Emma: What is the quickest and safest way to lose weight?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: The safest way to lose weight long term is through a combination of healthy low fat eating and exercise, and when I say exercise I mean a combination of stamina-type exercise, that improves the fitness and which burns calories, in combination with muscle conditioning or toning exercise to activate and strengthen the muscles and speed up the metabolism and preferably exercising three to four times a week.

On the eating side to try and match your energy output with how much you take in, through keeping the fat intake low, switching to low fat, good quality protein in the form of chicken, white meat and fish, a variety of vegetables and fruit and a moderate amount of carbohydrote food, pasta, rice, potatoes, but watch the portions.

Laura: What exactly does the phrase 'a balanced diet' mean? In layman's terms.

Dr Kathy Fulcher: A balanced diet means, well, if you were to look at the food pyramid, on one level are a variety of energy containing foods known as the carbohydrates, we need between 5 and 11 servings from this group each day, (less if you are trying to lose weight so 5 - 7 if you want to lose weight.) For example, a slice of bread is one portion, or half a baked potato.

The next level on your pyramid is say roughly 4 - 6 servings of fruit and vegetables, you want 3-5 servings of protein foods and dairy, or a mixture if you are a vegetarian and using including also protein forces, such as beans and the pulses.

The tip of your pyramid is only in small quantities, oils, fats, sweets and biscuits and sugars.

Nicola: Do 'all-protein' diets work?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: There has been a general raising of interest in high protein diets recently, these diets tend to be high in fat, animal fat. In the short term you probably will lose weight on this type of diet, as they tend to limit the amount of energy giving carbohydrate food you can eat, but in the long term, they are not healthy diets, or well balanced eating patterns, they tend to be very limited in the range of foods allowed and may overload the liver and kidney in breaking down excessive amounts of protein.

Gina: How much fresh fruit should I eat each day?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: The general guide for fruit is 2-4 servings of a variety of fruit. 3-5 servings of vegetables as well. But you can mix the two of those together.

Carolyn: Can I successfully diet without eating vegetables but eating more fruit instead? I don't eat vegetables, even in soup form...I'm the complete opposite of a vegetarian in other words!

Dr Kathy Fulcher: Vegetables are very useful for the variety of vitamins and minerals they provide, so cutting them out completely may mean you might need a multivitamin to make sure you get your minerals. However, if you have a good variety of fruit, mixing lots of colours, trying to get plenty of red, yellow, orange, then you should be able to get most of your vitamins and minerals, but fruit does not provide minerals or vitamin E.

Patricia: I am 50 yrs old I have had 5 children can you please tell what I can do to tone my tummy and lose some weight? I look as if I'm pregnant all the time.

Dr Kathy Fulcher: When the body has been through a number of pregnancies, the stomach or abdominal muscles can become stretched and weak, so they need to be activated and trained again, however, no amount of stomach exercises will slow or will reduce visible flat stomach, unless it is combined with stamina exercise, burn up some of the stored body fat.

Therefore I recommend you combine regular fitness exercise, such as brisk walking, for at least 30 mins as often as possible, with some stomach toning exercises. A very good way to do this is with one of the large fitness schools that are very popular at the moment. Seek advice for correct stomach conditioning exercises.

Nigel: Is there any nutrition at all in a good old Ulster Fry? Please say there is...

Dr Kathy Fulcher: The golden word is fry. The basic element of Ulster or any type of fry, are not necessarily unhealthy, lean back rashers, quality pork sausages, tomatoes, eggs, mushrooms they would be nutrious in themselves, however, these should be grilled rather than fried to reduce the fat content.

If you grill most things and fry the egg in a small amount of oil, or dry fry, you will have some good protein and some vitamins in the eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes, so having this type of breakfast occasionally, rather than always, can be okay.

Emmanuelle: I have a fairly healty diet but don't eat meat or chicken. For the past 4 years I have suffered from split nails especially my middle finger on the left finger. What is missing from my diet?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: When you cut out certain proteins from the diet, and cut down on the amount of fat in your diet you may miss out on certain vitamins and minerals, these include vitamins, A, E, and also maybe lacking in Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils, which are found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackeral, herring. Make sure you eat 3 servings of fish per week, I recommend you take a supplement such as a fish oil or cod liver oil.

