Fairly fit within a few weeks

Just as you would accept that weight management is a permanent commitment, you should also accept that an unfit body does not respond as well as it should to any attempt at dieting. Being physically active and fairly fit is as much a part of optimal health and fat loss as oxygen is of sustaining life.

Again the question is "So what now?' Here we are, living in a crime-infested society where outdoor walks are mere memories of times gone by or distant dreams of some day yonder. Our chances of enjoying normal, natural and pleasant physical activities have become lean - anorexic in fact. Picnics and playing in the veldt with the children and the pets? Dream on, unless you have a large enough garden to play picnic in a secluded corner. Dinner and dancing once a week at a fancy restaurant with a lively jazz quartet to keep the feet tapping and hips swaying? Forget it. Those joints just don't exist any more because the demand has disappeared. Why? Because walking arm-in-arm with your dance partner to and from the parking lot has not only lost its romantic appeal, it has become positively dangerous. And gyms? They are for the ones who have already lost - or perhaps never had - any excess weight and we-with-the-hips feel more intimidated by the sight of those svelte bodies than we would by the sight of a scorpion in our training pants!

So what now? Now that were ready to commit to an active lifestyle, we have nowhere to go! So well just have to stay at home and try some of the following suggestions.

This is the magic that will help you regain that which you've lost: your lean body. Denser muscles mean you are allowed more food, on account of the higher metabolism. They also mean glowing looks because of the increased oxygen supply to the cells, better health and prevention of disease and best of all, a lean, trim body. Muscles weigh more than fat, so they take up less space, giving you a taught and toned appearance.

The first thing to do is to buy yourself a pair of strap-on ankle weights and wrist weights. They are available from most sport shops. Start with ¹/2 kilogram per leg and 250 gram per wrist. Strap them on and go about your daily business as usual. If you wear long pants nobody will even notice the ankle weights and on the wrists they are not that noticeable or unattractive. You will be amazed to find out how much you move your arms and legs during an ordinary day. And wearing the weights, every normal movement turns into a mini workout. This builds new muscle tissue without much effort on your part! It takes time - about 6 to 12 months - to regain those muscle tissues lost through poor diets, but it will be worth persevering. Try to wear your weights for at least two hours every day and of course, try to make it during your most active hours when you're preparing dinner or doing shopping. At first you might experience stiffness, but that is normal, so don't give up. This is one of the best gifts you can give yourself!

If you have the money, hire a personal trainer. If you can further afford to have him or her come to your home, so much the better. Alternatively you can make use of the trainer at your local gym. But check them out beforehand. As with everything, this industry has its fair share of chancers. Check out his or her references and if you're happy, discuss your requirements with them: you want to build muscle density and improve your percentage of lean muscle tissue. The key is using light weights and doing many repetitions. Hiring a good personal trainer, albeit expensive, is probably the most effective way of reaching your physical goals. Somehow it just works when you have to do it with somebody, and a good trainer is also a master when it comes to motivation.

Making the most of meat

Meat only poses two possible threats, namely its visible fat and the fact that too much of any good thing is .... well, not much good. Eating too much meat means you are eating too much saturated fat, absorbing too many unwanted fat kilojoules and pushing your protein intake through the roof.

Enjoyed in moderation though, lean red meat (with all visible fat removed) is quite a bright star in the nutrient skies. It is rich in potassium, B vitamins, zinc and iron and an excellent source of protein. Served in small, lean portions with the addition of dietary fibre, red meat will enhance your health rather than harm it.

Fibre, as found in grains, dried beans and vegetables, helps to fight heart disease, digestive disorders and certain types of cancer. These foods, when served with meat, will assist your body in coping with the hidden fats in the meat. Fibre-rich foods will also help you feel satisfied faster and for longer - an excellent way in which to help you control your meat intake and so too, those unwanted fat kilojoules.

You can make some clever cuts in your meat consumption, and I am not referring to cutting it out. I mean buying and eating cuts that contain less of the hidden fats (often called the marble fat) and cholesterol-causing saturated fat. Be 'pound' wise and buy clever cuts. Those are the hind-quarter cuts such as fillet, rump, topside and leg of lamb. They contain the least hidden fats. However, even after the visible fat has been removed, you'd be surprised to know how much fat is hidden in what you deem 'pure' meat.

The cooking method also dictates how much fat you will eventually consume. Red meat actually loses weight during cooking or grilling on a rack, and depending on the period of time for which the meat is exposed to the heat, between 7 and 23% of the fat could drip away. That is provided of course you don't consume the pan drippings! With stews and casseroles, in which the fat becomes part of the sauce, no dripping away of fat takes place and it seeps into the cooking liquids. Those you end up eating by way of the gravy or a sauce. And needless to say, frying meat in fat or oil obviously adds even more fat (and unwanted) kilojoules to your unsuspecting body - rather a stupid thing to do if you want to be lean and healthy. So consider your cut and its cooking method with great care if you care about your weight.

