The alli Diet Plan: Your Essential Guide to Success with alli
Литагент HarperCollins
Welcome to The alli Diet Plan - a different approach to weight loss that gives best efforts an added boost.alli was the first non-prescription weight-loss aid to be licensed for use throughout Europe. It is clinically proven that adding alli to a reduced calorie lower-fat diet can boost weight loss by 50%; so for every 2 lb lost through a dieter’s efforts, alli boosts this weight loss by 1 lb more.alli works in a unique way on the body’s natural enzymes to prevent around 25% of fat consumed from being absorbed.The alli Diet Plan is the must-have companion book that presents a nutritionist-designed, reduced calorie lower-fat dietary regime. The book also provides detailed meal plans and delicious recipes that are specifically created to work with alli to help maximise dieting success.The alli Diet Plan makes weight loss even easier with:• Meal plans and no-cook options to save you time• A fitness programme for optimal results• An indispensable section on buying ready-prepared meals• An accessible eating out guide• Almost 200 delicious, alli-friendly recipesalli 60 mg capsules are a weight loss aid containing orlistat. For overweight people with a BMI of 28 or over. Always read the label.
the alli diet
Your essential guide to success with alli
Copyright (#)
HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/)
First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2009
Copyright © The Philip Lief Group Inc. 2009
alli is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
Although every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is accurate, it must not be treated as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Always consult a medical practitioner before starting any diet or exercise programme. Neither the author nor the copyright holder nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss or claim arising out of the use or misuse of the suggestions made or the failure to take medical advice.
alli 60 mg capsules are a pharmacy-only weight-loss aid containing orlistat. For overweight adults with a BMI of 28 or over. Always read the label.
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While every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material reproduced herein and secure permissions, the publishers would like to apologise for any omissions and will be pleased to incorporate missing acknowledgements in any future edition of this book
Source ISBN: 9780007293728
Ebook Edition © August 2016 ISBN 9780007381074 Version 2016-08-24
Contents
Cover (#uea3cc565-1FFF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474)
Title Page (#uea3cc565-2FFF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474)
Copyright (#uea3cc565-3FFF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474)
Chapter 1 What is alli? (#uea3cc565-5FFF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474)
Chapter 2 Your Diet Essentials (#uea3cc565-32FF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474)
Chapter 3 The Menu Plans (#uea3cc565-54FF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474)
Chapter 4 Recipes (#litres_trial_promo)
Breakfasts and Brunches (#)
Soups (#)
Sandwiches and Light Lunches (#)
Main Course Salads (#)
Poultry (#)
Meat (#)
Fish and Seafood (#)
Vegetarian (#)
Sides (#)
Pasta (#)
Sauces, Dressings and Dips (#)
Desserts (#)
Bites (#)
Recipes by kcal per portion (#)
Recipes by fat per portion (#)
Chapter 5 Eating Out (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 6 Going Shopping (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 Exercise (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 Keep Going! (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 Portion Guide and Calorie-counter (#litres_trial_promo)
Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 1 What is alli? (#)
Successful Weight-loss Starts Here
Losing weight will not only help you to feel better in yourself, it will also reduce your health risks. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it?
However, it’s no secret that losing weight can be really hard work. In spite of knowledge and determination, it can be a real struggle to lose weight and keep it off.
That’s why alli is an exciting development for adults who are overweight, with a BMI of 28 or above, and who want to make positive changes to their weight. It isn’t a miracle pill or a crash diet; it’s the first pharmacy-only weight-loss aid to be licensed for use throughout Europe. Also available is the alli support programme to guide you towards your weight-loss goal.
Adding alli to a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet is clinically proven to help you lose 50% more weight. So for every 2 lb (1 kg) you lose from dieting, alli can help you lose an extra 1 lb (0.5 kg).
The alli programme is a sensible approach to losing weight which helps you commit to lasting, positive changes to your eating and lifestyle habits.
How Is alli Different?
alli is a clinically proven weight-loss aid that should be combined with a reduced-calorie, lower-fat diet. You should also try to introduce more activity into your daily life. The alli programme can help you break your old habits and follow a healthier lifestyle.
alli works by attaching itself to some of the enzymes that break down fat. This stops about a quarter of the fat you eat from being digested and absorbed, so the unabsorbed fat passes naturally out of the body.
When you take alli, you have the reassurance that it is the first pharmacy-only weight-loss aid licensed throughout Europe.
With alli, you also have the reassurance of knowing that it’s been extensively studied in clinical trials.
Visit www.alli.co.uk for more information. Remember to read the label and the information leaflet in the alli pack before you start.
What Is alli?
alli is a capsule taken with a reduced-calorie, lower-fat diet.
alli is not a quick fix or a miracle pill. As we all know, quick fixes never work.
The alli programme requires you to make simple but significant changes to your eating habits. It also recommends that you combine these changes with a more active lifestyle.
It shows you how to make positive, long-term changes in your life and provides you with essential tools and techniques so you can keep the weight off.
How Does alli Work?
• In order to digest the food you eat, your body releases natural enzymes.
