'I did 10 diets in 50 days and found one that really worked'

Andy Leeks set out to lose weight by doing 10 diets in 50 days, and found the only one that really worked was the NHS weight loss plan.

The father of two came up with the pick-and-mix diet idea to see if it would help him remain motivated to keep losing weight.

"By changing my diet regularly, the idea was I'd never get bored, thereby giving myself every chance of success," says Andy, 35, from Kent.

His starting weight was 16 stone (101kg). Over the course of the 50-day experiment, he lost 30.5 pounds (nearly 14kg).

Behind Andy's search for the perfect weight loss method was the desire to put an end to 15 years of yo-yo dieting.

While he lost weight on all of the diets, he felt that the NHS weight loss plan was the only one designed as a plan for life.

"There was only one way of eating out of the 10 that I could stick to long term – and that's the weight loss plan set out by the NHS," he says.

To fit it in with his 50-day timescale, Andy applied the principles of the NHS 12-week weight loss plan, instead of following it to the letter.

The plan is designed to help you lose weight at a safe rate of 0.5kg to 1kg (1lb to 2lb) each week.

"The NHS weight loss plan is basically all the NHS's healthy eating and exercise advice distilled into one handy little structured plan," says Andy.

"It isn't so much a diet as a healthy lifestyle plan that helps you lose weight, but at the same time helps you to develop new, healthier habits."

Diet and exercise

Andy, with the advice of a nutritionist, selected 10 diets that could be easily researched on the internet and did not involve payment.

They were the:

• 5:2 diet
• Special K diet
• NHS weight loss plan
• juice fast
• Atkins diet
• raw food diet
• baby food diet
• calorie counting
• grapefruit diet
• cabbage soup diet

Andy followed each diet for five days before moving on to the next one – hoping the approach would keep him interested.

The exercise component of his weight loss journey was to run 5km during each five-day diet phase. "I ended up running 50km in total and my time improved by just under seven minutes from the first run to the last," he says.

During his five days following the NHS advice, Andy applied the weight loss plan's healthy eating principles, which include:

• planning meals using the advice depicted by the Eatwell Guide
• eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg a day
• eating smaller portions
• not skipping meals, including breakfast

He says the NHS advice helped him get a better understanding of food labels, which proved useful when trying to make healthier choices at the supermarket.

Some of the meals Andy ate while on the NHS regime included:

• homemade chilli con carne
• butternut squash risotto
• pasta with homemade vegetable sauce
• chicken salad with a jacket potato

For more healthy meal ideas, check out the Change4Life Smart Recipes app on iTunes and Google Play.

'No more guilt'

Andy says following the NHS advice had minimal impact on the rest of his family because he was eating the same food they were.

"Unlike many of the diets I tried, no foods were banned," he says. "You simply eat the same meals – healthy, balanced meals – but in smaller portions.

"If I had a craving for something sweet, I would give in to that craving, but I'd only eat a small amount. I never felt guilty about it."

Apart from the NHS advice, many of the diets he tried involved avoiding certain foods or eating the same type of food over and over.

"By restricting anything, it leads to resentment and anxiety, and makes you crave the very food you're trying to avoid," he says.

"While these diets were easy to stick to for five days, I just couldn't see myself following them for very long.

"For me it was clear that for long-term success, the NHS weight loss advice is the diet that should be followed.

"The beauty is that once you've reached your desired weight, you carry on eating this way. There's nothing to change."

A plan for life

Andy's experiment was fuelled by a desire to find a lifelong healthy eating plan to manage his weight as an alternative to crash diets.

"I was forever losing weight by dieting and then subsequently regaining it, because once I came off the diet I was back to square one," he says.

"I was still the same person with the same sweet tooth, the same appetite, but no better equipped to manage my weight."

After completing his 50-day weight loss adventure, Andy says he is now managing his weight by applying the principles of the NHS weight loss plan.

"The NHS plan equips you with the skills to keep the weight off by helping you to develop healthier habits and teaching you to make healthier choices."

He has recorded his dieting tribulations in detail in his book Minimize Me – 10 Diets to Lose 25lbs in 50 Days.

Further reading

Beware of buying fake or unlicensed medical products sold as slimming products. Get informed and know what you're buying.

Wild salmon parasite warning

Food safety advice on fish parasites for anglers and other fishing enthusiasts who may want to eat their own catch of Atlantic salmon and sea trout.

