - for example take a ten minute walk each day. But as soon as you're used to this, increase the time and intensity.

If you are on medication or have a medical condition, ask your doctor for advice before starting any exercise or diet plan.

2009-09-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

Permanent Weight Loss

Lose weight in a healthy way.

The healthiest way to lose weight is neither crash diets nor bursts of exercise. The body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise.

For example, someone who has not exercised for years should not rush into running miles a day or pounding the treadmill. Not only will the struggle to do so leave you feeling disheartened and demotivated, you're also far more likely to injure yourself and set your fitness levels back further.

The same goes for people who suddenly start starving themselves. Diets that severely restrict calories or the types of food 'allowed' can lead you to be deficient in the nutrients and vitamins that your body needs.

So if you need to lose weight, what should you do?

Energy needs and weight loss

Your body uses food for energy. It stores any excess energy as fat. This means if you eat more food than your body needs for daily activities and cell maintenance, you will gain weight.

To lose weight, you need to get your body to use up these stores of fat. The most effective way to do this is to:

* reduce the amount of calories you eat.

* increase your levels of activity.

This is why experts talk about weight loss in terms of diet and exercise.

Introduce changes gradually

Small changes can make a big difference. One extra biscuit a week can lead you to gain 5lb a year – cut that biscuit out of your diet and you'll lose the same amount.

You are also more likely to stick to, say, swapping full-fat milk for semi-skimmed or making time for breakfast each morning than a diet that sets rules for all foods.

You should think of weight loss in terms of permanently changing your eating habits. While weight-loss goals are usually set in term of weeks, the end game is to sustain these changes over months and years.

Increase your activity levels

Someone who increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight.

No matter if you hate gyms - even light exercise such as a short 20 minute walk will be beneficial if done most days of the week.

Every single time you exercise more than usual, you burn calories and fat.

There are lots of ways to increase the amount of activity you do. Team sports, racket sports, aerobics classes, running, walking, swimming and cycling will all improve your fitness levels.

Find something you enjoy that's easy for you to do in terms of location and cost. You are then more likely to build it into your routine and continue to exercise, despite inevitably missing the odd session through holidays, family commitments, etc.

* Get out and about at the weekend. Leave your car on the drive and walk to the shops. Try to incorporate longer walks into outings to the park, coast or countryside and take a picnic so you are in control of what you are going to eat that day.

* Every extra step you take helps. Always use the stairs instead of the lift, or get off the bus a stop before the usual one and walk the rest of the way.

* Use commercial breaks between TV-programmes to stand up and do exercise, or consider using an exercise bicycle in the living room while watching your favourite programme.

Reduce your calorie intake

If you are overweight, you can't continue with your current eating habits.

It's not possible to reduce body fat while eating lots of food, cakes and sweets. This doesn't mean you can never have any treats, but you need to learn how to limit these foods to small quantities - say, for special occasions.

In terms of weight-loss, you can get your body to use up existing stores of fat by eating less and making healthier choices.

This doesn't mean crash diet (anything less than 1500 calories), which usually ends up with you either getting weaker or giving up in desperation. Quick-fix diets can lead to a yo-yoing effect of drastic weight loss followed by weight gain, resulting in a vicious cycle.

There are no shortcuts to losing weight in a healthy and reasonable way.

Eating 300 to 500 calories less per day should lead to a loss of between one and two pounds per week. This is a realistic target. It may seem slow, but would add up to a weight loss of more than three stone in a year.

Fat contains the most amount of calories out of all the food types (protein, carbohydrates), so a good way to achieve this is to cut down on fatty foods and eat more wholegrain bread, fruit and vegetables.

Below are ways to reduce calorie intake without having to alter your diet significantly.

* Replace fizzy drinks and fruit cordials with water.

* Swap whole milk for semi-skimmed, or semi-skimmed for skimmed.

* Eat less lunch than usual. For example, make your own sandwich and limit the use of margarine/butter and full-fat mayonnaise (store-bought sandwiches often contain both).

* Stop taking sugar in tea and coffee.

* Have smaller portions of the food you enjoy.

* Avoid having a second helping at dinner.

* Cut out unhealthy treats such as confectionary, sugary biscuits and crisps between meals.

* Cut down on beer and alcohol.

All these things will influence your health in a positive way.

Finally, don't be tempted to skip breakfast – or any meal to lose weight. While skipping a meal will reduce your calorie intake for that hour, it will leave you much hungrier later on.

Not only are you likely to overeat to compensate, but you'll often make bad choices to fill the gap: a cereal bar is not as healthy as a bowl of cereal or as filling, leading you to 'need' something extra for lunch.

Irregular eating habits also disrupt your body's metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight in the first place.

What is overweight?

Doctors use BMI to assess weight.

A BMI of 18.5-25 is healthy.

If you have a BMI of more than 25 you are overweight.

Over 30 is obese.

Over 40 is morbidly obese.

To calculate your BMI, you'll need to know your weight in kilos and your height in metres, then follow the example below.

1. Multiply your height by itself, eg 1.7x1.7= 2.89.

2. Divide your weight (eg 80kg) by this figure.

3. 80 ÷ 2.89= 27.7.

27.7 is the BMI.

Write down your plan

Once you've decided on what changes you're going to make, write them down. For example:
Week 1

* Exercise: one 20 minute walk every lunch hour.

* Alcohol: none in the week, two small glasses of wine on Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

* Food: no chocolate or biscuits in the week, choose healthy snacks such as fruit, trim all fat from meat, eat no fried or fast food.

Once you start your plan, weigh yourself once a week before breakfast. Keep a record of this weight and see if a pattern develops.

You could use a table like the one below to keep track of your goals, marking your progress for each day with a tick or a cross.

Food diary

If you're not sure what's wrong with your diet, try keeping a daily diary of everything you eat and drink.

You can use a notebook or an online diary.

At the end of the week, review your entries for problem areas.

Look out for processed foods, alcohol, fast food, roasts, creamy sauces and fried foods.

If your diet seems largely healthy, look at portion sizes.

If you're not sure what's meant by 'healthy diet', read our series on nutrition.

Be patient and persevere

It might take a week or two before you notice any changes, but they will steadily appear. After the first month you will be able to see the results and measure them in terms of looser fitting clothes.

Keeping your motivation up is one of the most difficult aspects of dieting. There will be days when healthy eating goes out the window and there will be weeks where you may not lose any weight – or put a little back on.

This is normal for everyone – dieters or not – so don't let it undo your plans for a slimmer you. You're not doing anything 'wrong', but you may need to look at your plan. Do you need to increase your activity levels? Make a few more changes to your diet? Put more effort into sticking to your current plan?

The other side of this is to make sure you celebrate your goals. While there is joy enough in stepping on the scales and seeing them dip lower, be sure to mark long-term progress with a reward such as new clothes or a night off from housework.

Celebrating is also a way to involve your nearest and dearest – it's up to you whether you want their encouragement in the form of gentle reminders not to eat certain foods, but support from other people can get you through the bumpy patches.

Health benefits of weight loss

Studies show that overweight women who lose between 10lb and 20lb halve their risk of developing diabetes. For men, the risk of heart problems reduces considerably.

Generally, we gain weight as we age. A few pounds over the years are not a problem, but people who gain more than 20lb compared to their weight as an 18-year-old will rapidly increase their risk of health problems due to that extra weight. In particular, women increase their risk of heart attack and double their risk of dying from cancer.

It may seem like these are problems to worry about in the future, but time flies by and tomorrow becomes today. By keeping your weight in the healthy range, you are less likely to be troubled by illnesses in your later years.