This is me aged 48 before I started low fat eating,  just needing to lose a few pounds and tone my muscles.  My eating was similar to most other women at that time in the mid 90's - there were no low fat foods etc. etc. and most of my generation did not have a weight problem - we just exercised to keep fit and ate our normal diet of freshly cooked foods i.e. "meat and two veg."   At that time (before the dietary disaster of the last 10 years, with food manufacturers giving us "low fat everything", loaded with hidden sugars/starches) *90% of women exercised to keep fit only 10% needed to slim down. Today it is the reverse (surely low fat eating 2000 style is the cause)  only 10% exercise to keep fit and a *staggering 90% have some overweight problem and frightenly our children are included in this number.   *taken from the records of Inshape 1990-2006

Look what happened to me aged 52,  when I decided that I was eating too much meat/fat etc. (married to a butcher).  About 8 years ago when low fat eating, "Rosemary Conley," etc was the the only way to be slim and healthy - I didn't have much of a weight problem, about 7lbs,  but  believed all the info about low fat foods, pasta, rice, jacket potatoes and cutting down on fat.  I decided to follow the "healthy eating" regime.  In less than 4 months my weight had increased by over a stone.  People said "it's your age" etc. etc. I knew there was something wrong, my whole attitude to food etc had changed. My daughter was going on holiday, she was 29 yrs old at that time and like me she had converted to low fat eating - what a mess she was - size 12 on top and nearly size 16 bottom and legs, with lots of fluid retention and swollen ankles. We started this slim-me-down plan.  In 6 weeks my daughter had lost 17lbs (5 of this was excess fluid), from day two her ankles went down and never became swollen again.  She maintained her size 12 top and lost the 12lbs of fat from her bottom and legs.  She achieved a lovely size 12, with no swollen ankles for her holidays and to this day she has maintained her lovely size and finds it a pleasure to eat these delicious foods etc. As for me, in 7 weeks I got rid of all the fat and returned to my comfortable size 14 (been this since I was 15 yrs old) losing 14lbs.  Since then I have lost another 7lbs and am now very comfortable at this size and weight

This is me now September 2006 aged 60  - I weigh 153lbs a comfortable 12/14 and I feel good eating this way (I know the diet charts say I should weigh less for my height , 5' 6"  but dieting makes you lose muscle weight, which in turn leads to loose skin and lots of cellulite etc.) this slim-me-down plan only sheds the fat, so your skin stays elastic and healthy and the muscles stay firm with no atrophy (you don't need to lose as many lbs to get to the dress size you want to be - REMEMBER YOU DO NOT WALK ROUND WITH A LABEL ON YOU SAYING I WEIGH ........lbs)  My metabolism is high (my muscle health is good, it has not been damaged by dieting - everything is working to keep me slim and healthy) and anytime I want to have a "binge" or go on holiday, I am not afraid that I will gain weight.  I have three good meals each day - if I want a "drink" I can.  My hair, skin and nails are good.  I sleep well and have no major health concerns.  Muscle weighs approx. 3 times more than fat.  This means that when you lose muscle on a diet you lose lots of weight, but do you lose lots of inches(fat).? (not usually!)  The successful slimmers on this plan only shed pounds of fat, this means they lose lots of inches - approx. 3 times as many INCHES per lb. lost, as their dieting friends.  They quickly slim down (our bodies love to burn fat !) so when it comes to getting slim.............. BURN THE FAT not the muscle!!!!  Are avocados unhealthy? Although avocados have a high fat content (between 71 to 88% of their total calories) you don't have to avoid them to enjoy a healthy diet. The body needs some fats to function well, and avocados contain healthy monounsaturated fat, which is good for lowering cholesterol levels. Avocados are also a good source of vitamin K, dietary fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate and copper. They also contain potassium (more than a medium banana), which helps regulate blood pressure and can help guard against circulatory diseases, such as heart disease or stroke. Are eggs  bad for your cholesterol levels? It's true that egg yolks have the most concentrated amount of cholesterol in any food - but as long as you eat them in moderation they do not contain enough cholesterol to pose health risks. People with any kind of cardiovascular risk tend to avoid eggs altogether, but studies have shown that two to three eggs a week are unlikely to make any difference to your cholesterol levels. Beware of 'low fat' labels on ready meals and yoghurts. Low-fat foods often contain the same amount or even more calories than standard versions. Foods that are 'fat-free' have usually been pumped full of sugar to replace the fat that's been taken out. Choosing a full-fat yoghurt can be the healthiest choice as they are more satisfying (which means one will be enough) and often contain no more calories than their fat-free cousins. We tend to think that fresh food is better for us but that isn't always the case. Vegetables begin to lose nutrients from the moment they are harvested. Veggies that are frozen an hour or two after being picked contain more nutrients than their 'fresh' counterparts that have travelled miles to reach the supermarket and can stay on the shelves for days. As Britain imports many vegetables from Europe, this means an even longer time between picking and the plate.