Would you like to lose weight, feel better and rev up your metabolism? Follow our guide to cutting fat, making smart food choices and exercising with ease and by the end of the month you’ll be buying, cooking and eating better than ever before.

10 Ways to eat less fat

All the information you need to shed pounds the healthy way is right here!

Be label savvy
Ensure that your food purchases have no more than 3g fat per 100 calories of product. Beware of the salad counter
You may think choosing a salad is a healthy option, but if you’re piling your plate with coleslaw and potato salad, the chances are they’ll be laden with fat. Cut down on fatty meat
Lean meat is less fatty (and fattening), so opt for the leanest meat cuts you can find and trim off all visible fat. That way you’ll benefit from the meat’s goodness without racking up the amount of saturated fat and calories you’re eating. Have a griddle
Invest in a griddle pan. These have ridges every inch or so across the base – as you cook, the fat runs to the bottom. The end result is a bit like barbecuing and is ideal for most meat and firm cuts of fish. Feast on fish
Whole fish such as trout can be baked in foil or pan-fried in a tiny amount of oil with black pepper and lemon juice. Meaty fish such as steaks of cod, swordfish, halibut or monkfish, can be smeared with a crust of garlic and chilli flakes, and grilled or baked. Stir-fry it
All you need is a wok, a few drops of sesame oil and some choice ingredients. Slice food diagonally to expose the greatest surface area of the ingredient to the hot wok – this makes for quicker and more evenly-cooked food. Arrange your ingredients in the order they’ll be used. Thicker, firmer vegetables and meat need a longer cooking time than tender ingredients such as bean sprouts or mushrooms. More flavour, less fat
Use fresh herbs instead of the dried variety to pep up your meals. Roast a few garlic cloves in a hot oven until soft. Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and add to mashed potato and vegetable dishes. Adopt healthy frying techniques
If you have to fry, make sure you go for shallow frying, dry-frying or brush-on frying options. Be sauce smart
Instead of cream, base your sauces on tomatoes. You’ll be getting essential nutrients instead of fat! Wise up to portions and servings
That seemingly small bag of crisps may contain two servings – twice the fat you thought. Do you know what 1tbsp of salad dressing looks like? Measure a ‘drizzle’ of olive oil or a ‘dusting’ of Parmesan to see how many teaspoons it really is. These little extras add major amounts of fat and calories.

10 Important food facts

Gillian’s tips are crucial FOR better health and are easy to incorporate into your new plan

A diet high in fat (particularly saturated fat) and high in salt is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. It is estimated that, on average, a third of cancers could be prevented by changes in diet. A diet which is high in fibre and wholegrain cereal and low in fat has the potential to prevent a number of cancers, including colon, stomach and breast cancer. Many fertility experts believe that an unhealthy diet, high in fat, sugar, and processed foods and low in nutrients essential to fertility, can lead to infertility and increase the chances of miscarriage. A diet high in fat, sugar and salt leads to weight gain and increases the risk of obesity. Carrying excess weight doesn’t just increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and infertility, it is also associated with fatigue, low self-esteem and poor mental and physical performance. An unhealthy diet increases the risk of depression and mood swings. It’s also linked to PMS, food cravings and anxiety. A diet high in additives, preservatives and refined sugar can cause poor concentration, hyperactivity and aggression. This is because foods high in sugar and additives lack chromium which is removed in the refining process. Chromium is needed for controlling blood sugar levels; when these levels are out of control it can trigger these behavioural problems. A diet that is low in the essential nutrient, calcium, (needed to keep your bones strong), increases the risk of bones becoming weak or brittle – a condition known as osteoporosis. A diet low in nutrients puts enormous strain on the liver. The liver is essential for the proper digestion and absorption of life-sustaining vitamins and minerals. For optimum health you need your liver to be in peak condition. The liver cannot cope with large amounts of saturated fat and alcohol and this can lead to liver and kidney problems, such as kidney disease and cirrhosis (a life-threatening condition where the cells of the liver die). A diet too high in sugar can lead to too much glucose (a form of sugar carried in the bloodstream) circulating in your body. Too much glucose in the blood indicates development of blood sugar problems such as diabetes mellitus. Its symptoms are thirst, frequent need to urinate due to excess glucose, problems with vision, fatigue and recurrent infections. If your diet is poor this can compromise your immune system and make you more susceptible to colds, flu and poor health. We need a steady and balanced intake of essential vitamins and minerals to keep our immune systems working properly, to provide protection from infections and disease.

10 steps to fitness Boost your fitness with these tips to keep you motivated

Make the decision
Believe it or not, most people tend to take around two years to decide to exercise. So break the mould and make it two minutes. List the reasons why you don’t exercise at the moment, then, next to each one, write down how you can overcome the barriers – don’t leave any blanks. Do something you enjoy
If it’s not fun for you, forget it. (That’s why half of all people starting a new exercise regime drop out within six months!) Think of some activities you’ll actually look forward to doing and when the enjoyment wears off, try some new ones. Find the time
It won’t happen if you don’t plan for it by setting aside definite times. Put up a wall calendar and write your exercise plans for the week in big letters so everyone else in the family can see it as ‘ME’ time. Create short-term goals
Don’t lose heart by setting yourself unrealistic long-term goals. It’s good to have one final goal in mind, but create some instant short-term goals, too. For example: ‘This week I will walk 25 minutes on two days and try power walking or jogging for the last five minutes.’ Focus on yourself
Remember, everyone’s different so don’t compare yourself to others and their apparent ability to shape up and improve their fitness. They may have been fitter to start with, for example. Get into good habits
It’s never too late to get into good habits, but ‘a journey of 1,000 miles must begin with a single step’. You only have to do 20 to 30 minutes of exercise three times a week to reap real health benefits. You’ll lose more fat
In a recent US study, one group of participants followed a low-fat diet alone, while another group combined a low-fat diet with an exercise plan. After four weeks both had lost around 3% of fat whereas the diet and exercise group’s fat loss was around 80%. So it really does add value. And the good news – the exercise was walking for just 30 minutes five times each week. Kick-start your metabolism
If your weightloss has slowed down but you’re still following your diet and exercise regime religiously, boost your metabolism by trying to do the same routine for a longer time or more quickly. Tricking your body in this way will help kick-start your metabolism. Give yourself a reminder
Dig out your least favourite photograph of yourself looking big to remind you exactly why you started exercising in the first place. It’ll help keep you on track. Look to the future
Just imagine how fantastic you’ll feel once you’ve achieved what you set out to – and promise yourself a real treat, non-food, of course, when you make it happen.

Why use a pedometer?

The importance of activities such as walking is well documented, but knowing how you are doing is a different matter. A quality, physical activity monitor like the Yamax Digi-Walker pedometer is a great way to track your activity patterns – it counts every step you take. Each time you check your Digi-Walker, it motivates you to take extra steps, ensuring you meet the required 10,000 steps per day. You might be surprised how many (or how few) steps you take every day.

Visit www.digiwalker.co.uk/athome

Get Active

GILLIAN SAYS: ‘Exercise is something that needs to be done continuously, all the time, every day. It’s not enough to just fit it in once or twice a week, although that’s preferable to no exercise at all. I want you to move your body as much as possible throughout the day. This part of your lifestyle revamp is non-negotiable. I am not asking you to become a fitness fanatic, but if you want to be healthy then you need a positive attitude.’