Atlantic salmon and sea trout caught at sea or in UK rivers are known to be at risk of being infected with parasitic worms, including larvae of the anisakis species.

Health risks to consumers

Parasites in fish, particularly anisakis larvae, can cause health problems if eaten alive, including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting, blood and mucus in stools, and mild fever.

Allergic reactions can also occur, which may be accompanied by a rash and itching, and even anaphylaxis in rare situations.

Anisakis larvae are colourless and normally coiled like a spring within a cyst. Larvae range in size from 5mm to 20mm in length.

The Food Standards Agency has issued the following advice for anyone eating wild Atlantic salmon or sea trout privately caught at sea or from UK rivers:

Remove the guts

Anisakis larvae can be present on the surfaces of tissues around the internal organs and guts of the fish.

Remove the guts and inspect the body cavity and muscle walls. Remove all visible parasites.

In most cases, especially in salmon, the parasite may also be found within the muscles, especially in those that surround the body cavity and the anus (the vent).

Check the muscle surrounding the anus, particularly if the fish have red and swollen vents.

Freeze before eating

If wild fish are to be eaten raw or lightly cooked, ensure that all parts, especially the thickest part, has been frozen for at least four days in a domestic freezer at -15C or colder. This will ensure that any undetected anisakis larvae are killed.

Where whole large fish, or very thick parts of unfilleted fish, are frozen, it may take some time for the thickest parts of the fish to get down to this temperature after placing in the freezer.

In such cases, it is advisable to freeze for five days or longer to ensure that a low enough temperature is maintained right through the fish for at least four full days.

This freezing advice also relates to wild caught fish that are to be cold-smoked, or eaten after marinating or salting.

Cook thoroughly

When hot-smoking wild caught fish (ensuring the temperature at its thickest point reaches above 60C for at least one minute), the flesh of the fish should be steaming hot throughout after smoking and generally have a flaky texture. This cooking process will kill any anisakis larvae present.

Where it is not possible to freeze the fish properly, and other cooking processes are used, make sure the fish is cooked thoroughly and is steaming hot in the middle.

You can also use a food thermometer or probe to test the temperature in the centre of the piece of fish.

Although cooking at a core temperature above 60C for at least one minute (as for hot-smoking) is sufficient to kill anisakis larvae, it is generally recommended to cook fish at its thickest point at 70C for two minutes. This is to ensure that illness-causing bacteria (such as listeria monocytogenes) that may be on the fish are also destroyed.

Shop-bought fish

Controls are in place to ensure that the presence of parasites in fishery products purchased in a shop is kept to a minimum.

Food businesses that sell fishery products are required to visually examine the fish to check for parasites and they must not sell the products if they are obviously contaminated with parasites.

In addition, unless the fishery product meets exemption requirements, all fishery products that are to be consumed raw or lightly cooked (for example, sushi), marinated, salted or subjected to other treatments are required to undergo a freezing treatment to kill any parasites.

Christmas leftovers recipe ideas

From turkey to Christmas pudding, check out these recipe ideas from Love Food Hate Waste for creative ways to use up your Christmas meal leftovers.

Using leftovers safely

• cool leftovers as quickly as possible, ideally within 90 minutes (splitting into smaller portions can help), then cover and refrigerate
• use leftovers within two days and reheat until steaming hot
• don't reheat leftovers more than once

For more information, read How to use leftovers safely

Turkey leftovers

Leftover poultry such as turkey, goose, chicken or duck can be used in a variety of ways, from sandwiches and stir fries to soups and salads.

Recipe ideas:

• speedy stir fry
• turkey and chickpea coconut curry
• duck, broad bean and beetroot salad
• chicken and vegetable broth
• turkey, ham and leek pie

If you don't think you'll eat your leftover turkey before it goes off, you can always slice it and freeze it for another time. When you're ready to use it, defrost it in the fridge and eat it within 24 hours of defrosting.

Roast beef leftovers

• Beef hotpot
  Try combining leftover roast beef with leftover gravy and vegetables from the Christmas dinner, top with a layer of sliced cooked potatoes and you'll have a hearty hotpot ready to go on Boxing Day.
• Yorkshire pudding nibbles
  You could also try serving roast beef-topped Yorkshire puddings – place slices of roast beef inside mini Yorkshire puds with a bit of English mustard or horseradish. They can be served hot with gravy, or cold.
• Mince beef
  Beef can also be minced and used as a filling for cottage pie or a bolognese sauce.

Leftover stuffing

Leftover stuffing will combine perfectly with leftover cooked vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips and potatoes to make bubble and squeak.