• There are different enzymes to break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
• alli contains orlistat which only works on the enzymes that break down fat, so proteins and carbohydrates aren’t affected and you can absorb all of these nutrients.
• As alli can lower the levels of some vitamins absorbed by your body, you should take a multivitamin containing vitamins A, D, E and K every day at bedtime (when you will not be taking alli) to help ensure the vitamins are absorbed.
• alli stops the enzymes digesting about a quarter of the fat you eat. As the undigested fat can’t be absorbed, it passes naturally out of the body.
• Fat is the most calorie-dense food, so preventing the absorption of some of it with alli and eating reduced-calorie, lower-fat meals helps you lose weight.
Diet-related Treatment Effects
Since alli works on the enzymes in your body to prevent some of the fat you eat from being absorbed, if you eat too much fat at any one time, you may notice some bowel changes. These are known as diet-related treatment effects and can include any of the following:
• fatty or oily stools
• loose, soft stools
• sudden bowel motions
• wind (flatulence) with or without oily spotting.
Controlling the fat content of your meals will help you avoid these effects.
It’s really a very simple equation: as alli prevents the absorption of about a quarter of the fat you eat, if you eat a chicken meal containing 15g of fat, 4g of undigested fat passes out of your body. In the same way, if you eat a hamburger meal containing 80g of fat, you will pass 20g of undigested fat.
Therefore, any diet-related treatment effects can be minimized by keeping within the recommended amounts of fat per meal and snack.
Your Signal
The surplus fat that passes naturally out of your body is simply undigested fat. If you experience any of the diet-related treatment effects, this is a signal that you have eaten a meal or snack that may have contained more fat than the recommended fat target. Please refer to the tables further on in this book for more information on recommended fat targets.
Tips for Avoiding Diet-related Treatment Effects
Managing diet-related treatment effects is an important part of making alli work for you. Here are some tips to help you stay in control.
• Start your lower-fat diet a few days, or even a week, before you begin taking the capsules.
• Find out more about how much fat your favourite foods typically contain and the size of your portions (check the labels). By getting used to more appropriate portion sizes, you’ll be less likely to accidentally go over your fat target.
• Distribute your fat allowance evenly across your meals for the day. Don’t ‘save’ fat grams from lunch and ‘spend’ them at dinner – each meal and snack must be within your fat target.
• Be patient. It may take a little time to familiarize yourself with your fat and calorie targets. Most users who experience diet-related treatment effects at the start learn how to reduce them.
• Keeping a food diary is an invaluable tool for helping you to recognize which foods can lead to diet-related treatment effects. Jot down helpful notes and favourite recipes – you’ll soon get into the swing of things.
Is alli Right for Me?
alli is for people who are ready and willing to make the necessary adjustments to their lifestyle. If you are an overweight adult aged 18 or over with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 or over, alli can help you to lose weight. Visit www.alli.co.uk to work out your BMI.
alli is an effective weight loss aid, but it’s not suitable for everyone. Talk to your pharmacist to determine whether alli is right for you. Make sure you also read the information contained in the alli pack before you start taking alli.
alli is already helping thousands of people lose weight and make positive changes to their lifestyle. You too could enjoy success with alli if you’re willing to make some simple, long-lasting changes to your eating habits. Your commitment is the key to your success.
Losing weight doesn’t happen overnight, so alli and the alli programme encourages gradual, steady weight loss of 1–2 lb (0.5–1 kg) a week. The alli programme can inspire and teach you to adopt healthier eating habits. Step by step you can do it with alli.
Losing even a modest amount of weight can significantly reduce the risk of developing several serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. If you are concerned about the risks associated with being overweight, see your doctor for a check-up.
How to Take alli
Take one capsule, three times a day at mealtimes – this usually means one at breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Remember to make these meals well balanced, reduced calorie and lower-fat.)
Take alli just before, during or up to one hour after meals. Swallow the capsule whole with water.
If you miss a meal, or your meal doesn’t contain fat, don’t take a capsule – alli doesn’t work unless there’s some fat in the meal.
Do not take more than 3 capsules a day.
Remember also to take a multivitamin tablet at bedtime (containing vitamins A, D, E and K). As alli removes some of the fat you eat from your body, some fat-soluble vitamins are removed with it. Taking a daily multivitamin ensures that you have an adequate supply of these vital nutrients.
Adjusting to Your New Lifestyle
There are a few simple but fundamental changes you will need to make in your life to succeed with the alli programme.
Here’s what you need to be willing to do to join the thousands who are succeeding with alli:
• adopt a reduced-calorie, lower-fat diet
• plan your meals
• manage your cravings and setbacks
• take guidance from the alli programme.
Achieving your goal with alli isn’t complicated; it just takes a little practice to get into the new habits. As well as sticking to a reduced-calorie, lower-fat diet, becoming more physically active is part and parcel of becoming healthier. Like most things in life, once you’re used to them, they simply become part of your daily routine.
Commit to a Reduced-calorie, Lower-fat Diet
Why Reduce Calories?
