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Sustainable weight loss with weekly diet plan

Judy Davie

The following diet plan is based on an average energy consumption of approximately 6300KJ or 1500 calories a day. It incorporates five serves of veggies, two serves of fruit and the occasional treat and is low in GI carbohydrates and saturated fat and high in fibre. Better still, you get to eat on this diet.

It will help you achieve a slow, steady sustainable weight loss while improving bowel function.

Feel how much more energy you have. Watch how your skin improves. Observe your nails becoming stronger and your hair starting to shine. You should even notice how much easier it is to concentrate.

And most importantly, you’ll feel better about yourself and others around you.

Weights and measures are specified but should be used as a guide. Follow them particularly when they refer to carbohydrates, fats and treats.

A speedy metabolism requires exercise and regular food consumption, so people only needing to lose a small amount of weight will have to increase the volume and intensity of physical activity and cut out those little extras listed in the plan — ie. chocolate, cappuccinos and spicy fruit biscuits.

Diet advice for the day

There’s an old Scottish saying, “Every little makes a muckle”, which basically means that the little things add up. It’s referring of course to money, but could equally refer to weight gain or loss. All those little extras add up.

Think about ‘saving’ whenever you’re tempted to eat an extra biscuit, use another tablespoon of oil on your salad or break another tiny piece of chocolate off the bar. 1kg fat is the equivalent to approx 32,000kj of energy, and that’s a lot of food to save over two weeks. If you create a debit of 32,000kj over your BMR you’ll be 1kg less and going strong.

For further information about food and nutrition, visit Judy Davie’s website at www.thefoodcoach.com.au

Weekly diet plan

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday

Monday

On waking: 300ml water

Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon

Breakfast: ½ cup untoasted muesli with no added sugar, skimmed milk and kiwi fruit; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar

½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water

Lunch: grain bread sandwich with three slices avocado, 60g red salmon, ½ cup tabouleh, four cherry tomatoes, ½ cup rocket leaves; 1 skim milk cappuccino

½ hour after lunch: 500ml water

Snack: 10 raw almonds; three apricot halves

½ hour after snack: 300ml water

Dinner: three small lamb chops grilled and fat-trimmed with one small mashed sweet potato and one cup steamed broccoli

½ cup strawberries with three tbs low-fat natural yogurt, sweetened with one tsp honey

Tuesday

On waking: 300ml water

Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon

Breakfast: one small can baked beans with one cup steamed English spinach and one slice toasted grain bread; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar

½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water

Lunch: tuna salad (one small can tuna) with one cup mixed salad greens, three black olives, five cherry tomatoes, ½ cup steamed green beans and vinaigrette (one tbs olive oil, one tsp lemon juice and ½ tsp grain mustard)

½ hour after lunch: 500ml water

Snack: one large mandarin; one oat biscuit and cup of green tea

½ hour after snack: 300ml water

Dinner: stir fry chicken and vegetables (1 cup bok choy, ½ carrot, ¼ capsicum, ½ cup mushroom, two shallots, 125g chicken, one tsp sesame seeds, sauce of ½ tbs soy sauce, 60ml chicken stock and ½ tsp honey. Stir fried in ½ tbs sesame oil)

½ cup strawberries with two tbs low-fat natural yoghurt with one tbs chopped walnuts

Wednesday

On waking: 300ml water

Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon

Breakfast: one slice grain bread toasted with one tsp peanut butter, one cup fruit salad and three tbs low-fat natural yoghurt sweetened with one tsp honey; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar

½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water

Lunch: one grilled beef patty, two tbs tomato salsa, one grain roll, grated carrot and beetroot, lettuce; one green apple

½ hour after lunch: 500ml water

Snack: 10 raw almonds; three apricot halves

½ hour after snack: 300ml water

Dinner: roasted salmon with lime corn and coriander salsa and steamed broccoli

Three pieces plain dark chocolate

Thursday

On waking: 300ml water

Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon

Breakfast: one slice grain bread, two poached eggs, one grilled tomato and five mushrooms grilled with one tbs olive oil; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar

½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water

Lunch: salad with rocket greens, 1/3 cup hummus, one small carrot, celery, small canned tuna, ¼ can chickpeas; 1 small pear

½ hour after lunch: 500ml water

Snack: red apple

½ hour after snack: 300ml water

Dinner: grilled veal steak stack (90g) layered with two slices grilled eggplant, zucchini and 30g mozzarella, with 50g broad beans

½ cup strawberries with 2 two tbs blueberries, one tbs raisins, two tsp sunflower seeds and two tbs natural low-fat yoghurt

Friday

On waking: 300ml water

Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon

Breakfast: ½ cup untoasted muesli, ½ cup mixed berries and ½ cup low fat natural yoghurt; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar

