The Diet

For those who don't know, in the summer of 2008 I decided that it was high time I did something about my weight as it was fast approaching the 17 stone mark and I couldn't seem to do anything to halt the ever increasing reading on the scales! I made a start on a diet whilst on holiday in Florida in mid August. Unfortunately, the last week of the holiday destroyed all the initial headway I had made, so I decided to start again on my return to the UK at the end of August. I have had to modify the diet considerably as foods available here differ considerably. It is not always possible to obtain some ingredients, so other similar ingredients may be substituted or even omitted if they aren't too important. eg spearmint in the detox. In 8 weeks I have managed to lose nearly 2 stone without too much cheating!

Smoothies

Smoothies are prepared by blending 1 cup of skimmed milk (or soya milk) with 6 fluid ounces of plain or vanilla yoghurt with either 1 cup of frozen fruit. I don’t often have the plain/vanilla yoghurt, so usually add a little extra milk or use semi-skimmed instead. If fresh fruit is available instead of frozen, then use 1 cup of fresh fruit, berries etc and a handful of ice. Blend for the best part of one minute, the action should by then be producing a clean central vortex and then stir in a tablespoon of flax seed oil. A very short burst on the blender will help mix the flax seed oil in. Smoothies are an afternoon snack alternative.

The Detox
Shopping list immediately below this section

The initial 4 day detox can be quite hard to complete. Try your best and don’t worry if you can’t manage to take in the full amounts. Start checking the calorie content of the food, where given. Detox water is a major component of the detox programme and is prepared daily the night before each day begins by slicing up half a cucumber and one lemon and adding to a large jug (say 3 or 4 pints) of water, adding a sprig or two of spearmint and ¼ of the freshly grated ginger and placing in the fridge overnight. After the 4 day detox, if you made it through OK, the main diet proper commences. avoid consuming other foods or drinks except for water.

The 4 Day Detox Programme (times as per main diet proper - below)

Day 1
Breakfast: 1 cup of unsweetened cornflakes, 1 cup of skimmed milk or soya milk, ½ a cup of unsweetened apple sauce, ¼ of a cup of unsalted sunflower seeds, 1 glass of detox water. You can always add the sunflower seeds to the cereal and even the apple sauce. As digesting the apple sauce and sunflower seeds takes a little effort, you may need to reduce the amount slightly. The sunflower seeds should be chewed.
Lunch: 4 ounces of honey maple turkey or nearest equivalent, 1 (light) string cheese, 1 pint of grape tomatoes, 1 glass of detox water.
Snack: Blueberry smoothie (or nearest equivalent)
Dinner: 1 cup of cooked green beans (dwarf), 4 ounces of lightly grilled tilapia, ½ cup of roasted red potato with 1 tablespoon of oil drizzled over (half of one large potato or use very small potatoes. The large potato can be cut into small chunks first). 1 cup of detox water.

Day 2
Breakfast: 1 cup of unsweetened rice crispies, 1 cup of skimmed milk or soya milk, ¼ of a cup of unsalted sunflower seeds, 4 ounces of pineapple bits with juice, 1 glass of detox water. You can add the sunflower seeds and or fruit to the cereal. As digesting sunflower seeds takessome effort, you may need to reduce the amount a little.
Lunch: 3 ounces of (light) tuna in water, 1 cup of steamed baby carrots, 1 (light) string cheese, 1 glass of detox water.
Snack: Smoothie made with 4 ounces of pineapple bits.
Dinner: 1 cup of mushrooms grilled in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 3 ounces of grilled chicken breast, ½ cup of steamed (boiled) brown rice, 1 cup of detox water.

Day 3
Breakfast: 1 cup of unsweetened cornflakes, 1 cup of skimmed milk or soya milk, ¼ of a cup of unsalted sunflower seeds, 2 tablespoons of raisins, 1 glass of detox water.
Lunch: 4 ounces of honey maple turkey or nearest equivalent, 1 (light) string cheese, 1 pint of grape tomatoes, 1 glass of detox water.
Snack: Peach smoothie (or nearest frozen fruit equivalent).
Dinner: 1 cup of cooked green beans (dwarf), 3 ounces of grilled or baked turkey breast (cutlet), ½ cup of roasted red potato with 1 tablespoon of oil drizzled over (half of one large potato or use very small potatoes. The large potato can be cut into small chunks first). 1 cup of detox water.

Day 4
Breakfast: 1 cup of instant cream of wheat (not easily found in the UK - try instant oats instead), 1 cup of skimmed milk or soya milk, ¼ of a cup of unsalted sunflower seeds, 2 sun sweet dried plums ( or near equivalent). 1 glass of detox water.
Lunch: 4 ounces of honey maple turkey (or nearest equiv), 1 cup of steamed baby carrots, 1 (light) string cheese, 1 glass of detox water.
Snack: Strawberry smoothie. (or nearest alternative).
Dinner:1 cup of fresh or frozen yellow squash sautéed in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 3 ounces of grilled chicken breast, ½ cup of steamed (boiled) brown rice, 1 cup of detox water.

