Five Don’ts!

1.Don’t try too hard. Eating well is not about deprivation or willpower.

2.Don’t start a program that requires unrealistic changes to your lifestyle. The program should be designed to fit your needs.

3.Don’t set unrealistic weight loss goals. You can’t lose more than 1-2 pounds of body fat a week. Further weight loss is water or lean muscle mass. Not smart!

4.Don’t eat too few calories. Your body goes into survival mode, slowing down your metabolic rate, so you need less calories!

5.Don’t follow a plan that limits one or more of the food groups. We need them all to feed our bodies. Weight loss should not be at the expense of health.

Five Do’s!

1.Do eat 3 meals a day, with snacks between meals more than 4 hours apart

2.Do include protein at every meal - such as lean meats, poultry seafood, legumes and low fat milk products

3.Do eat high-fibre carbohydrates during the day - such as whole-grain breads, high-fibre cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruit

4.Do choose healthy fats - such as nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, canola and olive oil.

5.Do drink lots of fluid, especially water.