Give them the option to change, but do not force them to do so. If you continue to make meat and three veg meals for your family but make a delicious stir-fry for yourself, you will soon find the family asking to taste it, and hopefully a compromise will be reached. To avoid a full scale family revolt, ensure that the foods you prepare and the items you buy are tasty and appealing. No-one in your family will eat a food just because it is healthy, but they will if it also tastes great. Give them a chance as you would like them to give you one. If all else fails, you must ensure that you are not sacrificing your needs to meet those of your family. Set yourself on an even footing so that no-one feels resentful.

If you and your family cannot compromise on mutual meals, then use the same ingredients but modify the preparation of your meal to accommodate your needs. This way you will minimise the duplication and be satisfied with the resulting meal. You don't have to put your needs ahead of other family members, but at least make your needs as much of a priority as you do for other household members.

If your partner is used to you leading an unhealthy lifestyle and is uncomfortable with change you need to ask whether you are being selfish or whether they are being selfish. If you are giving your partner less time or judging them for not changing themselves, then they have reason to complain. If you are satisfying your own needs without encroaching on your relationship, then your partner has some work to do on allowing you freedom and providing support.

The answer here is that having time is not the issue, it is making time to exercise. Some of the busiest people in the world exercise daily because it is the first thing to go into their diary, not the last or lowest priority. The only reason you would not have time to exercise frequently is if it is not a high enough priority to fit in on top of your other commitments.  And that is OK too, but you must realise that ultimately you are choosing not to exercise and this will make it more difficult to achieve and maintain good health. You will need to accept that you will need to work extra hard on other aspects of your lifestyle.

If you have an aversion to any food that is considered "healthy", it does not mean that you will never be able to have a healthy diet. The foods are considered healthy because of their nutrient composition and if you can obtain these nutrients from other food sources, your diet can be equally balanced as someone who has no food aversions. If you dislike an entire food group, for example fruit and vegetables or dairy products, you will need some assistance to ensure that the nutrients contained in these foods are still being consumed. Enlist the help of a Dietitian to help you plan a balanced diet.

Remember that the longer you do something the more entrenched it becomes as a habit. Falling off the rails is not the issue, it will happen regularly. The trick is to prepare for setbacks and get back on the rails as quickly as possible so that your old habits do not get a chance to take hold. In fact, it is often beneficial to slip up and eat something that you have intentionally eliminated because more often than not, it does not taste half as good as you remember. And if it does taste great, you know that it is not forbidden and you can and will eat it again sometime.

If you go on holidays, you can consider the task of eating healthy food a game or challenge. Plan your meals so that one or two of them are self-catered and you have full control. When you are at cafes or restaurants, check the menu and find the meal that is best for you, in terms of taste and health value. Experiment and learn from mistakes you make. It can be great fun and very rewarding to go on holidays, have a great time and come home with your clothes fitting better. Check your restaurant guide in Chapter 9 (Licence to Eat) before you go, or take this book for quick reference.

It does not have to be expensive to eat a healthy diet. If you have porridge for breakfast, baked beans on toast for lunch and a pasta meal with frozen vegetables for your evening meal, the cost will be minimal and you will be obtaining a more balanced daily diet than most people. Planning is important if your budget is limited, but even if you had plenty of money, you would probably spend less on a healthy diet than eating food with less nourishment and more fat.

If you have a sweet tooth, your only obstacle is finding something that satisfies your craving without containing excess fat. Marshmallows, honeycomb and jube lollies are suitable fat-free treats, the only hitch is that a big sugar hit should be burnt off through some moderate exercise. So save your sugar treats as a reward for exercise and enjoy the best of both. Or try one of our recipe treats.  Also bear in mind that the more you feed your "sweet tooth" the more you will desire those foods. Gradually wean yourself so that these foods truly are occasional treats. You will notice that they taste much sweeter, and that you don't need or want as much when you don't eat them regularly.