Calories are a measurement of the energy your body needs to function. When you eat more calories than your body needs, it stores the excess energy as fat.
Your calorie target is the maximum number of calories you should eat per day. This target varies, according to your weight, gender and activity levels. You can use the chart (below) to set your daily calorie targets.
Before you can set your calorie targets you’ll need to know your activity level. The more active you are, the higher your calorie limit. Choose which activity level most closely fits your daily routine. If you’re unsure which is your level, choose ‘low’.
• Low activity = you do little or no walking, stair-climbing, gardening or other physical activity on a daily basis
• Moderate activity = you burn around 150 calories a day in physical activity, for example, walking 2 miles (3 kilometres), gardening for 30–45 minutes, or running 1.25 miles (2 kilometres) in 15 minutes.
Calories for Women
Calories for Men
Lower Fat Is Key
You may be surprised to know that alli doesn’t require you to eliminate fat completely from your diet. Eating the right amount of fat helps the body absorb vitamins and perform other essential functions.
Your fat target is the maximum amount of fat each meal and snack should contain for you as an individual while on the alli programme. This is based on your daily calorie intake. When you follow the alli programme, you’ll be focusing on the total amount of fat, not whether it’s unsaturated or saturated.
Use the chart below to set your fat target for each meal and snack.
Reducing fat not only helps you to lose weight, it is also the way that you will be able to manage any diet-related treatment effects such as fatty or oily stools, sudden bowel motions and wind (flatulence). These effects are caused by the way the alli capsules work on the food you eat: because alli prevents the absorption of some of the fat in the food you eat, this unabsorbed fat passes naturally out of the body. Be reassured that most new alli users who experience these effects learn how to manage them by staying within their recommended fat targets.
Tastier, Healthier Food
alli is dedicated to helping you eat a tasty, nutritious and varied diet. Although it’s important to limit the foods that are high in fat and calories, there are lots of other delicious choices open to you.
Lower-fat doesn’t have to mean lower-taste; we have lots of easy, satisfying recipes and meal ideas to prove it. The advice in this book should enable you to eat satisfying, balanced meals without feeling bored or deprived.
Enjoy trying new things and varying your meals with alli.
Eating Together
With the alli programme you will be able to eat such a variety of delicious food that your whole family can enjoy the same meals as you. Some of the recipes are written for two, some for more, and many are adaptations of family favourites.
At the Table
Putting the right amount of the right foods on your plate is a simple but important part of achieving success.
Try downsizing your plate to downsize your portions. If you use a plate that’s 20cm (8 inches) across, it’ll look fuller so you won’t feel you’re missing out.
When you’re sure of your portion sizes at home, you’ll then find it easier to judge how much you should eat when you dine out (restaurants usually serve bigger portions than you need).
Planning Your Meals
Ideally, you will plan your meals while you’re on the alli programme so you can stay within your recommended fat target per meal. Knowing what you’re going to eat a few days in advance puts you in control and raises your chances of success. Planning ahead helps you avoid making last-minute choices which are too high in fat and calories. It also enables you to experiment with new recipes.
In reality, you probably won’t be able to plan every meal. However, as you learn more about the programme you should be able to assess what will and won’t work within the programme for you. This book will help.
Shopping
Try not to go shopping when you’re hungry. You could be tempted by fatty convenience foods and may start snacking on your way home.
Also, if you don’t already make shopping lists, start now and try to stick to them.
There are lots more tips on better (and smarter) shopping later in the book.
Move Your Body and Shift the Weight
The alli programme recommends you increase your physical activity levels to help you lose more weight.
When you consume fewer calories your body has to use its fat stores for energy and, as it does that, you lose pounds. When you exercise, you encourage your body to burn fat stores more often and, as a result, help increase your weight loss. Upping your activity levels should help you lose more weight.
Incorporating more physical activity into your everyday life is easier than you think. There are lots of fun and easy ways to exercise.
Exercising isn’t just good for your body, it’s a well-known fact that it’s good for your mood and relieves stress, too. It’s not just about joining a gym; there are lots of other ways to get moving and burn calories.
Whatever shape you’re in and however busy you are, it’s still possible to be active every day. Start gently and increase slowly. Begin with 10 minutes’ extra walking a day. If you’re already active, then build up the time or add in something else as well.
Remember to check with your doctor before you start any new exercise programme.
There’s a chapter on exercising as part of the alli programme later in the book, but here are some tips to get you thinking about how to include more activity in your daily life:
• Write your goals down somewhere you will see them every day.
• Break your goal into long-term and short-terms goals that are achievable.
• Involve family and friends in your weight-loss plan.
• Take the stairs more often at home – make extra trips and burn extra calories.
• Don’t sit down when you make a phone call – walk about the house while you talk.
• Cleaning is good: hoovering, mopping and dusting are all excellent activities for burning fat.
• Take a seat on an exercise ball. It will help you sit up straight and work your abdominal muscles.
• Get off the bus one stop early. When you feel ready you can try two stops earlier!
• Cycle rather than driving whenever you can.
• Walk up escalators.
• If you take the lift, get out a floor early or take the stairs from ground level.
