TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE

Where the confusion lies

The Fad Diet Terrorists

Are You Ready for the Red Carpet?

Are You Kidding Yourself?

Rule Number One – There Are No Rules

PART TWO

What You Need to Know to Cut through the Confusion

Walking the Tightrope

If it Tastes Great it can Only Mean One Thing!

Are You a ‘Rule Maker’, a ‘Rule Breaker’ or a Disciple?

Why Give Your Meals a Name?

Don’t Quit While You’re Winning

There are no Saints or Sinners in the Game of Nutrition

PART THREE

How to be Radical, Reckless or Dedicated to a Plan

The Fat Loss Plan of Action

Lots Of ‘Eats’

Fat Busting Extras

Your Body Is Made Of Moving Parts So Move Them

Shrink the Fat Cells not the Brain Cells

The 2 Weeks in the Fast Lane Plan

The 3 Days in the Super Fast Lane Plan

So What’s In The Fridge etc?

Troubleshooting – or how to avoid the diet traps

PART FOUR

Recipes

So You Want to Know More?

SAMPLE CHAPTER – Are You Ready for the Red Carpet?

Do celebrities actually follow the diets they endorse? One thing is for sure; success now depends not only on their stage and screen skills but also on looking good 24/7. Many celebrities look fabulous and are bursting with health and vitality; others look worryingly skeletal, are possibly undernourished and probably miserable. It’s not difficult to imagine how the pressure can get to them when their image is continually being scrutinised – it’s tough being a star. So how do they do it and can we learn anything from them?

So What Sucks?
Severe calorie restriction is no fun and leaves us starving and the only way we can cope is by having bucket-loads of willpower or by being policed. Celebrities use a variety of tactics to achieve their enviable weight loss or get back into their skinny jeans just weeks after giving birth and many diets have become best sellers through association with the stars (Maple Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Grapefruit, Cookies, Cabbage Soup, Baby Food, Leech Therapy (ouch!), Boiled Eggs etc.) The temptation to follow them can be strong but consider this. Rapid weight loss may be achieved, but fat loss is unlikely and side effects are inevitable. Pounding headaches, exhaustion, mood swings, sore joints and a fuzzy brain are sure signs that the body is not happy. However, the feeling of being in control when sticking to any of these regimes can be euphoric and for some, addictive.

One of the most worrying aspects of near starvation or crash diets is the promotion of disordered eating patterns. The internet is awash with heart-rending stories and disturbing pictures of people who live with a full-blown eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are recognised illnesses which can only be treated by professionals and with a great deal of support. They are illnesses that manifest themselves over a period of time as a result of both genetic and environmental factors and there are estimates that up to 4% of young women between the ages of 15 and 24 suffer from one or other or both in their teens and twenties. Furthermore, in one survey of over 4,000 women between the ages of 25 and 45, a staggering 75% reported disordered eating behaviours. That’s three out of every four admitting to an unhealthy relationship with either food or their bodies. Unlike anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, disordered eating is not a recognised illness but sure as hell can be regarded as a condition. A condition that can all too quickly arise when we force ourselves to adopt unnatural eating practices which deprive the body of essential nutrients and for some, can lead to eating disorders.

Hard Labour
Another favourite approach with celebrities are boot camps where they drop a dress size or two in a week by being physically beaten into submission by a few hot marines and living on super-meagre rations – often great food but not much of it. Could this be the route for you? When it works it does so largely due to the fact that all choice is removed. You can learn a lot about yourself in a week when you are tired, hungry and discover muscles you didn’t even know you had and every one of them aches from dawn to dusk! Even if you are fit before enrolling at a boot camp, it’s a big challenge.

Putting someone else in charge reaps rewards but can it be maintained when stepping back into the real world or is the temptation to pig out on pasta and pastries on our return home too strong? Can eating and exercise habits be overturned in a week? For some it can be a life-changing experience that uncovers a host of reasons why permanent fat loss may have evaded them. The encouragement and advice of the fitness and nutrition teams can prompt campers to direct the enthusiasm and drive they display in other aspects of their lives into kicking their weight problem into touch for good. For others, it’s just too big a mountain to climb and a month or two down the line they are back to their original dress size and the only thing that has lost weight for good is their credit card. It’s worth noting that celebrities rarely pay for this kind of punishment, but you do – and it’s not cheap!