½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water

Lunch: grain bread sandwich with three slices avocado, one tbs capers, grated carrot and grated beetroot, lettuce and minced chicken; 1 red apple

½ hour after lunch: 500ml water

Snack: one skim milk cappuccino; two spicy fruit roll biscuits

½ hour after snack: 300ml water

Dinner: two-egg omelette made with mushrooms, black olives, sweetcorn, tomatoes and goat cheese served with a cup of green salad and vinaigrette

Three pieces dark chocolate

Saturday

On waking: 300ml water

Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon

Breakfast: two slices wholegrain fruit bread toasted with one tbs ricotta cheese; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar

½ hour after breakfast 600ml water

Lunch: salad made with 1 cup mixed beans, ½ small chicken breast (no skin), one tbs vinaigrette dressing, 50g boiled pumpkin and baby spinach greens

½ hour after lunch: 500ml water

Snack: one skim milk cappuccino; apple

½ hour after snack: 300ml water

Dinner: stir-fried king prawns with one tbs chopped peanuts, carrot, oyster mushrooms on cellophane noodles. Cooked in one tbs sesame oil and flavoured with 1 tbs soy sauce, 1 tsp fish sauce and ginger

Mandarin orange

Sunday

On waking: 300ml water

Before breakfast: 300ml hot water with juice of ½ lemon

Breakfast: ½ cup untoasted muesli with ½ cup low-fat natural yogurt and 1 kiwi fruit and mandarin; mug of tea, skim milk, no sugar

½ hour after breakfast: 600ml water

Lunch: three medium slices roast lamb with gravy, ½ cup steamed pumpkin, ½ cup peas, 1 medium sweetcorn cob; ½ cup mixed berry with two level scoops ice cream

½ hour after lunch 500ml water

Snack: two spicy fruit roll biscuits; one skimmed cappuccino

½ hour after snack: 300ml water

Dinner: two poached eggs on one cup spinach with ½ cup mushrooms grilled with 1 tbs olive oil

Two pieces dark chocolate

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Celebrity cellulite-busting diet

Naomi Campbell

Worried about unsightly body bumps? You’re not alone — even the stars suffer from cellulite. But there’s a lot you can do to banish those dreaded dimples.

What is cellulite?

The lumps and bumps on your thighs are caused by fatty deposits under the skin. Cellulite is predetermined by genetics, not weight, so all women can get it.

Anti-cellulite diet

Fight cellulite with six simple steps towards better health and a smoother, sexier body.

Drink wisely

When you’re having a night out or an at-home drink with friends, limit the number of toxins that enter your body by alternating alcoholic drinks with mineral water. Avoid high-kilojoule cocktails with creamy mixers.

Try: white wine spritzers or Pimm’s with diet lemonade.

Say no to salt

Excess salt can lead to water retention and make cellulite worse. Make sure you check food labels for added salt and ask for low-salt options in restaurants. Try not to add salt to home cooking.

Try: swapping salt for other great flavourings such as ginger, chilli, pepper and garlic.

Be a water baby

Aim to drink water throughout the day to avoid dehydration and to flush out toxins that cause the build-up of cellulite.

Try: having a bottle of water on your desk at work — a handy way, and physical reminder, to ensure you keep up your water intake.

Go green

Cut out your daily caffeine fix and start the morning with green tea — it’s caffeine-free and boosts your metabolism. Watch for hidden caffeine in diet soft drinks and chocolate bars.

Try: herbal teas or snacking on dried apricots instead of chocolate.

Fight fat with fibre

Eat more fibre-rich foods. Wholegrain bread and cereals, fruits and vegies help your digestive system to work more efficiently and blood sugars to remain stable by releasing energy slowly.

Try: making the switch from white bread to wholegrain and eating a bowl of muesli or porridge for breakfast.

Curb kilojoules

Losing excess body fat will help to lower levels of cellulite. Don’t crash-diet, but try to avoid high-fat foods like greasy takeaways and sugary snacks. Eat fresh fruit and vegies between meals instead.

Try: low-fat dairy products; fruit and vegetable sticks with low-fat hummus dip.

Get active now

Celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Angelina Jolie hit the gym to keep the bumps at bay. Try this easy workout plan to get rid of that ‘cottage cheese’ look.

  1. Exercise for 30 minutes at an easy pace before breakfast, three to four times a week. Try walking around the park, skipping with a rope at home, cycling or swimming laps at a local pool.
  1. Include a strength-training session in your weekly routine to add lean, toned muscle tissue. If you don’t belong to a gym, try lunges, step-ups on stairs, push-ups and squats.
  1. Keep trying to beat your personal best and aim to increase your sessions from 30 minutes to 45-60 minutes. Above all, don’t despair or give up — the effort will be worth it in the end!