• Park further from the shops and walk the rest of the way there. Supermarket car parks can be huge, so get into the habit of parking as far away from the shop entrance as possible.
• Walk the dog! A brisk daily walk will help burn off any extra calories consumed.
• Get gardening – a great way to burn some extra calories.
Managing Cravings …
Cravings can be the downfall of many dieters.
It’s important to learn, therefore, to recognize whether your body is hungry or if you’re experiencing a craving for something. Hunger is an empty feeling in your stomach – a signal that you haven’t eaten anything for several hours. A craving doesn’t mean that your body is hungry; it usually happens when you feel like eating a certain type of food. It can be triggered by stimuli outside the body, such as stress, changes in emotions and seeing or smelling something appetizing.
It would be unrealistic to tell you that you won’t experience cravings, but it is possible to control them and limit the damage they can cause.
Tips for Beating Cravings
• Drink a glass or two of water – sometimes your body is thirsty and not hungry at all.
• If you feel like chocolate, whisk up a cup of reduced-calorie hot chocolate with water or skimmed milk and a shake of cinnamon on top.
• If you’re at home, do something to take your mind off the craving – walking away from the fridge and out of the kitchen is a good start! You could try phoning a friend, doing 10 star jumps or taking up knitting to distract yourself.
… and Setbacks
Blips. Bumps in the road. Snack-attacks. Whatever you call them, they happen to everyone. The essential factor is how you handle the setback.
If you eat the wrong foods and/or too much of them, don’t be too hard on yourself because that can make things worse. Instead, accept that it’s happened and decide why, so you can aim to avoid the same mistake again.
• After a setback, make your next meal really tasty and within the accepted fat and calorie limits.
• Then start planning an occasion or night out and make a shopping list of the new, smaller clothes you’d like to buy for it to spur yourself on.
Take Support from the alli Programme
When you commit to the alli programme, it’s committed to you. It’s here to help you adopt a healthy lifestyle so you can reach your goals.
Visit www.alli.co.uk for online support, useful tools, tips and more recipes to help you stay motivated and on track.
Are You Ready?
Before you start, here are some final things to remember:
• Don’t rush: alli provides you with a gradual and steady approach to weight loss. You can use alli for up to six months.
• Smaller portions = a bigger reward. If you commit to a healthy lifestyle, following a reduced calorie, lower-fat diet, alli can reward your hard work with 50% more weight loss. So, for every 2 lb you lose by your own efforts, alli can help you lose 1 lb more.
• Lower-fat is the way forward: limiting the amount of fat you eat at each meal is very important when you’re taking alli capsules. If you don’t stick to it, you increase your chances of experiencing diet-related treatment effects.
• Get more physically active: Exercise helps to burn calories, so when you’re taking alli, you can help yourself by taking more exercise.
• Remember to read the label and information leaflet that comes with the alli pack before you start.
Your Reward
Successful weight loss may seem like a big challenge, but alli can be a big help. Importantly, the alli programme provides you with useful tools to help you sustain your weight loss and commit to lasting, positive changes to your eating and lifestyle habits.
This is the first step on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Good luck!
Chapter 2 Your Diet Essentials (#)
Well done for taking the first steps to a healthier, trimmer you. The information in this chapter will help you learn how to eat a healthier diet, both while you are trying to lose weight and in the longer term.
Many people spend years hopping from one diet to another but are still confused about what or how much to eat. Add to this the pressure of modern living, being short of time and the confidence to cook, as well as being surrounded by tempting and readily accessible food, and it’s little wonder we find it so hard not to put on weight. There isn’t a magic solution, but you can take more control by learning more about what and how much to eat and starting to incorporate more activity into your life.
This chapter explains the background to the diet, giving you guidance about the food groups that will be part of your eating plans.
This chapter has several sections:
• The key to weight-loss success outlines the principles of energy balance.
• What can I eat? takes you through the food-group system, explaining the importance of each group and providing you with useful tips for your diet.
• Your diet goal provides a breakdown of the calories and fat that you may have at each meal.
• Your meal blueprints helps you to plan healthy, balanced meals by giving you a clear guide of what to include each mealtime.
• Food and your mind helps you to identity why you eat and provides a few tips to keep you motivated.
The Key to Weight-loss Success
Successful weight loss is about losing weight and keeping it off. To do this you need to understand how to eat and live healthily, not only while you are in your weight-loss phase, but beyond it, too. You also need to understand your own triggers to eating so that you can recognize when you are hungry, and when you are eating just because you are bored. More on this at the end of the chapter, but first some nutrition basics.
The Energy-balance Equation
Food and drink provide us with energy, which is measured in kilocalories, normally shortened to calories, or sometimes in joules and kilojoules. Our bodies use energy in a host of different ways: keeping our bodies ticking over – even digesting food needs calories; for maintenance and growth and the repair of our tissues and organs. We gain weight when we consume more energy (calories) than we use up, so in order to lose weight we need to consume fewer calories or use up more.
