I have very, very low self-esteem. I start well on all diets but then can’t get the motivation levels to stay there and that’s what lets me down every time. Hoping you can help. I wish I had a magic pill to tackle this very common issue for women battling to lose weight. That you’re […]

I’ve been reading a lot about weight loss and high protein diets but as I don’t eat meat, only seafood, I wonder if I should snack on protein bars. A great big resounding “no” is the answer to that one. While it’s true that a diet with extra protein than the body requires (approx 0.75g […]

When I was a little girl my father called me “Pood”, “Poodie” and every other variation on the word pudding. Okay, so it rhymed with Judy (“Poodie”), but it had more to do with being chubby and the amount I ate than poetry. I looked forward to meal times and still do. A love of […]

Green leafy veges are brilliant! Also lots of green teas. I have found from personal experience and reading that these two items would have the greatest impact on my weight. And even more importantly, on the way I feel. The easy way is to just increase the quantity of these in your diet. For instance, […]

What’s a reasonable amount of sugar for fruit yoghurt to have and how much can I assume the sugar content is from the fruit or an added form? In yoghurt, sugar is found in many forms: from the yoghurt itself in the form of lactose, from added fruit in the form of fructose and sometimes […]

Being overweight is not normal — get active and do something about it. In Australia, we are fatter than we have ever been. Fifty years ago it was rare to see an obese person and those who were fat more often than not suffered from a glandular condition. Today more than half the population is […]

It may not be what you eat but what you drink that’s making you fat. I had a client who recently told me that she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t losing weight. A food diary audit revealed that she consumed 2980kj a day in coffees alone. That equates to more than half the average recommended […]

“I spend my days running around looking after the kids. At night I’m so tired, I don’t even sit down to a proper meal. I really need to lose some weight — can you help?” This is a very common complaint. For many mums who spend their days looking after the family, it’s usually the […]

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. […]