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‘I sucked on lemons to lose weight’

Diet Club

I weighed close to 130 kilograms when I went on Grandma Gladys’s lemon diet and turned my life around. It was so simple to follow. I’d drink undiluted lemon juice all day. I’d squeeze lemon juice over my meals. I’d eat lean white and red meats and lots of salads with lemon and reduced my carbohydrates. I started walking. But it was the addition of lemons to my diet that changed things for me. Yes lemon juice is sour, but I believe it’s a great natural fat buster. I was lucky as my next door neighbours had a lemon tree they’d let me plunder. Today I weigh 70 kilos and sour lemons are my best friend.

Rona Thompson, Ramsgate, NSW.

Quick confessions

I’ve put on five kilograms (and outgrown all my jeans) since joining the gym!

Tara, NSW

I went on a liquid diet to lose weight for my wedding. I lost 10 kilos drinking meal-replacement milkshakes and looked great in my dress. But I put it all back on during my honeymoon!

Susie, Tas

I once ate nothing but pumpkin for weeks and my skin went orange.

Jane, Qld

I went on a ‘miracle’ diet which told me to chew every mouthful 40 times. It took me so long to finish a meal I lost weight, but I gave it up in the end. It took all the fun out of mealtimes!

Christine, Vic

I went on an American diet years ago called the hot dog diet. You could eat hot dogs and cups of ice-cream. It was revolting!

Sophie, NSW

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Lisa: ‘I was the fat sister’

Diet Club

Lisa Pulvirenti, a 30-year-old mother of two from the south-western suburbs of Sydney, clearly remembers her “light-bulb moment” when she knew she had to lose weight.

“I was at a party for my sister’s boyfriend and it felt like everyone was looking at me and thinking ‘she’s the fat sister’,” Lisa recalls. “They weren’t, of course, but I just felt so insecure and bad that later that afternoon, I went for a two-hour walk.

“That’s when I knew I had to do something. I joined Weight Watchers in April 2004, when I was 79.4kg. The weight came on me slowly … I got married and added a few kilos, had our first child, Alyssa, now five, and added a few kilos, then had Adrian, now two, and a few more kilos crept on. I found that Weight Watchers was more about lifestyle change. My bad thing was portion size … I was eating way too much.

“I also changed my way of cooking. For instance, if I’m going to fry something, I just use a little cooking spray. And I swapped to healthier food alternatives such as grainier breads, diet drinks, low-fat cheeses and ice-creams and leaner cuts of meat.

“I bought a treadmill and it’s worked wonders. I now swim three mornings a week and play indoor netball.

“When I hear compliments now, it feels really good. Especially if I’m shopping and pick up a size 12 something and the shop assistant says. ‘No … you’re definitely a 10!'”

Lisa’s vital statistics

Weight before: 79.4kg

Weight after: 61.2kg

Total weight loss: 18.2kg

Clothing size was: 14-16

Clothing size is now: 10

Lisa’s hot diet tip

“Keep positive and know that if you really want it, it will happen. It’s not an easy process, but the benefits … you just can’t put a price on them.”

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Blind cat

Question:

I have had my cat for the past 16 years after finding her abandoned at the local video store. I’ve noticed she is now blind. How will this affect her in her daily life? Could you also tell me what the average lifespan is for cats?

Michelle

Answer:

There are many reasons cats go blind, including detached retinas (where the reflective screen at the back of the eye comes free). This is often associated with high blood pressure causing excess pressure on the blood vessels in the back of the eye and can be due to kidney or thyroid disease. Cataracts or growths in the eye can affect vision, as can plain old age. It would be worth having her checked by a vet to make sure there is no obvious treatable disease process going on.

The good news is that animals cope extremely well with vision loss and often it isn’t 100 percent impairment. Luckily our pets use their other senses way more than we do and don’t just rely on sight. Smell is very important to them (probably more than vision), so this helps them adapt. Don’t move furniture around and have her bowls, bed and litter tray in obvious places away from clutter and she will manage fine.

Obviously, don’t let her outside, as that would be a danger to her, but at 16, it sounds like you are doing a great job of looking after her. And while there’s no doubt she’s in her twilight years, cats can occasionally live into their late teens and even early 20s, so she may kick on for a little while yet!

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Barking in the car

Question:

My dog barks at everyone (especially other dogs) walking or riding past my car. While I don’t mind it, I am expecting my first child in 13 weeks time and want to still be able to take my dog everywhere with me. But he won’t be able to come if he keeps up this barking. Please help.