The healthiest way to lose weight is to use up more calories as well as consuming fewer. This is because:
• becoming more active is great for your health now and in the long term
• if you only cut down on food you run the risk of cutting out vital vitamins and minerals
• being active releases feel-good hormones, which help sustain your efforts and make you feel better
• you will improve your muscle tone
• studies have found that people who increase their activity as part of a diet maintain their weight-loss success for longer than those who only cut back on calories
• you are likely to lose weight faster.
Chapter 7 provides information on how to incorporate more activity into your daily life.
What Can I Eat?
This diet follows recommended nutrition principles for a healthier diet. That is, it encourages you to eat a balanced diet, eating foods from all the main food groups, control your calories through portion size and reduce fat intake, and also be more active.
This may not sound like rocket science. It isn’t. The diet is designed so that:
1. you achieve effective, gradual weight loss
2. you lose weight by eating ‘normal’, not ‘diet’ foods
3. you learn to take control of your eating by understanding more about foods and nutrition.
Alongside the diet you are encouraged to become more active and also to spend some time looking at the triggers that may make you eat when you are not hungry. Whole books have been written on the motivational side of eating and slimming, and it is not within the scope of this book to provide more than a thumbnail sketch with some practical hints and pointers to help you.
To start off with, you need to look at what a healthy, balanced diet really is so you can begin to make better choices from now on.
What Is a Healthy Balanced Diet?
A healthy, balanced diet contains the right amount and mix of nutrients and energy for your individual needs. Not too much and not too little – a sort of Goldilocks principle.
That sounds all fine and dandy, but who knows exactly how much energy you need or which particular vitamins and minerals you need the most? Few people do, and even then it will vary week by week. So we need a way of showing what this may be for an average healthy person.
There are different ways this can be done. Sometimes a pyramid of food and drink is used, or a basket depicting a range of food groups. The UK model is called the Eatwell Plate and represents the type and amount of different foods that should form part of a healthy diet.
The idea is to show you the relative proportion of food groups you need to eat as part of a healthy diet. There are five groups:
1. Fruit and vegetables
2. Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods
3. Milk and dairy foods
4. Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sourced protein
5. Food and drink high in fat and/or sugar
If we all managed to eat these types of foods in suitable portions and were sufficiently active, we’d all have a healthy, balanced diet and be more likely to be a healthy weight. Unfortunately, most of us eat more of one group than another, especially the fatty and sugary foods group, and not enough of the fruit and vegetables group, so we end up with a poorly balanced diet, which can lead to overweight.
Let’s take a closer look at each food group and how it fits into your weight-loss diet.
Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are a really important part of any diet, as they provide a wide range of different vitamins, minerals and important plant substances. Each vegetable and fruit contains different amounts and types of these, so it is best to include as many different fruit and vegetables as you can. Eating a range of differently coloured fruit and vegetables each day is a good way to ensure you have a mixture of these essentials. For example, carrots, sweet potato, mango and pawpaw (orange) are rich in vitamin A, while vegetables such as spinach and cabbage (dark green) provide vitamin K. Tomatoes, strawberries and peppers (red) are particularly rich in vitamin C, as too are orange and yellow citrus fruits.
Fruit and vegetables contain a high proportion of water compared to the amount of calories they provide. This means they have a low energy density, which is good news for dieters, as along with their general bulkiness they are great for filling you up without adding lots of calories or fat (with the exception of avocados).
An often overlooked dietary essential is fibre, which is found in all plant foods. Fibre is the term used for many different compounds, and each has its own beneficial functions in the body. Keeping your bowel habits regular relies on insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre, meanwhile, increases feelings of fullness and also has a positive influence on your blood cholesterol levels.
You should be aiming for at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. If you are uncertain as to what a portion is, have a look at Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo) – but don’t forget that juice only counts once a day, and potatoes don’t count as vegetables. Also – to help you see that getting your five a day doesn’t have to be difficult – the menu plans in Chapter 3 all include at least five portions of fruit and vegetables.
Bread, Rice, Potatoes, Pasta and Other Starchy Foods
This category also includes breakfast cereals, oats and other grains. Starchy carbohydrates should be the most important source of calories in your diet. Starches are a type of carbohydrate that provide energy, and it is important to eat a starchy food at every meal, including some wholegrain versions as these give you additional fibre, minerals such as iron and calcium and B vitamins.
Starchy foods, especially those that are wholegrain, can be filling and are much less energy-dense than fat or oil. One gram of carbohydrate provides less than half the calories per gram compared to fats such as butter and oil.
You may have heard of foods with a high or low ‘GI’ or glycaemic index. Foods with a low GI help regulate your blood sugar so you don’t have surges of sugars in your blood after you’ve eaten, followed by a trough that leaves you feeling ravenous. These fluctuations are unhealthy and are thought to reduce the efficiency of the hormone insulin that controls your blood sugar. In the long term this can lead to diabetes. Foods with a high GI cause a sharp rise in your blood sugar, while those with a low GI cause a more gradual rise that is then prolonged. Having foods with a low GI helps you feel fuller for longer.