Best of all course, is to go wild. it you enjoy red meat, 'have venison often. A very large serving of grilled game steak (300 g) will only add a humble 9,6 g of fat to your intake, whereas a similar serving of grilled beef steak (rump, fat removed) could add as much as 30 g of fat.

Similarly, if you enjoy poultry, be game for game. Ostrich, pheasant and quail are ultra-lean and 300 g of roast game will only provide you with about 10,5 g of fat. On the other hand, if you roasted (with the skin intact) and consumed its domesticated counterpart the chicken, the exact same size of serving will happily lay in the region of 39 g of fat on your body.

Be cautioned, though; game and venison tend to be dry - as a result of their low fat content - so don't defeat the whole object by adding buffer, oil, bacon, lard or cream to the dish. Use wine, fruit and stocks instead to moisten the meat. As for a sauce or gravy, the stock of game or venison is delightfully robust in flavour. Reduce your cooking liquid by boiling it rapidly with garlic, aromatic peppercorns and herbs until richly brown and thickened to your liking. A wiser, leaner and more nourishing bet than a creamy sauce, for sure.

Don't inhibit your^- nutrients

There is no point in trying to follow a healthy diet if you are not aware of the fact that the absorption of certain nutrients can be inhibited. In other words, their assimilation and uptake by the body can be hindered by some or other bad food combination with nutrient inhibitors.

The nutrients most at risk are calcium and iron. Thus, try not to consume calcium-rich foods with alcohol, high-fibre cereals or red meats - they restrict the absorption of calcium. This means for example, that it is not wise to combine cheese and wine or cereal and milk. Serve wine with low-fat meat, chicken, fish, fruit and vegetable snacks and your cereal with fruit juice instead of milk. Vitamin D, however, aids the absorption of calcium. As sunlight is an excellent way to improve your vitamin D levels, serve lean, fruity milkshakes around your pool instead of fruit juices. That way your body will benefit fully from your clever combinations.

The absorption of iron is hampered by the simultaneous intake of tea, red wine and high-fibre cereals, so don't serve, say, iron-rich liver with whole wheat bread or brown rice, Rather serve it with potatoes or white rice. On the other hand, foods rich in vitamin C assist in the absorption of non-heam iron (iron derived from vegetables), so combine those foods for optimum nutrition. For instance, a salad made from iron-rich spinach, vitamin C-rich tomatoes and sweet peppers would be an excellent choice for super-A nutrient absorption without any threat of inhibitors.

Healthy Dietary Food Portion Serving Sizes Guides (Meat, beans, Fat & Sugar)

Third Floor: Animal foods and products

Moving up the pyramid, you find foods that come mostly from animals - the Dairy group and the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts group. Foods from this level contribute important nutrients, such as protein, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Meat and meat alternates (2 to 3 servings equivalent to a total of ounces)

Two to 3 ounces of meat, poultry, or fish (about the size of your palm) is an adequate amount of protein for a meal. Choose the select grades of beef, veal, and lamb to make sure that you get the least-marbled meats. Also, opt for lean cuts of meat, such as those from the round, loin, or leg (beef sirloin, ground round, or top round; pork tenderloin or loin chop; or leg of lamb). Select lean and extra-lean ground beef. Unless you're eating fat-free cold cuts, be extra cautious in the deli; many have more fat than lean meat per slice. Most fish are naturally lean.

In the USDA view of the food world, meats, beans, nuts, and eggs are ganged together. They all do have higher amounts of protein than other foods in the pyramid, but that's where critics say the similarities end. Red meat has been associated with increased cancer risk, and some other meat, such as cold cuts, are particularly high in fat. New scientific evidence shows that nuts have vitamin E and beans have fiber that makes them more unique, not similar to meat. Plus, the fat in fish trumps the fat in red meat and chicken.

Cruciferous vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables – bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnip, and watercress - are the cancer-fighters from the garden. They're called cruciferous, because their flowers or buds form a cross. Besides helping to protect against colon and rectal cancer, they're also good sources of calcium, iron, and folate.

When meat is your protein of choice, trim all visible fat before cooking and remove the skin from poultry before eating. And use lower-fat cooking methods, such as roasting, broiling, and grilling instead of frying, sauteing, or panfrying. Have fish a minimum of one day a week, and make at least one meal meatless. Dried beans and peas (legumes) are a good substitute for meat in this group.

