The key to healthy weight loss

Elizabeth Prickett, 47, is a full-time mother and lives in Hampshire with her husband and three daughters. Elizabeth is hoping to lose weight to feel good and boost her energy. 

"I want to be fit and healthy and to have the emotional resilience and physical strength to look after my daughters through their teenage years. I'd like to lose a little bit of weight, but it's not just about being thin - it's about the whole package." - Elizabeth

Gabriela: Can you give me some indication as to how much weight you’d like to lose?

Elizabeth: I’d like to lose around 5kg. I think I’m fit – I started running last year, and I’m eating well, but I’d like to be a bit leaner.

Gabriela: Most of my clients give me a huge target for weight loss – I’d suggest 2kg or 3kg would be enough as a first step. Tell me about your energy levels. Do you experience dips during the day?

Elizabeth: My worst time is probably the afternoon. I have an energy dip around 3-4 pm, and I then pick up again and have more energy late at night. If I’ve been for a run, I have a lot more energy.

Gabriela: Do you have any food cravings?

Elizabeth: Yes, for chocolate around 3-4 pm. I try to have a sweet-tasting tea, such as fennel, to stop myself, but I probably have a bit of dark chocolate every day.

Gabriela: Are you currently taking any supplements?

"Vitamin D is vital for immunity. In the UK we need a supplement in the winter months." - Gabriela

Elizabeth: I take mushroom powder four or five days a week because it makes me feel a bit brighter. I also take zinc for tiredness.

Gabriela: Let’s talk through what you eat every day.

Elizabeth: I have a cup of tea when I wake up and then maybe celery juice with apple and stinging nettle or orange juice with fresh turmeric root, blueberries, and a carrot.

After the school run, around 9.30 am, I eat a good breakfast – it’s a bit of nurturing time for me. I might have porridge with chia seeds, banana and nuts or grated apple. Or I’ll make scrambled eggs with avocado. Mid-morning, I might have some nuts or the occasional biscuit. I’m not a regular lunch eater. If my husband’s around we might have soup or an avocado salad.

Gabriela: What would your next meal be?

Elizabeth: I try to have dinner ready for 6-6.30 pm, when the children are back from school. We eat pretty well. I’m quite 1950s – plenty of meat and vegetables – maybe steak, beans and home-made chips. Tonight is salmon, rice and broccoli.

Gabriela's Recommendation

I’m going to recommend my GP4:3 Intermittent Fasting Plan, which is three days of fasting with three alternate days of mindful eating. On fasting days, you eat 500-600 calories. On mindful days you eat around 1,800 calories, but follow my GP Principles for healthy eating. And then you have one magic day when you can eat pizza or whatever you like!

Intermittent Fasting is an effective weight-loss method, where weight loss is really just a side effect of a healthy eating pattern. It’s tough but it’s not torture, and it’s only for two weeks.

I love your breakfast. Don’t change it. It’s really nice and balanced, and don’t worry about eating fat – it’s incredibly important for hormone production, especially in women.

Don’t have your tea and juices on an empty stomach – it’s a double blood-sugar spike. Add in a little protein. I have a jar of nuts and seeds on my kitchen table and nibble from it all day, or have a yoghurt or a good quality protein bar.

I’m not happy with this huge gap between eating – it’s why you’re going up and down with energy levels. It’s important to eat every 3-4 hours, and every meal and snack must include protein, think of it as a superfood! This will help reduce your sweet chocolate cravings. I’ve no problem with chocolate, but it should be a treat. By balancing your blood sugar throughout the day, you will eat a much smaller dinner, and that’s how you’re going to lose weight.

You won’t get enough vitamin D from the mushrooms, and vitamin D is vital for immunity. In the UK we need a supplement in winter as we don’t get everything we need from food alone. The supplements within GP4:3 will support you in this. I can’t wait to hear how you get on!