Life after Kick-Start

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We've seen Merrick Mas and Sandy Wean shed the kilos with the Kick-Start Soup Diet and it's brought them great results - but what's next? We show you stage two.

Thanks to the Kick-Start soup diet Irene Lawburg has lost 17kg and has kept it off for the last year.

Miserable in a size 18, she is now a trim, taut and confident size-12.

Ms Lawburg has used the Kick-Start diet four times this year and says she calls on it whenever the bulge makes a comeback.

We've been watching Merrick Mas and Sandy Wean shedding kilos with the Kick-Start diet and it's brought them great results - but what's next?

Their kick-start ends in five days and then it's time for stage two.

Professor Jennie Brand-Miller thinks she knows the answer.

Author of The New Glucose Revolution, she has converted more than a million people to the Glycemic Index diet (GI diet).

"What we have to do is gradually introduce back a normal diet, normal foods but be very choosy about the type of carbohydrates, the type of proteins, the type of fats," she said.

Professor Brand-Miller says GI is a term for the quality of carbohydrates that we eat; all carbs are good but some can have a lousy effect on your weight.

"What you have to go back to is the kind of carbohydrates that your grandparents ate," she said.

"These were the foods that are slowly digested and absorbed and give you that feeling of satiety, that you've eaten a satisfying meal and you're not going to be hungry for at least three or four or even six hours."

Foods with a high GI include white bread, sugary cereals, potatoes and watermelon.

Foods with a low GI include salad vegetables, broccoli, fruits and whole-grain breads and cereals.

All this is great but any eating plan is useless without one thing - exercise, and plenty of it.

"Exercise comes first," Professor Brand-Miller said.

"Exercise should be the absolute priority for your day."

Nutritionist and author of Nutrition for Life, Catherine Saxelby, backs the GI diet and says this next step after the seven-day Kick-Start plan is the most critical.

She says it is vital to think long-term, as the rapid weight loss of the soup diet cannot be maintained.

"Now they need to transition themselves to a more regular weight-loss diet with cutting out the fats, having more protein, choosing the right sort of carbohydrates," Ms Saxelby said.

So we invited Ms Mas and Ms Wean to pay Ms Saxelby a visit to get some tips on their long-term weight maintenance plan; after all, while the Kick-Start diet brings rapid weight loss, you should only follow it for a maximum of two weeks.

Stage two: long-term meal plan

• For breakfast Ms Saxelby recommends 1/4 cup of rolled oats or untoasted muesli or some high-fibre cereal served with low-fat milk. This can be one of your three daily serves of carbohydrate.
• For lunch Ms Saxelby suggests another serving of carbohydrates. Have some whole-grain bread, which will be digested slowly, as well as a big salad, some tuna or ham and finish with one piece of fruit.
• For dinner Ms Saxelby says avoid potatoes and white rice because of their high GI index. Instead try Basmati rice, beans or lentils.

While it is important to move on from the restrictive seven-day soup-based eating plan of stage one of the Kick-Start diet, Ms Saxelby says you can keep eating the Kick-Start soup between meals or whenever you're hungry.

That means sensible, simple switches, smarter shopping and cooking at home - and it all starts at the supermarket.

Smart shopping

• Buy plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, including lots of greens.
• When buying bread, avoid white bread - its GI is too high. Instead, buy whole-grain varieties.
• Choose a cereal that's high in fibre and low in sugar.

Before starting any new eating plan you should consult your doctor to see if it is right for you, particularly if you are taking any medication.Losing Weight: The New Glucose Revolution by Professor Jennie Brand-Miller is published by Hodder and is available in major bookshops nationwide.For more details on stage two of the Kick-Start diet click on the link below.For stage one of the Kick-Start diet, with recipe and seven-day meal plan, click on the link below. For Catherine Saxelby's "Eating for a Healthy Heart" plan, which complements stage two of Kick-Start, click on the link below.''Disclaimer
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