So you want to lose weight for good

The title of this post is the title of the booklet I'm using for my healthy eating plan. It's produced by the British Heart foundation and is downloadable on their website if you follow this link and then click on the part where it says So you want to lose weight for good.

I found out about it via Frank Kinlan's blog, as he has used it, and still uses the guidelines, I believe. Frank's own weight loss has been inspirational, and the guide instantly appeals through its common sense approach, the fact that there is no calorie counting, and that it is a plan for life.

I also like that it suggests you focus on enjoying the new lifestyle you are leading and its benefits, rather than on the weight coming off. Weight loss will be gradual - around 1lb a week, which is what I want. Fast weight loss has never worked for me before. It always ends up going back on, with more besides.

In brief, the plan is based around a "healthy eating plate," where you pay attention to portion size. The image of the plate is presented as a sliced up pie chart with the following proportions:
33% bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods
33% fruit and vegetables
15% milk and dairy foods
12% meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
8% foods high in fat and or sugar
I haven't quite got my head around it yet, and what it's going to mean for my daily food intake, but I started yesterday anyway, doing as best I could. I have figured out the the biggest changes for me will be reducing the quantities of certain foods I eat, like meat and cheese, and drastically reducing oil and butter. I was having too much of all of these. Biscuit binging also has to stop!