Dear Donovan,

I am a 29-year-old woman who is 4' 11 and 215 pounds. I have tried dieting and I lost five pounds, but that was it. Most of the weight is in my tummy and thighs and I have developed high blood pressure as a result of it. I was told to do a heart test. I am unable to go to the gym because of doctor's orders and I am frustrated. I don't know what to do. Help me please!

I am very sorry to hear about your weight issues and your health concerns. However, I am very happy to hear that you have started your weight loss programme and you have lost five pounds. At this time, though, you must make some more changes.

Your lifestyle has affected your weight and has now affected your health also. I am not happy to hear that a lot of your weight is concentrated in your stomach region, as this could lead to diabetes.

Ok now, let's be positive. You are going to lose the weight and improve your health, starting now. So you have made some changes and you have lost five pounds, but it is now time to make some more changes. If you continue to do the same things — exercise and eat the same amount of food — after a while the body will get used to this and you will hit a weight loss plateau. This has happened with you.

Since you have to be careful with your exercise, most of the weight loss will have to come from monitoring your food intake. The amount of food and the type of foods you eat must be changed right now. At this time, you will have to do a food audit to assess what you are eating now and in what amounts. You should write this down and by simply cutting your food portions in half , you should see some results.

In your case, due to your health concerns, it is better to eat healthy foods; therefore I am going to give you a meal plan. In addition to this, you should also do a nine-day detox programme which will help reduce the size of the tummy.

Breakfast

Two to three fruits or

Steamed vegetables plus two fingers of green bananas and a slice of pumpkin and raw vegetables or

One yoghurt plus one fruit

Mid-morning snack

12 ounces of green juice (calalloo, cucumber, string beans etc blended) or

12 ounces coconut water.

Lunch

Protein with raw or steamed vegetables or

16 ounces of light soup or

Two to three fruits or

Steamed vegetables and raw vegetables with light carbohydrates such as two fingers of green bananas, one piece of sweet potato.

Mid-evening snack

12 ounces coconut water or

12 ounces carrot juice

Dinner

Same option as lunch.

In addition to trying this new meal plan, I want you to speak with your doctors about what exercise, if any, you can do. What about swimming? What about slowly walking for 10 to 15 minutes? What about some simple floor exercises? If you are able to get in some exercise, then the programme would work faster. The secret to a good weight loss programme is making changes in your lifestyle. Good luck!

We will answer your weight- related questions

Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we'll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG's Nutrition and Wellness Centre, Suite 16, 39 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 5. Send your questions to wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com.