PERSONAL LIFESTYLE PLAN

1. Always eat three meals a day. Although you may think that you would eat more calories this way, eating regularly (little and often) keeps your metabolism ticking over. Long gaps tend to force the body into starvation mode and make you more inclined to store food as fat.
2. Drink plenty of water - 4 pints of day. This keeps your digestive system in good working order. Coffee contains caffeine, a diuretic, which causes your body to loose fluid in the long run.
3. Cut down on your portion sizes - but only the protein (meat/fish/chicken) and carbohydrate (rice/pasta/bread) and have as much vegetables/salad as you can eat.
4. Try to leave a little something on your plate at every meal. Don't always finish everything because it is there. Stop and Think - you might have had enough
5. Try to increase the variety of protein sources within the range of foods you like
6. Limit yourself to one slice of bread with dinner, unless you are not having any other carbohydrate (rice or pasta) in which case you can have two slices.
7. If eating out do not have a starter. Have a main course and desert (fruit) only
8. Desert can be fruit, low fat yoghurt, fromage frais or sorbets
9. Try having a side salad with your main meal with low fat dressing. This can include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, corn, and scallions.
10. Avoid eating late at night / too many snacks
11. Cut down on he amount of quick fast food type meals you eat - pizza is ok but without the cheese

Breakfast

Suggestions Fruit all types, but not too many bananas plus
1. Low fat yoghurt (fat free, diet, M&S, Muller light, St Ivel Shape) with a little muesli/bran or
2. 2 slices of toast with jam/marmalade/honey or
3. I bagel or
4. Cereals with skimmed milk e.g. 2 weetabix & banana
5. Fruit juice
6. Tea/coffee

Lunch

Suggestions Pitta bread/ wholemeal roll/ jacket potato/ half baguette With:
1. Lean meat
2. Cheese - Cottage/Edam/Feta/Brie - a small amount only and
3. Mixed salad with low fat dressing/mustard
4. Or If eating out or at home at the weekend?
5. Pasta or noodle salad
6. Fish and vegetables
7. Vegetable stir fry
8. M&S "count on us" ready meal
9. Soup & roll
10. Piece of fruit/low fat yoghurt

Dinner

Suggestions Sauces should be light and low fat Avoid creamy/buttery/oil sauces or if eating out ask for sauce on the side and add just a little Stir fries
1. Spicy sauces are fine (pesto/oriental/piquant but not satay or sweet & sour)
2. Protein - Have this with unlimited and lots of vegetables and a small portion of pasta/rice/noodles/couscous
3. Or Low fat ready meal with extra vegetables or salad such as M&S "count on us" or Tesco "Healthy Options"
4. Finish off with fruit (hot or cold)/sorbets/yoghurt
5. Tea/Coffee

The "Good" Foods

Fruits (generous amounts but don't overdo it)