This diet encourages the use of lower-GI foods, and Chapter 9 provides nutrition and GI information on some commonly eaten foods. You may also find more information on the internet – and look for GI labels on some foods in supermarkets.
This is not a low-carbohydrate diet. Some people have great weight-loss results through cutting out carbohydrates, but for lifelong healthy eating this important food group provides essential nutrients and fibre.
Milk and Dairy Foods
Foods such as milk, yogurt and cheese (or the fortified soya alternatives) are essential for the calcium and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) they supply. Dairy products tend to contain a relatively high percentage of fat and saturated fat, but by choosing reduced-fat versions you will be able to meet your fat targets.
If you choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, reduced-fat yogurt and cheese, you will cut back on calories from fat and saturates but not on essential calcium or riboflavin.
You don’t have to use fat-free dairy products when on the diet if you follow the recipes and menu plans, as the diet allows for about 30 per cent of your calories to come from fat. This means you don’t lose out on vitamins A and D, which are important fat-soluble vitamins, found in milk and cheese.
Meat, Fish, Eggs, Beans and Other Non-dairy Sourced Proteins
This group also includes poultry, lentils, soya, tofu and vegetarian alternatives. We need surprisingly little of these foods – just a couple of small portions a day – and as some of these foods can be high in fat it is important to choose them carefully. Meat should be lean, with visible fat removed and skin trimmed from poultry. How these foods are cooked will also influence their fat content, so use fat-free or low-fat cooking methods such as grilling, baking, steaming, poaching and braising.
It is important to include plenty of fish in your diet, at least two portions a week. You can still include one portion of oily fish such as salmon or tuna in your diet by eating a small portion, making sure it fits within your fat target. Oily fish is one of the very few sources of dietary vitamin D, and it also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have a wide range of health benefits. White fish is naturally low in fat and a great part of any weight-loss diet.
Beans, lentils and peas are low in fat and high in fibre, which makes them ideal for your diet. You will find that you also eat eggs on the diet, probably just one per meal as egg yolk contains fat but is also a source of iron and vitamin A.
Nuts provide healthy unsaturated fats, and small quantities can be used in your diet if you weigh them out. They are a great addition to low-fat breakfast cereals. See Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo) to make sure you only eat quantities that are consistent with your targets.
Food and Drink High in Fat and/or Sugar
These are, for most of us, our favourite foods – but these really are the ones we need the least, nutritionally. These foods include cakes, pastries, fried foods, chocolates, confectionery, biscuits, ice cream, mayonnaises, sauces and dressings. Drinks such as squashes, carbonated sweetened drinks and hot chocolate are high in sugars.
Butter and creams, oils and fat spreads of all types are included in this group because of their fat content. Fat contains more than twice the calories per gram compared with carbohydrates or protein. That is, they are very energy-dense, so by reducing the amount of fat in your diet you will decrease calories fast. However, some oils and vegetable fats contain beneficial unsaturated oils and vitamin E, so can be eaten in small quantities if you carefully measure them out.
The diet doesn’t ban foods high in fat and sugar from your diet, as they do add variety and enjoyment. Banning something only makes it more attractive. There are some considerations you must bear in mind, however.
• Only eat fatty and sugary foods once you have had a balanced meal so are feeling fairly full.
• Ask yourself why you want to eat this food – see Chapter 2 (#uea3cc565-50FF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474) for some help.
• Make sure you know how many calories and grams of fat a portion contains. If it fits in your plan, then stick to the one item.
• Measure or weigh everything.
More on Fats
When you are on the diet you will be focusing on a total number of grams of fat you can eat. However, it is also important to consider what sort of fats you are eating.
Fat is found in many foods, and we tend to classify them into those that are said to be saturated and those that are unsaturated.
Put very simply, saturated fats increase your blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to your arteries becoming blocked. This increases your risk of developing heart disease. Saturated fats are found mostly in animal foods such as butter, ghee, lard, cream, cheese and meat, though certain plant foods such as coconut are also high in saturates.
Unsaturated fats can have a beneficial effect on your blood cholesterol and don’t increase your risk of heart disease. There are many different types of unsaturated fats, from monounsaturates, which are found in olive and rapeseed oils and spreads made from them, to polyunsaturates, which are found in sunflower, nut, seed and fish oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are part of the group of polyunsaturates and are known to be beneficial for heart health as well as having other important health benefits.
Hydrogenated fats (or trans fats) are made when liquid oils are made into solid fats. Trans fats have been found to have a damaging effect on the body. In the UK, food manufacturers have removed almost all hydrogenated fats from foods, and foods must be labelled if they contain them.
Fluids
Having plenty of water in the diet is essential for your metabolism, not just to stop you feeling thirsty. Aim to drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day (this is about 6–8 glasses). You may include low-calorie flavoured drinks or fruit or herb teas in this. If you drink a lot of tea and coffee you should drink plenty of water as well, as tea and coffee are both slightly diuretic (cause you to excrete more water). Beware of the calories found in juices, smoothies and coffees such as lattes and cappuccinos.