Leftover vegetables

Potatoes, carrots and parsnips combine wonderfully with stock to make a warming root vegetable soup. You can also chop them up into cubes and add some herbs, fry them in a little olive oil and serve with cold leftover meats.

Recipe ideas:

• root vegetable soup
• beef hash and poached eggs with hollandaise sauce
• vegetable crumble

Leftover Christmas pudding

Christmas pudding keeps very well, but once opened it is best stored in the fridge. If you have some left over, why not try making a Christmas pudding strudel.

You can also reheat pudding and serve it warmed with ice cream or custard. Or if you want a taste of Christmas even after the holiday ends, you can make Christmas pudding muffins.

Using leftovers safely:

• cool leftovers as quickly as possible, ideally within 90 minutes (splitting into smaller portions can help), then cover and refrigerate
• use leftovers within two days and reheat until steaming hot
• don't reheat leftovers more than once

For more information, read How to use leftovers safely

Calorie checker

Calorie-counted recipes

Use the search box above to look up the calories of more than 150,000 different foods and drinks quickly and simply.

For quick access to the calorie checker on the go, save this page to your mobile device's home screen, just like an app.

Online calorie counters are one of the easiest ways to track your calories if you're following the NHS Choices weight loss plan.

Use the calorie checker to tot up your day's calorie intake and add this information to your food and activity chart (view sample PDF, 545kb).

Our calorie checker's 150,000+ database lists the calorie and fat content of:

• generic foods
• branded products
• meals from around the world
• alcoholic drinks
• restaurant meals, including fast food chains

Your daily calorie allowance on the NHS Choices weight loss plan is 1,900kcal for men and 1,400kcal for women.

If you want a more personal recommended calorie intake tailored to your individual circumstances, use the BMI calculator.

It's also a good idea to get used to reading food labels to find out the calorie content in packaged food and drink.

If you're looking for calorie-counted recipe ideas, try the free Easy Meals app available from iTunes and Google Play.

Calorie counting in practice

Here are some practical examples to show you how to work out the calorie content of your meals, snacks and drinks.

Snacks

It's easy to find the calorie content of a wide range of snacks. Use these examples to help:

• Banana: Use an online calorie counter to find out the calorie content in fruits. The NHS Choices calorie checker says that a medium-sized (100g) banana contains 95kcal (398kJ).
• KitKat: Use food labels to find out the calorie content in any packaged foods. Look for the "per bar" or "per packet" figure. A two-finger KitKat contains 106kcal (443kJ).
• A scone: If scones, pastries and muffins come in a packet, use the food label. Some cafes and restaurants have calorie labelling in-store, on their menus or online.

Lunch

If you're grabbing lunch on the go, it will often consist of a number of packaged foods, perhaps accompanied by a piece of fruit. For example, you might choose a sandwich, a bottle of orange juice and a banana.

Simply use food labels and an online calorie counter to find out the calorie content of each part of your lunch.

For example:

• Tesco Healthy Living Roast Chicken Salad Sandwich – 294kcal (1,243kJ)
  +
• Apple – 47kcal (196kJ)

Grand total = 341kcal (1,439kJ)

Buying food from your work canteen or a cafe can make it harder to work out calories. Some cafes and restaurants have calorie labelling in-store, on their menus or online.

Cooking from scratch

When cooking from scratch, you can work out the total calories by adding up the calorie content of each ingredient.

You'll need to use food labels, kitchen scales to weigh ingredients, and an online calorie counter.

Say you're making spaghetti bolognese for four people. Use a non-stick pan so you only need to use a tablespoon of oil to fry the ingredients.

The bolognese sauce contains lean beef mince, onions, chopped tomatoes, carrots, vegetable stock, olive oil, and herbs and spices.

• 280g of dried wholewheat spaghetti: 975kcal (4,075kJ)
• 200g of lean beef mince: 342kcal (1,429kJ)
• two cans of 400g of chopped tomatoes: 192kcal (802kJ)
• one onion: 55kcal (230kJ)
• two carrots: 70kcal (292kJ)
• a tablespoon of olive oil: 119kcal (497kJ)
• vegetable stock, herbs and spices – the calorie content is almost zero and can be ignored

The total calorie content of this recipe is 975 + 342 + 192 + 55 + 70 + 119 = 1,753kcal (7,327kJ).

If you eat one quarter (one serving), you will consume 1,753/4 = 438kcal (1,831kJ).

