Daily Support 26 February

Bug-girl

Don't be discouraged! Every little helps and YOU CAN DO IT

What has worked for me and what is working for my (obese) son is the following:

Eat 10 cals per lb of desired weight per day - so if you want to weight 140 lbs you can have 1400 calories a day. DO NOT go below this as your body will panic and you won't lose weight - you'll store every calorie!

Set yourself stages (give yourself a treat every 5 lbs lost, for example - not a bar of chocolate though!)

Keep your fat content BELOW 30g. Don't try and go "no fat" because your body needs aout 25 g to remain healthy. When you see the fat grammes, multiply by 9 to get the calories (it's frightening!) Fat is hidden in all sorts of things and it is really easy to go over 30g.

So, cut all visible fat off meat, stop buttering your bread, refuse that helping of cream, avoid mayonnaise, etc. I promise - after a couple of months these things will taste greasy and unpleasant.

If you crave french fries - cut up the potatoes and then toss them in oil - 1 teaspoon oil is enough for two to three people - and bake in the oven (370° F) for about 30 to 35 minutes. Not only are these low in fat - they taste great. If you're having pasta - limit yourself to 1 tablespoon grated cheese on the top and just use 1 or 2 teaspoons oil to make the sauce (each teaspoon of oil is 6 g fat). Remember - even a simple egg has 6 g fat, before you even start cooking it. Simply moisten your salad with dressing so that you are having no more than a teaspoon of dressing. IF there's lots of oily dressing when you've finished the salad - leave it in the bottom of the bowl!

Make yourself eat more fruit and vegetables, there must be some that you like! And, as Pebble says, drink water instead of sweet drinks. If you really hate raw fruit (like my son)have fruit juice or cooked fruit instead. If you make sure you have your 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, that fills up some space that fat might otherwise have done!

Complex carbohydrates are good for you so don't give them up - eat wholegrain bread (no butter!), potatoes (with skin on is even better), rice (brown if you like it), egg-free pasta, polenta, couscous, etc. Base your daily food round complex carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables and add in meat/fish/cheese/eggs as a garnish. Eat plenty of legumes - they are vegetables, they're filling and you can even grow them in your garden!

This is what I've done (and still do!) and what my son is doing - and it works. No special products and once you get used to weighing thngs and finding out how many calories or fat your food contains, it will become second nature and you wil be able to stop weighing and calculating.

Of course, if you can add in some exercise, this will enhance your weight loss, keep you even healthier and make you feel good! You don't have to go to a fitness centre - use the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car a bit further away from the shops or your office, so that you have to walk - it really is easy to build a bit of exercise into your day. And - as soon as the snow has gone and ground is warm - gardening is wonderful exercise (especially if you use hand tools instead of electrical/motorised ones).