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HOW NOT TO FALL OFF THE DIET WAGON IN 2007
Poster: Nicki Waterman 05/12/2007
Jump to CommentsSTAGE 1
Getting started
You’re filled with good intentions in the first week and the first few pounds seem to drop off.
Diet-cycle secret: Lay the foundations for staying on track. Work out where you are now, where you want to be and how long it will take to get there if you lose a sensible two pounds (about one kilogram) a week. Imagine that fab bikini you’ll be able to wear this summer.
STAGE 2
The long slog
The novelty wears off, weight loss seems slow and you’re fed up with eating the same food.
Diet-cycle secret: Earn yourself treats to ensure you don’t succumb to deprivation. A brisk 30-minute walk cancels out a glass of wine, or a 20-minute swim burns off the equivalent of a packet of crisps.
STAGE 3
The inevitable setback
A bad day or boozy weekend has kicked you off the diet wagon.
Diet-cycle secret: Don’t give yourself a hard time. Get back on track by tapping into your support network. Call a friend who’s dieting, go to a slimmers’ meeting or get inspiration from other dieters online.
STAGE 4
The end is near
You’re close to your ideal weight but can’t lose the final pounds.
Diet-cycle secret: Review your diet rules to check portion sizes haven’t crept up or you’re not eating “banned” foods. For hard-to-shift areas, try exercise. Yoga can tighten a flabby tummy, while kick-boxing is a great thigh-shrinker.
STAR TURNHere are three stars who have stuck to their New Year resolutions by either fattening up or slimming down – or just managing to accept themselves for what they are:
Nicole Richie
New Year's resolution: Put on weight.
The Simple Life star and Hollywood “It” girl has been the subject of relentless scrutiny over her dwindling physique. In late 2006, she finally admitted she was too thin, saying, “I wouldn't want any young girl looking at me and saying, ‘That's what I want to look like.’ I do recognise that I have a problem, and I want to be responsible and fix it.”
Adds the 25-year-old, who has sought help from a doctor and a nutritionist, “I have always been thin and what weight I lost was over a couple of years. It wasn't some crisis for me like it's reported. I'm fit and healthy. I eat properly and I exercise regularly. But, yes, I am thin. I like being flat because I can get away with not having to wear a bra but I have really tiny, small ankles which I don't really like.”Nicole has also been fighting rumours she had surgery to remove a gastric band she had installed. “I've said I am in the process of putting on weight and that should be enough,” she argues. “It is a serious, life-changing procedure and not a rumour to throw around.”
Evangeline LillyNew Year's resolution: Fight the pressure to be thin.
When she first found fame in television drama series Lost, Evangeline admitted she found herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of the intense attention surrounding her amazing body. “I called my parents and said, 'I don't know what's wrong, I don't know if I can keep going on in this industry,’" recalls the 27-year-old Canadian. “I just wanted to get away from it all. I never wanted to be a big film star. I just wanted the comfort of having a job I love. The pressure to stay thin is enough to make you go insane. I was overworked and undernourished.” To help her believe in herself, Evangeline developed a routine of chanting “I am what
I am” 20 times a day. “I know it's cheesy, but it reminds me that if people don't like who I am, that's okay,'” she explains. “It's a very scary place to be when people have seen you on TV in your bra and underwear!”
Drew Barrymore
New Year's resolution: Keep up the exercise.
After years of size issues, 31-year-old Drew is finally enjoying her food, thanks to a fun and healthy exercise programme designed to help her burn calories without getting bored. For years, the 5'4” (1.6-metre) star was uncomfortable with the fact that her weight was closely scrutinised, but turning 30 helped her gain more perspective and get interested in fitness. As well as regular exercise, Drew also puts her slim shape down to her state of mind: her happiness with boyfriend Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes, and the success of her production company Flower Films. “I've been exercising and I'm really happy,” says the Charlie's Angels star. “I'm so much happier living my life. I didn't exercise before but ever since I started my body has really changed. I don't put strict limitations on myself anymore. If I want something, I'll have it but in moderation. I'm not going to be one of those ‘I can't eat the carb’ people because I just can't do it. I want to eat what I want to eat. I think, ‘I ran today; I can have the fettucini alfredo!’"
WHAT’S IN
GRAPEFRUIT JUICE: Helps slimmers by cutting blood sugar and fat storage.
APPLES: Packed with flavanoids that protect lungs and fight cold sores, and pectin that blunts hunger.
THAI FOOD: Try steamed rice and “gaeng”, a lean, hot green curry of chicken, meat or prawns that is so hot it speeds your metabolism.
WHAT’S OUT
DRINKS WITH SWEETENER SORBITOL: It can ferment in the colon, making you
bloated.
APPLE PIES, MUFFINS AND MUESLI BARS: Packed with sugar and minus the
super-nutrients, they make blood sugar and appetite soar.
MEE KROB: Thai for wheat noodles, deep-fried and coated in sugar syrup. At 600 calories a serving, avoid!
CREDIT: 30 minutes of breaststroke = DEBIT: 15 prawn crackers (220 calories)
GET IT NOW!
Forget strawberries and raspberries – this season’s must-eat super fruits are goji berries and the celebs are nibbling them by the handful. With fans like Madonna, Kate Moss and Jodie Kidd, these small, dried miracle berries are said to boost energy, slow ageing and fight cancer, and contain 500 times more vitamin C than oranges. And if that isn’t enough to have you racing to the supermarket, they also help bust unsightly cellulite!
GO WITH THE PRO
Try and eat protein − found in chicken, fish and meat − at every meal. It’s more filling than carbohydrates, and your body burns up to 30 per cent more calories to break it down.
DID YOU KNOW?
Smoothies have up to 250 calories per serving. You could eat four pieces of fruit for the same calorie count.
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