Easy Italian chicken

This quick and healthy version of an Italian favourite is low in salt and fat.

• Serves: 2
• Time: 50 minutes

Colour-coding

This recipe is colour-coded green because it's low in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.

Find out more about food labelling.

Ingredients

• ½ tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 skinless chicken breasts
• 10 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• freshly ground black pepper
• 210g dry wholewheat pasta
• fresh basil to garnish

The reference intake of an average adult is 8400kJ/2000kcal a day for a woman and 10,500kJ/2500kcal a day for a man.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC or gas mark 4.

2. Gently fry the onions in a little olive oil for about five minutes.

3. Then put the mushrooms and all other ingredients (apart from the pasta) into an ovenproof dish, mix thoroughly and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

5. Serve the chicken with the pasta and garnish with fresh basil.

Nutrition information

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per 823g serving
Energy	330kJ/78kcal	2720kJ/646kcal
Protein	6.3g	51.7g
Carbohydrate	8.5g	69.7g
(of which sugars)	2.3g	18.8g
Fat	2.4g	19.8g
(of which saturates)	0.4g	3.6g
Fibre	0.9g	7.7g
Sodium	0.04g	0.3g
Salt	0.1g	0.9g

These figures apply to a portion of 220g cooked pasta.

Allergy advice

• This recipe contains wheat (gluten).
• Worcestershire sauce may contain barley (gluten) and fish.
• Some pasta contains egg, so always check the label.

Food safety tips

• Always wash your hands, work surfaces, utensils and chopping boards before you start preparing food and after handling raw meat, including poultry.
• Use separate chopping boards, knives and plates for preparing raw meat.
• Keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat foods such as salad, fruit and bread.
• Make sure that the chicken is cooked until steaming hot all the way through, no pink meat is left and any juices run clear.
• Wash or peel raw vegetables before use – this will help clean them and remove any harmful bacteria that might be on the outside.

Sprouted seeds safety advice

Since 1996, there have been at least 30 reported outbreaks of foodborne illness around the world associated with different types of raw and lightly cooked sprouts.

Most of these outbreaks were caused by salmonella and harmful strains of E. coli.

In the UK, there have been a number of cases of salmonella poisoning from eating raw bean sprouts.

What are sprouts?

Seeds grown in water produce sprouts. These are collected before the leaves develop and the final product is eaten whole, including the seed. There are many types of sprouts, examples include:

• bean sprouts (mung bean)
• alfalfa
• radish
• fenugreek
• clover

What bacteria can be found on sprouts?

Salmonella and escherichia coli (E. coli) are the bacteria that most often cause food poisoning from sprouts. Other bacteria, such as Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes have also occasionally been known to cause illness associated with sprouts.

Do sprouts carry a risk of illness?

Like any fresh produce that is consumed raw or lightly cooked, sprouts can carry a risk of foodborne illness if they are contaminated. Unlike other fresh produce, the warm, moist conditions required to grow sprouts are ideal for the rapid growth of bacteria, including salmonella, listeria, and E. coli.

What is the current advice on eating sprouts?

The Food Standards Agency says you can eat sprouts raw if they are labelled "ready to eat". All other sprouts should be cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout. In addition, you should follow the manufacturers' storage instructions.

If these are not available, keep them refrigerated at 5C or below and consume within two days.

You should not eat sprouts that are past their use by date and should avoid using sprouts that have turned brown or changed colour.

Does washing sprouts make them safe to eat raw?

No, washing alone will not completely remove any bacteria. Sprouts should be thoroughly cooked unless they are labelled ready-to-eat. Ready-to-eat sprouts can be eaten raw, as producers will have taken steps during production to control harmful bacteria.

What is the advice for vulnerable groups?

There are certain groups of people that are not only at increased risk of contracting foodborne illness, but are also more likely to develop health complications as a result. These could include elderly people, the very young, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system due to underlying health issues.

People in vulnerable groups are therefore advised to cook all sprouts thoroughly until they are steaming hot throughout before eating them.

What does cooking thoroughly mean?

Cooking sprouts thoroughly means heating them until they are steaming hot throughout.

Can I sprout my own seeds at home?

Yes, but you need to use seeds suitable for home sprouting, which are subject to strict controls. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Equipment used for sprouting seeds should be cleaned thoroughly using hot soapy water before and after use. Always wash your hands before and after handling seeds intended for sprouting, as well as when preparing food generally.

Read more about safe food preparation.