Looking great with Olivia

Photo of Olivia on next page

Ditch the diet

A lot of people think that by starving themselves they are going to lose weight, but the reverse can actually happen. That’s one of the reasons I would never go on a diet. Instead, I make sure I eat sensibly and get plenty of exercise.

The new book Licence to Eat, by Kerith Duncanson (rrp $19.95; RWM Publishing), has some tips on how to modify your eating habits, and commonsense details on why frequent dieting doesn’t work.

When you restrict your food intake, your metabolism slows down to match it and remains sluggish when you stop dieting.
You end up worse off than when you started, because at least half of the weight you lose is muscle and fluid, while the weight you regain when you resume eating normally is mostly fat.
Your confidence and mental outlook plummet as your weight skyrockets when the diet ends.
Licence to Eat is available in bookshops or through mail order on 1800 808 904.