Our in-house nutritionist, lecturer and personal trainer Mali Ramara answers your questions on nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

Our in-house nutritionist, lecturer and personal trainer Mali Ramara answers your questions on nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

Q: I have a membership for a certain gym but I would like you to give me a meal plan that I can follow because I want to achieve a size 36. I'm currently size 40. When I started gym I was a 44.

A: If you are a Virgin Active member the gym has what it calls Virgin life, which helps you measure yourself and will assist with a nutritional plan. Ask any of the lifestyle consultants.

Q: Can you please help me with a dieting plan that will work fast to help me lose weight. I'm 25 and weigh 75kg. I think I'm overweight.

A: I do not believe in quick fix diets. I believe in healthy living and eating healthily over a long period of time to get better results.

Eating healthily needs to be complemented by living a healthy lifestyle that has less stress, no smoking and drinking, and eating fewer processed foods such as sweets, cakes and chips. Losing weight depends on a lot of things, such as age, gender, stress and other health-related issues.

SAMPLE OF A HEALTHY MEAL PLAN

Breakfast (an hour after you wake up)

A cup of warm water

1 egg

1 slice of wholewheat bread

or

1 cup of milk with a cup of All Bran

or

Banana and I cup of milk

I slice of bread and 1 egg

After 2 hours

Snack: half an apple and peanut butter/cottage cheese/plain yoghurt

Lunch

Chicken or tuna salad and a fruit (eat everything in 15 minutes)

or

If you like your pap and white rice have a fist-sized serving of pap or rice, lots of vegetables and moderate red meat or chicken (remove the skin).

Snack 2 hours later

Supper

Chicken breast/tuna/fish/lean steak/calamari and vegetables

or repeat lunch menu

You can snack later but not on carbohydrates. An apple and peanut butter/cottage cheese will do.

Note: drink 2½ litres of water a day

You need to start snacking on good carbohydrates and protein/fats to stabilise your blood sugar level which is what makes people gain weight. But the body needs a constant supply of a good quality sugar, protein and fat.

Combine this plan with moderate exercise

Please note that this is a sample and not an eating plan for everyone.

If you have high blood pressure, HIV-Aids, are diabetic, obese or a sports person, kindly consult a doctor or dietician before you start any eating plan.