So What’s Sound?
Crash diets pave the way to yo-yo dieting which may present long-term health risks and depression for some. Weight cycling is the scientific term for those who restrict their dietary energy regularly by trying one regime after another in a bid to lose weight. Yo-yo dieters often skip meals, follow seriously low calorie diets to the letter and even stop eating for a time. Initial weight loss is invariably achieved but the body restricts the rate of weight loss after a week or two by slowing down metabolism. Metabolism is the body’s food burning system and when calories are limited the body can only cope by going into preservation mode. A slower metabolism leads to slower weight loss and muscle tone is often lost. Frustration follows for the yo-yo dieter and more often than not a return to previous eating habits. Weight gain is inevitable because the body responds to the perceived famine by ensuring it is prepared to cope with any further deprivation. We are genetically programmed to store energy in order to preserve life. Sadly, this can mean that the yo-yo dieter ends up back on the starting block or worse still heavier than when they started. In the long term weight cycling can make future fat loss harder, change where body fat is stored and alter blood pressure. It can also put stress on a number of organs and increase the risk of heart disease. There is also an increased risk of gallstone formation due to a build-up of cholesterol, bile and calcium salts in the gallbladder.

So What Rocks?
There are over 6 million internet sites dedicated to celebrity diets and clicking on just the first few pages reveals a lot. They attract a wealth of conflicting views and criticism but it appears to be an obsession that’s here to stay so can we learn something from the less wacky amongst them?

How celebrities achieve red carpet fabulousness is not a new phenomenon. Told that she was too fat for the camera in the mid 1920’s, screen goddess Joan Crawford allegedly stuck to a diet of steak, grapefruit and tomatoes for a time and from then on rarely gave in to excess. Vanity Fair magazine reported in February 1936, “She is always conscious of the way that she appears to her public and is continually concerned about her face and figure. When she is working on a picture, she drinks a cup of hot water when she is called at six o’clock, has fruit juice and coffee for breakfast, a salad for lunch and dinner without white bread or potatoes. She drinks wine now and then, but no hard liquor”. Joan Crawford knew what was required to be a star and the magazines of the day couldn’t get enough of her. She didn’t endorse a diet programme and she didn’t spend copious hours in the gym. But then there were few if any gurus to the stars then – would she hire one now?

So, what has changed? The big difference is in the word diet. Joan Crawford probably regarded her food choices as a diet in the true meaning of the word; a way of life. A way of life that included foods that gave her energy, helped her focus, fed her beautiful complexion and kept her at the top of her game. Diet no longer means a way of life. Diet no longer means occasionally cutting back when our waistbands feel a little tight after Christmas or watching what we eat for a few weeks before going on holiday. It now means embarking on regimes that restrict the energy we get from food with the sole intention of losing a substantial amount of body weight. It means altering our normal pattern of eating and more often than not, feeling deprived and hungry and dreaming of Krispy Kremes! And once the desired weight loss is achieved, a joyous return to the foods we love and because the body has been in what it perceives as famine mode, weight gain, prompting the search for another diet or accepting defeat.

The constant barrage of photographs in the media of super-skinny celebrities who reportedly live on thin air, coffee and cigarettes, maple syrup, edamame beans or acai berries and use all manner of diet pills, laxatives and appetite suppressants are a stark reminder of just how detrimental continued calorie restriction can be to health.
So why do some of the regimes work for celebrities but not for the rest of us? There are four major reasons:-

1. They have a huge incentive to lose weight – they are paid fat sums of money to look good on screen, stage or catwalk
2. They get plenty of support. They rarely make the mistake of going it alone. They hire personal trainers, healthy eating gurus, life coaches, hypnotists and a host of other experts to keep them on target
3. They get paid handsomely to endorse weight loss programmes (TV and radio appearances, website profiles, newspaper and magazine articles, product and supplement endorsement etc.) whether they adopt them or not.
4. They often have meals delivered. These meals are healthy, portioned, balanced and beautifully presented and seriously limit the temptation to reach for the biscuit tin or scoff the children’s leftovers. This can be an expensive route to weight loss but most of them can afford it

