DIET & SLIMMING: WHY CAN'T I LOSE ANY WEIGHT?

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Mar 6, 2005

QI'VE been eating healthily but still can't lose the pounds. Is it because I'm eating too much?

ASTART measuring the portions of food you eat - and you could save hundreds of calories a day. Half a cup counts as a serving of rice and pasta, 3oz for chicken and other meat, 4oz for fish, a cup for yoghurt and 1oz for hard cheese. You can eat as much fruit and vegetables as you like. It's a pain weighing and measuring at first but once you get used to it you'll be able to do it by sight.

QI'M not too keen on high-fibre cereals but know that they're good for me. Is there anything else I can eat?

AFIBRE is important for healthy bowels. Start by adding lots of fruit and vegetables to your diet. Put chopped-up fruit on top of your normal cereal and have an apple in your handbag or desk at work. Load up on vegetables but reduce your intake of potatoes at dinner time. Another way to make high-fibre cereals easier to include in your diet is by mixing them with your favourite cereal, like Crunchy Nut Cornflakes or Coco Pops.

QMY weight has crept up since I reached the menopause. Does your metabolism always decrease with age?

AIT does but this process can be combatted by maintaining a good fitness regime. Aerobic exercise such as walking, running or swimming, combined with weight work, creates lean tissue mass. This in turn decides how fast or slow your metabolism works and how quickly it breaks down foods. The more exercise you have, the more calories you burn.