Alice: Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: I would say, no food or drink are completely are banned from a diet, everything can be included, but in moderation.

Alcohol does contain a lot of calories, but chosing, say a spirit with a diet mixer, or having white wine as a spritzer, could reduce the calories. Make sure you don't drink alcohol every day and limit it to maybe 2 nights a week and don't go too over the top.

Biffo: How much water should one really need to drink per day?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: The general guideline is that we need to drink 2 litres, about 4 pints of water per day, this is because the body loses fluid, through the skin, through breathing and when we go to the toilet. On top of this, if you exercise, you also need to replace the fluid lost through sweating. The general guide with this is for every pound you lose in sweat through exercise, you need to drink an extra pint of water. Juices, squash are fine, alchohol, coffee not good.

Claire3: Is it true that chocolate gives you spots?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: Everybody reacts in different ways to different foods. Chocolate may not be exclusively responsible for spots, but if you have a moderately high fat diet, chocolate added to this will increase the amount of fat that has to be eliminated from the body, and if the liver and kidneys are already working to their maximum to do this, the next available way for the body to remove the extra toxins from the body, is through the skin.

Bob: What are your views on a low/no carb diet?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: The low no carb diet is usually aligned with a low protein intake, it will cause you to burn more fat and may cause you to lose weight in the short term, but it will also make it very difficult to maintain a regular exercise programme, as you will be eating no energy giving carbohydrates, in addition you will be missing out on a large number of vitamins and minerals thus leading to an imbalanced nutriet intake, which in the long term would be harmful to your health.

Jane: Are there any exercises you can do sitting at your desk?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: Sitting at your desk, you should try to remind yourself to sit up straight, with a neutral spine and the lower stomach muscles pulled in tight, and this in itself is an exercise, for posture. In addition, you can do some seated exercises, alternate leg raises, straightening the leg in front and holding, calf raises, rolling from the heel to the ball of the foot, spine stretches, reaching to the ceiling and then leaning over towards your toes, and twists from side to side towards the back of your chair to losen your spine. Also getting up out of the chair without using your hands is good for your leg muscles.

Claire3: Can you go on a diet at any age?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: I prefer not to think in terms of going on a diet and rather adopting healthy eating programmes, which is recommended whatever age you are. The only difference with so called dieting is that you may try to reduce the amount of energy you take in compared to the amount that you use up, so that you reduce your weight.

All eating patterns should be long term approaches rather than a quick fix, which may lose weight quickly, but it will be gained again over a time. Just reducing the amount of fat and snacks and increasing your fluids and vegetables, can in themselves lead to weight loss.

Biffo: Is there any dietry routine that can diminish the effects of smoking?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: Smoking does reduce the amount of Vitamin C that you absorb, so you should make sure you get adequate amounts of Vitamin C containing foods, such as fruit and vegetables, or take a supplement. Other than that, try not to have a cigarette round the time of drinking tea and coffee, both of which will doubly act to speed up your metabolism and may cause your heart rate
to race. Better still give them up.

Lauren Bolton: I am 12 and I have large thighs. I do dancing twice a week for 3 1/2 hours & the gym twice a week for 2 hours & I watch what I eat but they will not get smaller. Any advice?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: Laura, at 12 your body has not properly matured, or reached your adult size. You will go through a lot of changes during the next 6 years, just remaining active and eating a healthy diet, and not eating too many fatty or sugary snacks is a good approach. Your body may change and you may find you will increase in height over the next few years and you will probably use a lot of your stored baby fat, as a consequence of growing and maturing.

Chipsmaloney: I have a busy working life and not much time to exercise, any tips for the working woman?

Dr Kathy Fulcher: Maybe you could plan your exercise, like you plan your diary for the working week. Schedule in time for exercise, it doesn't have to be a lot in one go.

The first suggestion is to increase the activity in everyday tasks, such as walking up stairs, going for a quick walk for 10 mins at lunch time and walking every chance you have. Every 5 mins. during the day will count. The benefits of exercise are accumulative.

To add in some more formal exercise, look at your week ahead maybe on a sunday and find what days you can find 30 mins to start, brisk walking or jogging, and do it 2-3 times a week. Maybe get up a little earlier in the morning, or bring your exercise into work and go for a walk at the end of your working day. The important thing is to make an appointment with yourself and stick with it, like you do the other appointments in your diary.



More transcripts