Free diet advice from PWR PT

I hope that, primarily, this framework stretches enough for you to use your imagination to create meals you can enjoy.

A few key pointers to optimum diet

1. Portion size - Aim to feel satisfied but never stuffed

2. Drink Water - about 6 pints a day (easily done - 1 pint first thing; 1 pint end of the day; and 4 pints in between).

3. Smart snacks - these will maintain a slow burn of energy to body and brain through the day, and prevent huge feelings of hunger at lunch and tea time. A smart snack combines protein (meat, eggs, fish, chicken, turkey) with fruits and nuts. No chocolate. No toast. No brews.

4. Kill Cravings - I estimate that for about 3 or 4 days without bread or potato products, you will crave them when hungry. This brain pathway is compelling and easy to submit to.

To combat this it is best to write down (and prepare) 10 healthy foods that you can "GO TO" when you feel a twang or a pang for something sweet or savoury. For instance, a quick listof 5 might include: Carrot sticks in Balsamic vinegar: An apple:  2 dried apricots and 6 almonds; A cup of herbal tea; a Cup-a-Soup! As long as you have these available to you when hunger cravings hit, you can swerve the carbohydrate snack which has absolutely no goodness in it and causes further cravings and hunger later on. After about 5 days without flour or potatoes, the cravings will start to decline. I've tried it, last week and I gave up potatoes for a week. I only lapsed once, on day 6, and had a small bag of Walkers crisps. Otherwise nothing. Now, I rarely crave crisps etc, and I have trigger foods that I turn to when it happens.

5. Caffeine - Only have a caffeinated drink as often per week as you eat green beans or cabbage - No more often than that. Ridding caffeine from the blood will mean deeper and more effective sleep which in time, leads to less fatigue, stronger immunity and more energy.

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This diet plan is not a "low calorie" diet, but optimum eating. You needn't feel hungry, and should feel empowered by your confidence in food, and the choices you start to make.

My final advice is that a good diet is beset with barriers and temptations along the way. Its easy to get cornered when out and about an interacting with others. Optimum eating "MOST OF THE TIME" involves controlling the meals you cook and prepare for yourself, MOST OF THE TIME and never worrying about the occasional lapse. Enjoy the lapse, but do not let it bother you enough to stop doing the right thing the rest of the time.