If you can't cook, the only problem will be that you will not get to enjoy a gourmet meal each day. However, there are plenty of partly prepared low fat foods available in your local Supermarket that need minimal preparation. For example, buy some fresh pasta, a pasta sauce that contains vegetables, cook as directed and serve with grated low fat cheese. A tasty meal for beginners. And if you get really sick of your cooking inadequacies, get some help and learn some simple recipes.

If you want a splurge, plan it, look forward to it and most of all, enjoy every moment of it, experience it!! A special occasion meal or your birthday or a weekend get-away can be more enjoyable if you let your guard down and indulge. You can prepare for it by keeping to a very healthy diet in the preceding days so that you feel deserving of a splash out. But most importantly, enjoy the experience. If you spend the whole time feeling guilty, you will defeat the purpose of your splurge. One of the best parts about leading a healthy lifestyle is being able to reward yourself once in a while without guilt or remorse. You deserve it.

Sometimes after a few weeks of low fat eating the novelty wears off and a needy feeling is experienced. It's not unusual and it's also understandable. You have been highly focused on one aspect of your lifestyle for some time and that needy feeling is the rest of you saying Hello......we have needs too.  Your body is much more than a vehicle for healthy eating and if you neglect your other needs, they will ultimately fight back in the form of a "fat attack". Rather than trying to fight it off, work out which of your needs you have neglected and try to satisfy them. You may need a little TLC or some pampering or relaxation time or fun and excitement to fulfill your whole self.

If you absolutely love chocolate, bear in mind that an integral part of love is respect. Learn to respect chocolate and nurture a kind relationship with it rather than having a mad, passionate fling and then hate yourself for it! Seriously, loving chocolate is not a sin, it's great to have foods you enjoy as a special treat, it gives people something to buy you on your birthday! If you are a choc-o-holic, go for foods with a chocolate flavour but minimal fat. For example, skim hot chocolate drinks, low fat chocolate ice cream, chocolate jelly babies and low fat chocolate muffins are all excellent for curbing a choc-attack with a fat-attack.  A word of warning - carob is no lower in fat than real chocolate so if you want to indulge, buy a small quantity of your very favourite chocolate and savour every mouthful. You will enjoy it much more than scoffing a whole block of cooking chocolate while hiding in the pantry to avoid being caught.

Batten down the hatches!! Or prepare yourself in advance for "that time of the month". Your body does need more food when you are pre-menstrual due to a higher metabolic rate . Cope by eating slightly more carbohydrates as soon as you feel that extra appetite kick in. Don't fight it off, just accept that as part of your natural cycle. By increasing your portions you can moderate your appetite to avoid ravenous binges. Other special needs around the time of menstruation are extra fibre and fluids. You can incorporate the fibre to avoid constipation by eating your extra portions of carbohydrate in a high-fibre form. Extra fluids may be consumed in the form of water, dilute juices, herbal teas and decaffeinated hot drinks. Another trick is to consume foods high in Phytoestrogens as part of your daily diet, not just prior to the onset of your period, but always. Phytoestrogens can help to moderate all symptoms of PMT including the wild fluctuations in mood and appetite. Some women have dramatically reduced symptoms if these foods are eaten in adequate quantities.

Start anyway. Just set your goals to match your commitments. Work on a few issues that you can tackle right away and aim for "damage control" until you can work on the really tough problems. All your commitments are part of your life and therefore part of your low fat lifestyle. Why wait until they go away when you can use them as part of your low fat education? There will always be other engagements that are going to crop up and the days will turn into weeks and months. Before you know it, you will have put it off for so long that you may as  well make it a New Years resolution! 

BITE BACK!

It is truly a huge commitment to make changes that are going to be a permanent part of your life. You have to consider all aspects of your lifestyle, from family to social life to work to exercise and health. However, I am sure that you will find that the sacrifices are more than compensated by the rewards. I am going to spend the final chapter of this book on people who have seen the light and lived to tell their stories. I hope that they will inspire you in your efforts for a better lifestyle .