Check out these options to meet your protein needs:

Meats (each counts as 1 serving):

i. 2 to 3 ounces cooked lean beef, pork, veal, or lamb without bone

ii. 2 to 3 ounces cooked poultry without skin or bone

iii. 2 to 3 ounces cooked fish without bone

iv. 2 to 3 ounces drained, canned fish

v. Meat alternates (each counts as 1 ounce, about 1/3 serving):

vi. 1 egg (yolk and white) or 2 egg whites

vii. 1/2 cup cooked dry beans (if not counted as vegetable)

viii. 2 tablespoons peanut butter

ix. 1/4 cup seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds

x. 1/3 cup nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or peanuts

xi. 1/2 cup baked beans

xii. 1/2 cup tofu

xiii. Meat and fish products (each counts as 1 ounce, about 1/3 serving):

xiv. 1 ounce lean ham or Canadian bacon

xv. 11/2 frankfurters (10 per pound)

xvi. 1 frankfurter (8 per pound)

xvii. 1/4 cup drained canned salmon or tuna 1/3 cup drained canned clams or crabmeat

xviii. 4 Pacific oysters or 11 Atlantic oysters

xix. 6 medium shrimp

xx. 1/4 cup drained canned lobster or shrimp

Dairy products (2 to 3 servings)

The Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese group shares the third tier of the pyramid with the Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts group. Like foods in the meat group, dairy foods are a good source of protein. They're also some of the best sources of calcium and contribute vitamins A and D to your diet as well.

A word of caution: Dairy foods can be very high in fat, so reach for fat-free, lowfat, part-skim, or reduced-fat cheeses, ice cream, frozen yogurt, ice milk, and fluid milk products when you're watching your weight. If dairy products aren't your cup of tea, so to speak, make sure you're getting enough calcium by eating more dark leafy greens. A supplement may also add to your daily requirement. But keep in mind, recent evidence shows that dairy products can actually help you lose weight. There have been many studies that prove it. One intriguing body of work done at the University of Tennessee and published in the medical journal Lipids in February 2002 concluded that increasing dietary sources of calcium, especially from dairy products, reduced body fat even without calorie restriction and accelerated weight loss when calories were cut.

If you're lactose intolerant and can't eat dairy products without becoming ill, consider milk that has been treated to reduce the amount of lactose in it. You can find several brands on the market that are worth a try.

Dairy delicious ways to get calcium and protein in your diet include the following:

i. 1 cup milk or buttermilk

ii. 1 cup yogurt

iii. 11/2 ounces natural cheese

iv. 2 ounces processed cheese

v. 2 cups cottage cheese (it's lower in calcium than most other cheeses)

vi. 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

vii. 1/2 cup dry nonfat milk

viii. 1/2 cup evaporated milk

ix. 1 cup frozen yogurt or 11/2 cups ice milk

Don't mistake cheese for the only ideal protein alternative to meat. Sure

it delivers some protein, but it also comes with an abundance of fat. If you choose not to eat meat from the meat group, go for water-packed tuna, bean and bean spreads, such as hummus (made with a minimal amount of tahini paste), and soy products, such as tempeh and tofu. Or choose reduced-fat cheeses or lower-fat varieties, such as feta, baby Swiss, and part-skim mozzarella.

Alcohol in your diet

Although alcohol isn't technically part of the pyramid, keep in mind that like items from the pyramid's tip, you get calories but no nutrients in each and every glass. Limit your consumption to no more than two drinks per day if you're male and one drink per day if you're female. A serving of alcohol is defined as

i. 12 ounces of beer

ii. 11/2 ounces of hard or distilled spirits

iii. 5 ounces of wine

Highest Floor: Fats, oils, and sweets

Just because this group is on the top of the pyramid doesn't mean that it's the best group. Instead, this placement means that, like a penthouse, few people can spend much time there. Scan the lists later in this section, and you'll see plenty of foods that you probably eat frequently. Most of these foods contribute practically no nutrients other than sugar, fat, and calories.

Grouping all fats with sugars riles some health groups. There's not much evidence to justify eating more sugar. However, critics say locking all fats and oils in the attic with sugar and sweets simply isn't fair. All fats have the same number of calories but consider the bigger picture: Trans fats, found in foods made with partially hydrogenated fat, such as some stick margarines and solid vegetable shortening, are as unhealthy as saturated fat - animal fat that's solid at room temperature. Both raise unhealthy LDL cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, improve cholesterol levels and thus lower heart disease risk. The oils of nuts, seeds, and olives are unsaturated. The bottom line, use any fat sparingly; they're caloric. And when you do, make them unsaturated.

Fats:

Bacon and salt pork

Butter

Cream (dairy or nondairy)

Cream cheese

Lard

Margarine

Mayonnaise

Salad dressing

Shortening

Sour cream

Vegetable oil

Sugars:

Candy

Corn syrup

Frosting (icing)

Fruit drinks (unfortified)

Gelatin desserts

Honey

Jam or jelly

Maple syrup

Marmalade

Molasses

Popsicles and ices

Sherbet

Soft Drink

Sugar