Berenice Lawrence

Answer:

This is very common indeed — it is territorial behaviour. The car is his territory! I wonder if he is also like this when people come to the house? Depending on how old he is and how long he has been doing this, it will take some time to deal with and may not be sorted out by the time bub comes along. But you will have your hands full then for a while anyway!

You need to re-train him out of this behaviour and firstly understand why he is doing it. Is he desexed? If he isn’t and is young, it’s maybe a male territorial behaviour that is responsive to castration. It might, however, be aggression due to anxiety and feeling unnecessarily threatened, in which case you need to manage this anxiety. If he has an anxiety disorder, you may find he becomes very clingy when bub comes home, as he will inevitably not get as much attention from you. Talk to your vet about these possibilities.

Basically, you need to reward him with treats and praise when he behaves quietly and calmly in the car and ignore the barking (he gets no attention or reward for this). Teach him that he gets a reward when he is quiet in the car and that there is no reason to be afraid. Now, this all sounds easy in theory, I know. It will take time and patience.

Only take him out for small trips and not to busy places, which are going to make him worse. Keep him restrained in a harness or in a caged area at the back, as reducing his vision of passers-by may help. Do this often while you can. An assessment by your vet would be good now in case things get worse.

To avoid further behaviour problems down the track, make sure you include time for him to go for a walk every day (get someone else to do this if you can’t) and some quality time and attention. Gaining independence from you is a good thing as the reality is you won’t have as much time for him as you used to. (I know — I have three pets and a seven-month-old!)

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I seduced the apprentice

Just married and embarking on our own business, my husband Jack and I were excited and optimistic about our future. Jack and I bought a panel shop in the suburbs since this was his previous occupation and lifelong dream.

I wanted the job of receptionist so I could be with my husband every day. But he said it would be better to hire someone with previous panel shop experience and besides, we were thinking of starting a family and he knew I wanted to be at home with our baby. So I decided I’d be happy to be the book-keeper and leave the hiring up to Jack.

On the first official day of business I walked into the office and was furious to find a gorgeous young lady with a huge chest behind the counter. “Hi, I’m Emma,” she said, before Jack interrupted and informed me she was our new secretary. Jack later assured me it was strictly a business decision and he was not attracted to her in any way and to trust him.

But whenever he worked back late or on weekends I let my mind run rampant with thoughts of Jack making love to Emma.

I decided I’d had enough one night when he was late home from work and had his mobile switched off, so I hopped into my car and drove down to the shop. I ran inside and was beside myself when no one except the third year apprentice, Tom, was there, sweeping the workshop.

He told me Jack and Emma had just left for drinks and he was the only one there. Seeing red, I decided to get my revenge and pulled Tom to me by his overalls and kissed him. Thinking this was a joke on him, he pulled away.

I then took his hands and put them around my waist and assured him this was no joke and I wanted him. He excitedly led me into the back of a car and we made love. It was over so quickly and then my head was spinning. I felt sick at what had just happened. I grabbed my clothes and fled home.

When I arrived I found Jack and Emma sitting at the dinning table with a handsome man. It turned out Emma and the man had just found out they were expecting a baby and wanted to invite Jack and I to celebrate over dinner. Realising my grave mistake, I made an excuse that I was feeling ill and went to bed, not wanting to face Jack.

The next morning I got a wake-up call from Jack to see how I was feeling. He said he would be home a little late from work because the apprentice Tom had quit and he had no one to put the cars away or clean the workshop. But he promised to make it up to me when he got home. I hung up and cried from sheer relief and absolute shame.

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Microdermabrasion

Question:

I’m thinking of getting microdermabrasion as I have a few minor acne scars. However, I’m under 21 and my skin is fairly sensitive. Is microdermabrasion recommended for any age?

Kathryn

Answer:

Microdermabrasion is quite safe as long a qualified technician performs the treatment.

I can highly recommend a clinic in Bondi Junction, NSW.

Phone: (02) 9386 1533

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My dog watches TV

Question:

I have a two-year-old British Bulldog cross Red Heeler who watches TV 24/7. She just sits in front of the TV and watches — she even has favourite ads. Is it normal for a dog to watch TV?

Rebekah

Answer:

The colour and movement of TV is very eye-catching to dogs and cats. To them the movement resembles that of prey and often cats will paw or pounce at the screen. Dogs will make associations with certain sounds (more than sights — just like they do when learning obedience commands) and they will recognise and remember things.

In this day and age, in most households, TV-watching is a major family past-time, so it’s not surprising pets do it as well. What I would say is that there are better ways to stimulate and enrich the environment of your pooch, so make sure she is getting plenty of exercise and spend quality one-on-one time with her. Maybe throw a ball or have a game with her instead of watching it on telly!

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