Q. Hi, I?m a 35 year old female trying to lose around 5 kilo?s. I have been running regularly for the past 5 years but seem to have hit a wall, I actually seem to be putting on weight. I am not currently following any diet and find it difficult as I usually just eat on the go.

A.

You?ve hit a plateau in your training because you?ve only been using one training method (aerobic training). And because you?ve been running for a long time your body has become efficient at this form of training and does not force your body to respond as it used to.

Any fat loss program needs to include weight training, cardiovascular training and a nutrition plan. I?d suggest starting with three full body weight training day?s a week, also mix up your cardiovascular training with 2 interval training sessions a week and 1 aerobic session a week.

You?ll need to change your eating habits, starting with the basics. Eat 5-6 meals a day, consisting plenty of protein and vegetables and you should start to see results in a couple of months. Check out my suggested eating plan for a day to help you get started:

Breakfast
1 bowl of Special K cereal + 1 cup milk + ? cup fruit juice.

Snack
A handful of nuts and dried fruit

Lunch ? chicken (breast portion, skinless) + small portion of rice + salad (no dressing or mayo).

Snack Special K bar + 1 fruit

Supper
Potato wedges (1 medium potatoe with skins),2-3 matchbox-sized portions fish + plenty of ?free? vegetables or salad. You may use 1 tsp of olive or canola oil for cooking.

Snack
Banana Smoothie: combine 1 banana, 1 yoghurt, 1 Tbsp honey and 2-4 tsp Horlicks using a food processor