Too tired to diet



The problem:

Feeling exhausted can be a

trigger to reach for food as your body tries to compensate for lack

of energy.

The solution:

Choose

foods that will fill you up and give you slow release energy without

lots of calories. Good options for meals are porridge, pasta, chicken

or fish sandwiches made with grainy bread, or vegetable soup. Snack

on nuts, dried or fresh fruit and low fat yoghurts. A moderate

caffeine hit at lunch time (a cup or two of coffee) will help you

through that afternoon dip, but don't overdo it.

Getting emotional

The

problem:

You've just had a blazing row with your partner

so you reach for the biscuit tin.

The

solution:

Occasional comfort eating isn't a major problem

if you get back on track and don't beat yourself up about what's

happened. But you can't solve a serious emotional eating problem

unless you tackle what's causing the unhappiness in the first place.

You may need help from a dietitian who specialises in emotional

eating disorders.

Feeling

guilty

The problem:

Many

of us feel so hung up about eating 'naughty' food (like chocolate or

cake) that we eat large amounts quickly, and guiltily, without really

enjoying the experience.

The solution:

Start loving food again by noticing which foods genuinely please

and satisfy you, and which make you feel sick or uncomfortable. The

welcome outcome is that you'll learn to stop eating food when it

stops tasting good, or when you're full. Remember no one food is

'bad', it's your overall diet that counts.

Eating on the run

The

problem:

A sausage roll grabbed here, a packet of crisps

there.. It's really hard to find healthy food on the run, and that

can spell disaster for your waistline.

The

solution:

Always carry healthy snacks, for example fruit,

nuts, a wholegrain sandwich or a yoghurt, so you're prepared. But

don't miss proper meals if you can avoid it. It's the sure way to put

on pounds as you'll be too hungry to make sensible choices when you

do get to eat.

You've started, so

you'll finish

The problem:

Otherwise known an 'all or nothing syndrome', this is what

happens when you tell yourself you've blown it with just one slice of

chocolate cake? so you finish the whole thing.

The solution:

A lapse isn't a collapse! Just get

straight back on track with healthy eating. If allowing yourself a

small portion of your favourite indulgence is too hard, you may need

to keep foods that are a weakness completely out of the way for a

while.

Relax? You need to eat over 12 Mars

bars (3500 calories) to put on 1lb of fat. So one bad day isn't going

to spell disaster.

Keeping that

weight off

When you've lost your

weight, how do you keep it off? Researchers in America interviewed

thousands of dieters who have lost more than 10 per cent of their

body weight and kept it off for at least a year. They came up with

the following advice:

Be physically active for

an hour or more daily.

Severely limit the fatty and

sugary foods you consume and keep a check on overall calorie intake.

Always eat breakfast.

Weigh yourself once or

twice a week.

Maintain a consistent eating pattern across

weekdays and weekends.