Drop a Size in Two Weeks Flat! plus Collins GEM Calorie Counter Set. Joanna Hall

that may influence your success. I call it the “Three M Theory” – your mother, your metabolism, and your motivation.

       YOUR MOTHER

      The way you were brought up can have a strong influence on your relationship with food later in life. Research from Pennsylvania State University showed that women who are faddy about foods tend to subconsciously pass on their finicky ways to their daughters. If your mother actively encouraged you not to eat certain foods or not to overeat, warning that it would make you fat, you probably label foods as “good” and “bad” without even realizing it. If you ate a lot of sweet and sugary things as you were growing up, and your diet didn’t include a variety of tastes, it is likely that you now crave calorie-dense sweet foods rather than savory ones. Maybe your mother used to say “finish everything on your plate” and you still do. These attitudes have taken a long time to build into habits, and they will take a long time to diminish. This book will help you reevaluate your relationship with food, showing you how to draw up a sensible eating plan that will help you realize your weight and body fat goals, as well as providing a positive health message for your children.

       YOUR METABOLISM

      Research shows that from your mid-twenties onwards, metabolism begins to decline year on year. It’s a sad fact that if you continue to consume the same number of calories without stepping up energy expenditure, gradual weight gain will result. In addition, there are specific times in life, for example during puberty, when fat cells are prone to get bigger and multiply. If we eat excessively during these times, it is likely that the body fat laid down in the fat cells will pose more of a problem to shift than the weight we gain at other times of our lives. This helps to explain why some friends appear to drop weight effortlessly while our own attempts require a lot more persistence. We are all designed to have fat cells, and they all have an ability to increase and decrease in size as we gain and lose weight. Appreciating this will allow you to approach this plan with a realistic picture of what you can achieve long term.

       YOUR MOTIVATION

      Consider this: what we weigh in seven years’ time will not be determined by what we do in the next seven hours, seven days or seven weeks but by what we do consistently for the next seven years. So if your initial motivation to take those first steps is to get into a little black dress in 14 days’ time – great! But once you’ve achieved that, use sections two and three to build on your success and make it last. Whatever your initial motivation to start the plan, try to find a way to translate it into a strategy that you can incorporate and build on to achieve your long-term weight and body fat goals. Establishing a strategy and action plan will be crucial, and the results that you’ll see in 14 days will be the driving force to help you do so.

       GET SET

      This section is all about the practical stuff – what you need to buy, or have handy, how to take your current measurements (to help you gauge your results), and clear instructions on how to use the plan.

      What you’ll need:

       To take your current measurements you’ll need a tape measure and a scale. If you don’t have a scale, it’s relatively easy to find one in a public place – try your local pool or drugstore.

       A pedometer to monitor the number of steps you take each day during the 14-day plan (you may wish to continue using it after the 14 days, too). These are available from most sports stores or sports product mail-order companies.

       A pair of good, supportive sneakers or walking shoes to wear on your daily ambles.

       For the abdominal and core stability exercises, you’ll need some loose and comfortable clothing that doesn’t restrict your movement. You won’t work up a sweat, so don’t worry about changing into workout clothes unless you want to.

       One last thing you may consider purchasing is a juicer. These can be bought fairly cheaply from most department and electrical stores and give you access to a wider (and fresher) range of juices than relying on store-bought versions.

       KITCHEN CABINET ESSENTIALS

      This list serves as a general shopping list of non-perishable items that are used during the 14-day plan. There may be some other non-perishable items required for specific recipes, but the list below should cover you for most eventualities.

       Oils, sauces and condiments

Olive oil	Red pesto
Oil cooking spray	Arrabbiata sauce
Dijon mustard	Tabasco or any hot
Light soy sauce	pepper/chili sauce
Balsamic vinegar	Tomato salsa
White wine vinegar	Mango chutney
Curry paste	Peanut butter
Chicken or vegetable	Honey
stock cubes

       Herbs and spices

Mixed herbs	Ground cilantro
Root ginger	Ground cumin
Fresh garlic bulbs

       Dried fruit and nuts

Sunflower seeds	Unsalted almonds
Dried apricots	Pine nuts

       Cereals and cereal products

Oatmeal	Crackers
Kelloggs All Bran	Rice cakes
Post Fruit & Fibre

       Beverages

Any herbal teas you enjoy

Soya milk

       Cans

Chickpeas	Flageolet beans
Lentils	Corn
Chopped tomatoesAnchovies