These points are crucial if we are tempted to buy into the celebrities’ alleged routines. If they do indeed follow wacky, near-starvation diets it’s likely that it is for a particular event (a new movie, TV series, photo shoot etc.) with a clear time limit. As weight loss has to be maintained and a healthy and toned look is as important to their careers as being slim they move on to a more manageable, long-term programme.

Secrets of Success
We can learn a lot from the stars that adopt the less dramatic of these diets. There are certain recommendations common to many that are a must in any Fat Loss Plan, most of which are discussed in greater depth in later chapters.

• They drink plenty of water. Water is essential for every chemical reaction that takes place in the body. Dehydration slows reactions down and can result in a 20% drop in energy levels – the body needs energy to burn fat. Water is also a great hunger buster which is an added bonus.
• They don’t forget breakfast. Refuelling first thing in the morning kick- starts our metabolism, provides energy, keeps hunger at bay and reduces cravings for sugary, salty and fatty snacks.
• They eat little and often. When it comes to eating to burn fat it is important to avoid energy dips during the day – this is a real danger zone.
• They bin the salt cellar. The modern diet contains too much sodium and too little potassium causing fluid retention and increasing the risk of high blood pressure. Too much salt can also lead to dramatic and frustrating weight fluctuations.
• They eat fat to lose fat. This is one of the great fat busting tactics that serial dieters rarely take on board. Such is the bad press fats have received over the past thirty years that many dieters adopt the ‘avoid all fats’ principle. Wrong. Essential fats, Omega 3s in particular are vital for the brain, energy production, our skin, our sex hormones and long term fat loss and should become our dietary best friends.
• They eat raw foods (fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, seeds etc.) Delicious, colourful and packed with nutrients they increase our water intake, promote good digestion, are bursting with protective antioxidants and keep the dreaded munchies at bay.
• They control their portions. Eating until we are only 80% full results in us consuming less calories per day – 700kcals less per day means 21,000kcals less per month, 252,000kcals per year and over a million in 5 years!
• They exercise every day. The importance of daily exercise cannot be overstated when it comes to improving health and fitness but can be difficult to fit into a busy life. There are lots of ways to get more physical on a daily basis and thankfully it’s not all about pounding the treadmill for hours on end. See chapter 15, Your Body is Made of Moving Parts, So Move Them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE
Revelations from the successful 63%
What was the aim of my mission?
What did I discover?
What worked for the successful 63%?

PART TWO
Fat Burning Foods
Calcium is not just Good for the Bones
OMG it’s the Omega 3s
If it’s Fermentable it’s Fat Burning
Spice up your Diet
The Power of Pink
Fork your way to Feeling Good

PART THREE
Fat Burning Boosters
Alcohol and Caffeine – not as bad as you may think!
Make your Brown Fat Cells Work for You
Sex, Sleep and Sunshine – Let’s have More of These!
Exercise for Fat Burning – the latest news!
A Few Extra Fat Burning Strategies

PART FOUR
Fat Burning Action Plan
The 2 Weeks in the Fast Lane Plan

PART FIVE
Fat Burning Recipes
Quick Fix Fruits
Quick Fix Soups
Quick Fix Salads
Quick Fix Snacks
Quick Fix Meals
Quick Fix Vegetables
Quick Fix Treats
Quick Fix Drinks

PART SIX
The Quick Fix Rescue Plan

SAMPLE CHAPTER – Calcium is Not Just Good for the Bones

Few are unaware of the importance of calcium in our diet to build and maintain strong bones and teeth but how much have you heard about its fat-busting properties – recent research reveals that this bone strengthener may also be a fat buster?

