106 - The International Resource Journal

FEBRUARY 2013 The International Resource Journal376. Sauce on the side: gravies, sauces, anddressings are big traps when you arewatching your weight. Go easy on them oravoid them altogether.7. Finish with fruit.For dessert, fresh fruit (without the icecream) is your best choice. Most other dessertsare a dietary disaster. Her advice is to avoid dessertor if you must indulge, a couple of spoonfulswith your coffee should get you off the hook withminimal dietary damage!Other tips from Mareike include:Aim for a Body Mass Index (BMI)between 18.5 and 24.9To calculate your BMI, divide your weight (inkilograms) by your height (in metres) squared. Ifyou have a high percentage of muscle, your BMImight be higher than this without you actuallybeing too fat, so measure your waist circumferenceto see if you need to lose weight. A waistmeasurement of 94cm means you are at increasedrisk of health problems; a measurementof 102cm means you are at a high risk.Listen to your matesMost blokes don’t hold back telling each otherthat they’ve ‘got fat’ or developed a beer belly. Ifyour mates start to pay you out, don’t take it as acompliment. Instead, take it as an indicator thatyou need to shift some weight.If you don’t like ‘diets’, don’t go on oneInstead, focus on ways in which you can improveyour eating habits – for weight loss that will last.There’s less stigma attached to healthy eatingand you won’t feel as deprived.If you have a partner, ask for helpMost partners will be delighted and only toohappy to serve up healthier meals and smallerportions and join you.Get to grips with the basics of healthyeatingHere are a few simple rules:• eat more fruit, vegetables and wholegrains• have fish twice a week (including oneserve of oily fish like salmon, mackerel orfresh tuna)• opt for low-fat dairy products• choose lean sources of protein like leanred meat and chicken• go for fresh, natural, unprocessed foods• eat fewer fried and fatty foods• cut back on salt and sugar