Lynda also chose to follow the Lighter Life diet which involves following a diet of their own foodpacks for pasta, shakes and soups etc and a weekly meeting with a counsellor.
Well done to Lynda and Pauline …but of what of us lesser mortals who cannot afford to purchase these packs etc?

Well I think one of the strongest things this shows is that regular support is essential, and seeing someone else lose the weight can spur you on to action. If you can find a friend who also wants to lose a few pounds then do it together, and be there for each other, you can try planning meals together and have a regular call to keep track of how you are doing….plan a treat together when you both reach a certain target etc.

Lighter Life certainly seems to work well, but I am always wary of pre pack meals as a Mum who has to cook for the family …how do you find the willpower to eat separate meals from the family? I find it best to cook healthy meals for the whole family and just be careful on portion control as if I have to eat something completely different it just makes me feel worse and makes everything more difficult.

How do you manage your meals, any tips to pass on?

Available for United States!

Hello Not GB
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Don’t worry, you do get some time for breaks and snacks.

If you’re not completely horrified by the thought, why not sign up to a Fat Attack camp? You can bring a friend for free at Basic camps in January and February.

Find out more about this unique and highly effective fitness weekend designed to help you fight fat and get fit. Conducted by world class fighting champions, this intensive fitness programme can be used as a much needed kick-start to a healthier & fitter life or if you’ve been calorie counting for a while it could be the means you need to start losing those last few stubborn pounds.

For more, visit the Fat Attack website.

Swimming freestyle (aka front crawl) can burn 100 calories in 10 minutes if you’re good at it. Plus it’ll tone your glutes, abdominals and shoulders.

Breaststroke burns just 60 calories in each 10 minutes – but you may be able to do it for longer and really see the benefits. These include expanding the lungs, chest muscles, inner thigh, bra-strap area, shoulders, triceps, legs and hamstrings. But don’t do this stroke with your head above water!

Backstroke burns 80 calories in each 10 minutes. Tones stomach, buttocks, legs, arms and shoulders, helps elongate your hip flexors.

Butterfly burns 150 calories per 10 minutes – but it’s the hardest stroke to master. For your efforts, you’ll get upper-body strength and toned chest, abdominals, arms, triceps and back muscles. Your body is stretched and more flexible.

Try mixing freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke for a good swimming pool workout – and once you’ve improved your skills in these, give the butterfly a go.

Anna Richardson has a new book out, Anna Richardson’s Body Blitz: Five Rules for a Brand New You, which was written by Justine Pattison.

The portion bit’s good to see, but run through rather quickly.

Now they’re moaning that there are more BOGOFs on crisps, chocs and biccies than spinach. To be honest BOGOFs on spinach are rubbish, as it goes off.

And in the ads, a Morrison’s advert for fruit & veg promotions. Clever.

To be honest we’re rather going off the whole liveblog idea… we’ll watch it properly and then come back here later, OK? Share your comments below.

Main meal

Roast Turkey (meat only) 140
Meat and Skin 171
Green Beans 22
Carrot 25
Swede 11
Roast Potato 150
Mashed Potato 110
Gravy 33

Puddings and snacks

Christmas Cake 359
Christmas Pudding 291
Mince Pie 244
Christmas Log 436
Roast Peanuts 295
Nuts and Raisins 234
Tangerines 40
Dates 24

This table doesn’t only show values for organised exercises, but also for more enjoyable pastimes, like walking, dancing and gardening which many of us enjoy doing.

Updated July 2010 to indicate speeds.

The exact number of calories you burn will depend on the effort you put in and your weight. Moving a bigger body requires more energy than moving a smaller body!

It is interesting to note that our days resting requirement is 1300 calories for women, and 1600 for men. This is the minimum calories we would need to maintain a healthy weight if we stayed in bed all day!

By raising your activity levels you can gradually improve your overall fitness. This also gives your metabolism a boost allowing you to burn the calories in the food you eat more effectively. In today’s world it is very easy to become lazy, and the less exercise you get the more sloth like you become. By being more active in daily life you’ll feel generally healthier and have more energy to do some proper training. Many of you will own cars and drive for short distances when you really should be walking. Walking is a great calorie burner and tones up your legs and bum! It is relaxing and gives you a bit of time to yourself to reflect and think.

If you live fairly near to work, then walk! A stroll in the morning really wakes you up and it gives you time to plan for the days activities. If you can’t walk then get off the bus a couple of stops early, or park in a car park just out of town (think of the money you’ll save too!)
If you work in an office for 8 or 9 hours a day then your lifestyle is probably fairly sedentary. Try and sit up straight at your desk and take a wander around every so often so you don’t get stiff. Go outside a couple of times a day to get some fresh air. If you don’t work on the ground floor, make sure you always take the stairs and never get in the lift.

When you go out in the evenings try walking home from the pub, chances are you’ll be too drunk to feel the cold or notice the distance. Make sure your journey doesn’t always take you past the chip/ pizza/ kebab shop, and don’t walk home late at night alone for safety reasons. Another good way of burning off all those calories consumed in the pub is to go on to a club and have a dance, dancing is a great all over body workout, and sociable and fun too!

One answer to this is to forget the diet until the new year and start again then!!!

This might lead to you feeling down after the holiday period is over so we have put together a list of the most popular holiday foods so you can be aware of what to avoid in excess! (calories per 100g)

Don’t feel that you have to indulge just because it’s Christmas, be sensible and don’t eat more than normal. Try not to eat too many nibbles such as nuts and chocolates, and stick to drinks like wine with soda, rather than creamy liquers.

Fit in as much exercise as possible, get on the dance floor at parties, and go for a refreshing walk after big meals! More importantly have a brilliant Christmas and enjoy yourselves! But do go easy on the exclamation marks!!!