A growing body of evidence indicates that a diet rich in calcium allows us to burn more calories per day. There is also some evidence that when calcium levels in the body are low the brain detects this and stimulates feelings of hunger, causing us to eat more. Conversely, medium to high levels send signals to the brain communicating that we are full, suppressing the desire to eat more.

Diets that include medium to high levels of calcium-rich foods have been found to result in up to half the amount of fat being stored to those providing low levels. This is believed to be as a direct result of calcium having the ability to reduce the action of a life-preserving enzyme system within the body which encourages fat storage.

LOW = less than 600mg per day
MEDIUM = 600-1000mg per day
HIGH = 1000mg plus per day

It has also been suggested that increased calcium in the diet may reduce the transport of fat from the intestines into the bloodstream. The calcium binds with bile acids and increases the amount of fat we excrete through the bowel so instead of storing it we lose it! It has yet to be ascertained whether this process allows the body to determine between the fats we need and aid their absorption and those that lead to weight gain and ill-health. Fat is essential in our diet. If you read or hear otherwise, ignore it. It builds and repairs body cells, regulates hormones, helps us to absorb essential vitamins, combats cancer with its antioxidant properties, nourishes our skin and hair, buffers our nervous system and is a master source of energy. Some fats in our diet are only required in very small amounts but are important, others should be consumed daily, are vital to good health and efficient fat burning and should become our allies when we are trying to lose the flab. There is more to learn about these hard-working and supportive fat loss friends in the next chapter.

Many studies suggesting a possible link between achieving optimum calcium levels and weight loss concentrate on increasing our consumption of cow’s milk products but from a nutritional point of view this may be a bit of a red herring. Milk is a valuable source of calcium up until about the age of 18 when we are still growing but thereafter we can have too much of a good thing. The protein in milk can acidify the blood and our bodies are forced to extract calcium from our bones to counteract this. Furthermore milk fat can contribute to inflammation within the body and possible intolerance to lactose, the sugar in milk products for some. Lactose intolerance is on the rise, chiefly because milk and its close cousins have become a staple in many diets. Milk with our morning cereals, milk in our coffee and tea, butter on our toast, cream in our cakes, cheese in our sandwiches and snacks, ice cream at the movies…the list goes on. To prevent this debilitating and difficult to manage condition whilst still reaping the calcium benefits, less is definitely more on the dairy front. The 2 Weeks in the Fast Lane plan achieves this by only including yoghurt, which because of its active live cultures actually improves lactose absorption and certain cheeses that fall into the low lactose category.
The bone remains of our earliest ancestors for whom dairy was a complete unknown (animals simply didn’t hang around long enough to be milked) indicate that they ingested around twice as much calcium daily as we do now and they were lean – very lean. So what did they eat?

To build and maintain strong bones we need not only calcium but also magnesium, vitamin D, boron, manganese, molybdenum, vitamin K, zinc, copper, vitamin B6 and the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. The diet of our early ancestors comprised of red meat and birds (and they ate every part of the animal including the organs), fish and shellfish (including the bones and heads which are very rich in calcium), root vegetables, sea vegetables, green leafy plants and birds’ eggs (including the shells – another great source of calcium). This provided them with good levels of all of the above. And of course their active lifestyle further enhanced bone growth and kept them lean.

Whilst I am not advocating that you start crunching on eggshells and gnawing at bones, you will note that tinned salmon, sardines and anchovies feature regularly because they offer an ideal opportunity to get some calcium-rich bones into your day!

Calcium-Rich Foods included in the 2 Week Plan

• Total 0% Greek yoghurt
• low fat natural cottage cheese
• regular tofu (smoked and unsmoked)
• silken tofu
• calcium-enriched soya milk
• parmesan cheese
• swiss cheese ‘with holes’
• goats cheese cheddar
• ricotta cheese
• feta cheese
• fresh/frozen rhubarb
• fresh/frozen broccoli
• fresh/frozen spinach
• watercress
• bok choy
• kale
• dried/tinned beans
• tinned salmon
• fresh/tinned sardines
• fresh/tinned anchovies
• dried herbs
• edamame beans
• fresh nuts and their oils and butters
• fresh seeds and their oils and butters