For those who have gained a little extra weight over recent weeks, nutritionist, Nuala Collins, MINDI, has devised seven essential tips and a two week plan.
Seven essential tips
1. Drink a cup of tea or coffee first thing every morning but don’t eat anything solid for two hours.
2. Aim to walk at a fast pace for 30 to 40 minutes before you eat breakfast. Walk further to the train or bus on the way to work or walk around the block once the kids have gone to school. Reorganise your morning routine to fit in a 30 to 40 minute walk.
3. Always eat breakfast but it must follow an earlier (two hours ) cup of coffee or tea and when possible a walk
4. Never eat in the car (no snacks or drinks while driving ).
5. Take all your meals to the table. Never eat standing up.
6. Seconds are a thing of the past.
7. Don’t eat anything after 8pm.
Breakfast
Enjoy one of the following options at breakfast:
One slice of wholegrain toast (no butter ) and a small tin of sardines or mackerel; one slice of wholemeal toast (no butter ) and beans; one slice of wholegrain bread/toast (no butter ) and two boiled, poached, or scrambled eggs; porridge, low fat milk, and one pot of zero per cent fat yoghurt.
Have a small glass (100ml ) of fruit juice (freshly squeezed is best but any type and flavour is good ) and finally enjoy one dessert spoon of flaked almonds (toasted or plain ) at breakfast.
Lunch
Soup and a sandwich. For the sandwich no mayonnaise, salad cream (not even light ones ), coleslaw, pesto, creamy or oily dressings can be used in the sandwich filling.
Sandwich fillings to choose from: tuna, salmon, chicken, beef, or turkey with salad vegetables (optional: chutney, curry powder, lemon/lime juice, pepper, or salsa added to sandwich ).
Any type of vegetable soup is a good choice but avoid all cream based soups.
Drink: tea/coffee/water/diet drink/herbal tea.
Evening meal choices
Remember to choose one of the following each day: chicken curry/casserole and brown basmati rice; Thai noodle soup (noodles, vegetables, and prawns ); pasta with tomato sauce, fresh basil, and pepper; salad nicoise (tuna, egg, and anchovies ); shepherd’s pie and peas (potatoes mashed with low fat milk and white pepper ); homemade lamb or beef burgers, one medium boiled potato, carrots, and celery; baked salmon darne, one medium boiled potato, roasted peppers.
For dessert: zero per cent fat free yogurt and a teaspoon of cinnamon and drink water/diet drink/tea/coffee.
Finally
No alcohol for two weeks; there is no limit on whole fresh fruit; drink at least one litre of water a day and enjoy one treat a week.