The 4 day Detox shopping list per each person

This is an American based detox list, so some ingredients may be difficult, if not impossible to obtain in the UK. Please try to find something similar instead. Some speciality foods are available at health food shops. You will need a blender for this and the following main diet programme. If you have a smoothie maker, this would be even better, but ordinary blenders give very acceptable results. Tesco sell a very cheap one.
1 pint = 2 cups

Groceries

1 box unsweetened corn flakes
1 box rice crispies
12 oz instant cream of wheat (or use quick oats if necessary)
1 box of (instant) brown rice
24 oz jar of unsweetened apple juice
(Use unsweetened home-made if necessary)
8 oz of pineapple tidbits in pineapple juice
} 1 cup/pack of roasted or raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1 small (or large) bottle of extra virgin olive oil
1 small bottle of cold pressed organic flaxseed oil (1/2 pint or larger)
1 small bulk packet of raisins
½ pint of sun sweet dried plums (or equivalent)

2 pints grape tomatoes (small grape shaped baby tomatoes)
1 pint fresh (dwarf) green beans (or frozen)
1 large red potato or small bag of very small red poatoes
10oz of baby carrots
Half pint (1 cup) of button mushrooms
1 large (or frozen) yellow squash
4 medium cucumbers
4 medium lemons

Meat and fish
2 packs of honey maple turkey (antibiotic free) or something similar!
¼ pound tilapia
1/3 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast (strip down other forms of chicken)
½ pound of turkey breast {cutlet} Try frozen.
1 can of chunk light tuna in water

½ gallon of skimmed or soya milk
1 package of {light if poss} string cheese
1 large Vanilla (or plain) yoghurt

Frozen Fruit
Please use any unsweetened fruit that you like if you cannot find the same fruit. NB you can also freeze your own!
10oz unsweetened blueberries
10oz unsweetened peaches
10 oz unsweetened strawberries

Spices
1 or 2 knuckles of fresh grated ginger (or actual knuckles to grate)
2 bunches of fresh spearmint leaves. Difficult to obtain.
Seasonings to be used where needed in moderation especially salt.

The Main Diet Proper

The main principal of the diet that follows is to eat 4 meals/snacks per day, each one containing no more than four hundred calories and also containing (or having with it) a ‘mufa’ (a mono unsaturated fat ingredient). It is crucial that significant portions food are not eaten after the main meal. Avoid processed foods, alcohol, chocolates and biscuits.
I occasionallly 'cheat' by having a very small handful of unsalted or roasted cashews or a small amount of nuts and raisins in the evening. I also keep a look out for bargain offers of large bags of unsalted nuts. (Or low salt). Tescos have a very nice bag of mixed nuts and raisins. Eat each nut and raisin carefully to slow down intake.

A typical day will have a breakfast, a lunch, an afternoon snack and a dinner. However, the meals should ideally be at 3½ to 4 hour intervals. It is not advisable to ‘go’ any longer between ‘meals’. Some people may need to eat at slightly closer intervals, especially if they burn off a lot of calories during the day. No other snacks are permitted unless absolutely necessary. People who feel faint should not drive or operate machinery until they feel ‘better’. Water is the principal drink. Please keep other drinks to an absolute minimum.

On the shorter intervals, if breakfast was at 8am, lunch could be at 11.30 noon, the afternoon snack at 3pm and dinner at 6.30pm.
On the longer intervals, if breakfast was at 8am, lunch could be at 12 noon, the afternoon snack at 4pm and dinner at 8pm.
Meal positions may be changed to fit in with entertaining, or when dining out.

Mufas (Mono Unsaturated Fats)

My preference is to keep a large bag of plain sunflower seeds next to the cereals and scatter a small handful of them onto the cereals each morning. I also use plenty of virgin sunflower oil for frying mushrooms etc as a mufa and reduced fat olive spread or sunflower spread on wholemeal bread for snacks at lunchtime. I also keep a large bottle of flaxseed oil to incorporate into the smoothies.

Mufas contain a significant amount of calories and are a matter of personal preference.
The following list gives a broader guide to possible mufa alternatives.
Mufas (and calories) to be added at 1 tablespoons per serving: canola, sesame, flaxseed or olive oil ( 120 cals per serving).
Mufas can be added at ¼ cup per serving: Avocado (Haas) 96 cals and sunflower seeds 165 cals per serving.
Mufas to be added at 2 tablespoons per serving: almonds or cashews 164 cals, pumpkin seeds 148 cals, macademia nuts 203, pecans 196 cals, pine nuts 191, natural peanut butter 188 cals, brazil or walnuts 185 cals, sunflower seed butter 186 cals, hazelnuts 178 cals and peanuts at 166 cals per serving.
10 olives (black or green) 50 cals may be taken with a meal or snack as a mufa.
Reduced fat olive spread or sunflower spread on wholemeal bread for snacks are the best margarines to use as they incorporate mufas into the snack. Remember olive oil used in frying, olive or sunflower margarine counts as mufa content.