Lastly – A Note on Salt
A healthy diet needn’t contain added salt unless you are very active or have been told to do so by your doctor. Having a diet high in salt increases your risk of high blood pressure and stroke, and by cutting down on salt you are protecting yourself. We should all be aiming to have no more than 6g of salt per day.
Many foods have salt added during manufacture or processing. Ham, bacon, salami and other cured meats are all high in salt, as are smoked fish, hard cheeses, pickles, chutneys, olives, soups and sauces, crisps and savoury snacks. Even foods that don’t taste salty include some, such as bread, breakfast cereals and many baked goods.
The recipes in this book do not contain added salt, and if stock is used it is a reduced-salt variety. Each recipe includes the amount of salt per portion so you can monitor your salt intake. If you do like to add salt to food, add it at the table so not all the family has to have it, and always taste food before adding it. Try to cut down gradually – you can add a little bit less each time and will not notice the difference.
Your Diet Goal
In Chapter 1 (#uea3cc565-5FFF-11e9-9e03-0cc47a520474) you read about how to set your fat and calorie targets, so by now you will have chosen the targets that fit you best.
Planning Your Meals
Based on the healthy, balanced diet model described previously, you can choose whether:
• to follow the suggested meal plans in the book (Chapter 3)
• to use the recipes in Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo) to make up your own daily menus
• to buy ready-made foods that fit your targets with ideas from chapters 6 and 9.
You may of course do a combination of these depending on your circumstances and mood. Whatever you do, write a daily food diary.
The table below is a guide to help you plan your meals. It shows the recommended amount of calories (kcal) and fat for each meal occasion, including one or more snacks.
Your Meal Blueprints
These blueprints provide the basics to help you plan healthy meals.
Breakfast Blueprint
1. A piece of fruit or some vegetables or a glass (250ml maximum) of unsweetened fruit juice or smoothie
2. A starchy food such as bread, rolls or crackers, ideally wholemeal or granary, or a bowl of breakfast cereal, muesli or porridge
3. A low-fat, preferably unsaturated spread to accompany the starchy foods, and/or a teaspoon of jam or marmalade
4. A measured amount of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk to have with your cereal and morning drink
5. A glass of water
6. You may also be able to include some other foods depending on which programme you are following
Have a look at Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo) for fat and calorie guidance.
• A boiled or poached egg or grilled fat-trimmed back bacon with grilled tomato
• A slice or two of lean ham
• A small portion of cheese
• A few almonds or walnuts to add to your cereal
• A low-fat yogurt or probiotic drink
Midday Meal Blueprint
If you have your main meal in the evening then your lunch meal still needs to include a wide range of different foods to maximize the nutrients you get.
1. Include at least one, preferably two or more fruit or vegetables. For example, a mixed salad, a bowl of vegetable soup, an apple/pear/orange or a bowl of carrot and pepper sticks
2. A measured or weighed source of starchy carbohydrate such as bread, potato, pasta, rice etc. If you are buying a sandwich lunch, then have a look at the guide in Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)
3. A source of protein – e.g. lean meat, fish, beans or lentils, an egg, or perhaps a small amount of cheese. Weigh these out so you recognize what a suitable portion looks like
4. A glass of water
5. Are you having any high-fat foods such as spreads or dressings? If you haven’t reached your fat target, and can include them, make sure to measure them out
6. Can you add a low-fat yogurt or fromage frais to provide calcium if you have fat and calories to spare?
Evening Meal Blueprint
You may like to make this a two- or even three-course meal if your fat and calorie targets permit. Whatever the combination of foods you choose, make sure you follow the same guidelines as for lunch.
1. A minimum of one, preferably two portions of vegetables, plain, cooked or as salad
2. A piece of fruit, possibly as a starter or dessert
3. A measured portion of protein-rich food with associated low- or reduced-fat sauces or accompaniments
4. Measured starchy foods such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, pasta, polenta, couscous or other grains cooked with minimal fat
5. A glass of water
Also consider
If you have calories and fat left over from your meal target, you may choose a glass of wine, a small dessert or a piece of chocolate. See Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo) for some ideas.
Snacks Blueprint
Often the best snack is a piece of fruit along with a glass of water, but you can have a range of different types of snacks – provided they contain less than 3g of fat and are ideally 150kcal.
Remember that by choosing something that is low in GI then you are going to stay feeling fuller for longer.
Food and Your Mind
Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows how powerful your mind can be in constantly reminding you about how hungry you are, and making foods that are off-limits seem even more attractive than usual.
While is it not possible here to provide a comprehensive guide to the psychology of dieting, there are many tips that will help you on your way.
1. Set yourself a realistic goal, and write it down. Goals can be very personal – perhaps to wear a particular favourite outfit again, to return to your pre-pregnancy body weight, or to be ready for that holiday you are planning. Keep your goal with you so you can refer to it in moments of self-doubt.
2. Try to work out what role foods plays in your life – is it a comfort when you are unhappy or stressed? Do you eat when you are bored? By thinking this through you may be able to avoid falling into the trap of eating when you are not really hungry.
