6 week diet - starts 6 April 2010

WEEKS 5 AND 6
By now you should have lost quite a bit of weight (20lb is not unusual) and your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels will be substantially improved. (If you still have weight to lose, alternate the first and second phase weekly until your target weight is reached.) The hardest work is over and now it's time to learn how to eat to maintain your newly slender silhouette.
RULES
• Eat as much meat, fish and eggs as you like.
• You can now eat full-fat dairy products (cheese, yoghurt, cream).
• You can drink alcohol in moderation (2 drinks per day but not every day).
• Continue to take vitamin supplements as nutritional insurance.
• Start eating starchy vegetables and grains, but in limited quantities (no more than 12g of net carbs as grains per day - to work this out, subtract the fibre grams from total carb grams). This means eating only one portion of any of the following: 1 slice bread (6-7g); 40g (1 1¼ oz) cooked rice (10g); 170g (6 oz) cooked porridge (10g); 1 large handful plain popcorn (5g); 50g (1 and 3/4 oz) cooked potato (9g); ¼ baked potato, including skin (9g).
As long as you stay slim, you can increase your carb intake until your weight starts to creep back. The more active you are, the more carbs you can tolerate.
Most people stay slim on 60g-80g of net carbs a day. But beware cakes, pies and biscuits. A single bagel, for instance, contains about 36g of carbs, but it would take 92 asparagus spears, 800g of broccoli or 9 tomatoes to equal that. It's a bonus that the foods that keep you lean also keep you healthy.
MEAL OPTIONS
BREAKFASTS - smoked salmon scramble (3 eggs, 30g cream cheese, 60g smoked salmon, chopped, half tbspn chopped onion, tomato and capers) with 85g (3 oz) cherry tomatoes and 85g (3oz) melon cubes.
LUNCH - Hot dog with bun (or switch the bun for an orange), half a cup coleslaw.
DINNER - stir fry of pork and vegetables (50g of vegetables), 240ml (8oz) miso soup, 60g berries with whipped cream.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Having arrived at the end of the programme, you have a choice:
• Continue with the last two weeks of the diet but enjoy the occasional dietary break (a croissant, cappuccino, decadent dessert after dinner). Make each break count. Plan it, look forward to it and enjoy it. OR ...
• Alternate every other day on week 5 and 6 plan with a day of 3 shakes and 1 meal (as per week 1-2 plan).
Stick with week 5 and 6 plan, but replace one meal a day with a shake. Select whatever plan you can stick with over the long haul and you will be rewarded with a lean middle far beyond middle age.