Meals and Snacks

The american based recipes are not really very suited to the UK foods available so I have to adapt the list. Here are the most common recipes that I use. There is plenty of room for manoeuvre and it is not always necessary to include a mufa (mono unsaturated fat). It is not always convenient to stick to the 400 cal meal limit. For instance, when going out or sharing with friends, one can only do one's best and, if one has a slightly 'heavier' meal one day, it is best to then reduce the next meal slightly or reduce the previous one in anticipation! It should not really be necessary to mention this, but alcoholic beverages need to kept to an absolute minimum. Please try to keep tea or consumption to a minimum, say no more than two cups a day with as little sugar as possible if any. Water is OK or you can carry on with some detox water if you like it!

Breakfast alternatives

My preference
A large dish of low sugar content cereal with a quarter handul of sunflower seeds and a mug of full skimmed milk. Cup of tea. No sugar.
I also sometimes have the oatmeal alternative with a little apple or banana or portion of fruit. My preference is Well 'n' Good Muesli from Netto, which already includes some nuts so you only need add a very small handful of sunflower seeds. I lighten the cereal by incorporating some rice crispies or coco pops.

One thin slice of wholemeal/brown toast spread thinly with peanut butter and small dish of low sugar content cereal with a small sprinkling of sunflower seeds and a small cup of full skimmed milk. Cup of tea. No sugar.

Two thin slices or two small medium slices of wholemeal/brown toast, spread with peanut butter. One tablespoon on each. Cup of tea. No sugar.

Lunches

I find this to be the most difficult as I often have to get a sandwich out, but I do try to make a sandwich up for myself and take a small flask of coffee with me. If I have to buy a sandwich for lunch, I just check the calorie content is not too high. I avoid high cheese content sandwiches and choose smaller, brown bread options.

Two slices of wholemeal spread with sunflower or olive spread. This can then be filled with a little left over meat content from the previous day and/or salad etc or can be accompanied by a banana or a little string cheese. Other sensible options to your own ‘taste’.

If possible, one can have a small cooked meal as per at teatime instead. This is actually the recommendation in the diet, but I find cooking twice a day too much and also find that one can use up any meat left over from the previous day in a sandwich saving money! The olive or sunflower spread acts as the mufa.

If you have managed to keep the calorie content significantly well below the 400 mark, a low fat yoghurt can complete the lunch meal.

Sweet or Afternoon snacks

This is where I usually have a 360 cal smoothie with the flaxseed oil, but there are many alternative sweet snack options available.
If having a smoothie, one can also have one or two plain biscuits. My preference is 2 Chesterton's Fruit Shortcakes available at Nettos and very cheap! I sometimes have one of the very low calorie content Mr Kipling slices (lemon etc) instead of the biscuit(s) or one only ‘go ahead’ yoghurt breaks or similar. If at home, I have a smoothie, but when I'm out I regularly forgo the afternoon snack and just have a cup of tea and a biscuit or two and perhaps allow myself a little more at teatime, but that’s my own choice.

There are a range of alternative snacks suggested, many American in origin, so yet again, suitable English alternatives need to be selected. You can ‘play’ around with the following suggestions and use other similar alternatives.

The following all contain about or just over 360 calories each.
1 packet of oatmeal with ½ a cup of pineapple pieces or bits and 2 tablespoons of macademia or other nuts. Other fruit can be used, but without the can syrup.
1 packet of oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter swirled in, topped with the slices of 1 medium apple.
1 wholemeal muffin or similar with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 1 medium sliced apple.
1 yoghurt, 1 medium apple and 2 tablespoons of brazil or other nuts.
I find I can use up left over foods from the 4 day detox in the sweet afternoon snacks. You may also be able to use some left over detox food with the main meals.

Teatime

I usually prepare a cooked meal, usually with one cup/mug of wholemeal/brown rice and a cup of veg.
Sometimes I microwave a medium sized baking potato instead of the rice, but not very often. I then use sunflower or olive oil spread on the potato as a mufa to go with any grilled ‘main’ and steamed or boiled portion of veg. A cup of fresh green beans boiled is a particular favourite, but any sensible portion of fresh veg is quite acceptable.
Typical grilled options include: a small portion of grilled chicken or tilapia, 4/5 oz slices of turkey, chicken etc, quorn fillet, veggie burger, veggie fingers, quorn fillet, fish fingers.
Typical fried vegetarian option: 6 Quorn, Swedish style meatballs, marinated Tesco tofu, or similar, fried in 2/3 tablespoons of olive oil (the mufa). I add half a 'smallish' jar of cooking sauce to these, such as Sharwoods black bean sauce, but any other will do.
A cup of fresh green beans boiled is a particular favourite, but any sensible portion of fresh veg is quite acceptable with any meal: carrots, broccoli, frozen peas, etc. If time is pressing or you or short of fresh veg, I sometimes use half a tin of baked beans, low cal if possible.
Another regular veg option and a personal favourite is to fry 2 large skinned mushrooms (Tesco 4 pack) in 2 tablespoons of olive oil (the mufa), adding one or two tomatoes as the mushrooms start to cook.
I came across very nice ready made meal in M&S this week: 'Vegetarian Roasted & Camarelised Onion Pie'.... and only 280 cals.
I avoid pastry and quiche products as they tend to be very high in calories.

This is the Diet page of the South Yorkshire Folk website at www.syfolk.co.uk