3. Plan your meals in advance, and make a note every day of what you ate and drank, your activity level and how you felt that day. Look back at it often to see if there are any links between your mood and what you did or ate. When you are feeling tempted to give up, focus on the good days and take strength from your previous successes.
4. Think about how you eat, and modify those things that are not helpful. For example if you tend to snack when you are preparing dinner, chop up carrot sticks in advance to munch on. If you are a habitual car-snacker, train yourself not to eat while in the car, perhaps drinking water instead. Have a proper meal time at the dining table rather than grazing while at the computer or watching TV. Developing these sorts of habits takes time but is worth the effort.
5. Be positive about yourself and what you are doing. Having a positive mental attitude can work wonders. Believe in yourself, and surround yourself with others who will support you.
6. When you are tempted, remind yourself how well you are doing, not listening to the negative voice within, and focus on the goal you have set yourself. If you do succumb to temptation, don’t give up. Just keep going, focusing again on your goal.
7. Don’t forget the psychological benefit of being active. Go for a 10-minute brisk walk rather than 10 minutes of munchies. Enlist family and friends to exercise with you, and make this a regular event.
8. Talk positively to people – including yourself – about what you are doing. This will help strengthen your willpower and remind you of the benefits of your diet rather than feeling it is all about giving up things.
Chapter 3 The Menu Plans (#)
In this chapter you will find a range of different menu plans to help guide you through and beyond the time you are dieting. There are menu plans to fit the different calorie and fat bands of your diet. Included here are four weeks of daily menus for the 1400-calorie diet, the one that is most commonly followed. Additionally there is one menu plan per week for each of the 1200-, 1600- and 1800-calorie diets. These plans may also be useful if you are just starting out on the diet, or are coming to the end of your diet and want to maintain weight rather than lose it.
The menu plans can be used in several ways. When dieting, some people like to know exactly what they can eat down to the last lettuce leaf. If you are one of those people the menu plans are perfect, as they describe each meal and snack. They provide links to the recipes in Chapter 4 (the recipe name is in italics). If there is a meal you don’t fancy, you can find a substitute by looking at Chapter 4, by searching for a ready-prepared option in Chapter 6 or by putting ingredients from Chapter 9 together.
Other people use menu plans for inspiration, gleaning ideas for meals but making up their own menus. If this is the way you like to diet, then you can easily find information to suit your calorie and fat targets by using chapters 4, 6 and 9. It is worth writing down your own menu plan so you can check that you keep within your fat and calorie targets.
A Reminder of the Fat and Calorie Targets
The table that follows shows you the maximum number of calories and grams of fat you can eat. The menu plans are worked out on a daily basis, so use the information in the first two columns. If you are making up your own meal plans, you will need to ensure that you keep to the fat targets for each meal or snack.
Menu Plan Instructions
The table below suggests how you may break your daily fat and calorie allowance down.
• Each day you should have 300ml skimmed milk (or non dairy equivalent) for cereals, drinks and in cooking. (This helps ensure you are having adequate calcium.) Measure it out at the start of the day, so you know how much you are using.
• Drink at least 1.5 litres (6 x250ml glasses) of water a day in addition to other drinks. You may have low calorie squashes and unsweetened herb or fruit teas in addition to tea and coffee, but do not forget to count in sugar or milk you are adding.
• Drinks such as juices, smoothies and alcoholic drinks all add calories so unless stated are not included in the menu plans.
• Make sure you measure everything out. The menu plans give weights and, where appropriate, household measures.
• Recipes from the book are shown in italic text. If you don’t like the recipe, simply find another with similar fat and calories by looking at the charts at the end of Chapter 4, by choosing a ready made option from one of the supermarkets or by using Chapter 9 to construct your own meal.
Day 1
Day 2
Week 1
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Also included: each day you may have 300ml skimmed milk (or non-dairy equivalent) for cereals and drinks. Drink at least 1.5 litres (6 x 250ml glasses) of water a day. Drinks such as juices, smoothies, alcohol etc. are not included unless stated.
Day 1
Day 2
Week 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Also included: each day you may have 300ml skimmed milk (or non-dairy equivalent) for cereals and drinks. Drink at least 1.5 litres (6 x 250ml glasses) of water a day. Drinks such as juices, smoothies, alcohol etc. are not included unless stated.
Day 1
Day 2
Week 3
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Also included: each day you may have 300ml skimmed milk (or non-dairy equivalent) for cereals and drinks. Drink at least 1.5 litres (6 x 250ml glasses) of water a day. Drinks such as juices, smoothies, alcohol etc. are not included unless stated.
Day 1
Day 2
Week 4
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Also included: each day you may have 300ml skimmed milk (or non-dairy equivalent) for cereals and drinks. Drink at least 1.5 litres (6 x 250ml glasses) of water a day. Drinks such as juices, smoothies, alcohol etc. are not included unless stated.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Also included: each day you may have 300ml skimmed milk (or non-dairy equivalent) for cereals and drinks. Drink at least 1.5 litres (6 x 250ml glasses) of water a day. Drinks such as juices, smoothies, alcohol etc. are not included unless stated.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
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