Your Kick-Start questions answered

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With 100,000 Kick-Start recipes soon to be sent out, more than 4.5 million hits on the Today Tonight website and thousands of kilos burnt off, an army of Kick-Starters are proclaiming the "soupernova" makeover.

Australians are ballooning at an epidemic rate and apart from feeling lousy and looking crook, the risks of serious disease are huge - but the Kick-Start plan is making an impact.

And with this response have come many questions, so here are the answers.

The first Kick-Start question comes from media personality Terry Willesee.

"I did it at the wrong time," he said.

"... I went on the diet - on the weekend I started - but at the same time I was doing a radio talkback show on 2GB, starting my television talkback show on Sky News ... and it was just too much."

Willesee says he couldn't concentrate and became irritable while on the diet.

"I thought, 'well, I just can't take this diet while I'm so busy because I can't do my job properly'," he said.

Willesee was cranky and irritable because his blood sugar was lower than his body was used to but a single slice of low-GI bread and a little salad would have fixed that fast.

But Willesee's wife Melissa, like a lot of us, has stuck with Kick-Start, losing 2kg.

"That's what I wanted to lose, so I loved it," she said.

For Trish, stage one of the plan has kick-started something even more exciting than weight loss - a new life.

She's lost 70cm all over, including about 6cm around her waist.

"I feel a pride about being actively involved in losing the weight loss ... not just sitting back worrying about it all the time," she said.

For Trish, who weighed more than 120kg at age 14, this is empowering.

Of course it's important to remember that during stage one a lot of the weight you lose is in fact water.

But with those results have come new friends via the Today Tonight website's Kick-Start message board - a whole network of Kick-Starters chasing the common cause.

Trish says a common complaint is that people are having trouble sticking to stage one of the plan, becoming sick of the soup - and you can't blame them, even though it's nutritious and satisfies hunger.

If you can't find the beef consomme, try beef or chicken stock instead.

If you're vegetarian, try vegie stock instead and if you find the soup too salty try vegie stock or opt for reduced and low-salt stocks.

Here are some tricks to make your soup taste a little bit better: add a touch of oregano, thyme, garlic or even Tabasco if you like it hot.

And for those with a sensitive tummy a little bit of bran always adds inner balance.

If you have any pre-existing medical condition you should see your doctor before starting the plan and while following it, because your health professional is vital in assisting you in your weight-loss journey.

Finally, it's important to be realistic with your weight-loss goals: shedding five to 10 per cent of your total body weight in 12 months will afford great health benefits.

Only weigh yourself once week and the rest of the time keep your scales out of sight in the cupboard.

For stages one and two of the Kick-Start plan, a low-GI shopping list and the Kick-Start chat transcript, click on the links below.''Disclaimer
The information on todaytonight.com.au is made available for information purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Also, the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information is not guaranteed. AOL|7 does not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional.''