Good day Donovan,

I am currently 230 pounds and have been struggling to lose 70 pounds for some time now. I am hypertensive and I tend to crave the wrong kind of foods, especially sugary stuff. I have been off meat for the past two weeks. It has been a struggle to eat before six or seven because most times I'm on the road and I don't reach home before that time. I really need your help and your guidance to accomplish this.

Audrey.

Dear Audrey,

It is time to conquer your weight issues. I am sure you have achieved many other goals before and certainly you can do this.

Visualise the end results of your weight loss programme and see yourself 70 pounds lighter. Affirm at least four times per day that you are going to do your best because, as you believe, your mind will become more ready to lose the weight.

After making the mental changes, you are going to have to be willing to make the lifestyle changes. Bear in mind that for you it won't be just about losing weight, but also about controlling your hypertension.

In order to jump-start your weight loss programme, there are some personal issues that you will have to fix. I noticed, for example, that you didn't mention doing any exercise. Also, your craving for the wrong foods -- sugary and starchy foods -- is a sign that you are eating late at nights.

Making lifestyle changes is usually not easy, but it must be done in order to lose weight and save yourself. To accomplish your goals, you will have to sit down and create a plan to avoid some of your pitfalls.

You can start your weight-loss programme by doing at least half an hour of exercise for two to four days per week. In exercising, try to do more cardiovascular exercises. You should also try to avoid eating too late at night and don't allow yourself to get too hungry. These are things that may be contributing to your over-eating.

A simple solution to eating too late is to eat dinner at work, so you avoid going home to eat. A trick you can use is to cut your regular lunch into two and eat half for dinner at work. In addition, try to reduce your intake of fast food, starches and sugary foods. You should also try and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. These will help you to cut your calories and make you healthy.

In addition, you can incorporate some green juice as your morning snack into your diet. Green juices usually consist of green vegetables, such as callaloo, pak choi, wheat grass, cucumber, and lettuce. In addition to enhancing your skin tone and providing you with a larger serving of vegetables, green juices are good for controlling blood pressure.

However, be careful because if you are on blood pressure medication, your blood pressure will need strict monitoring to ensure it does not become too low. You will need to consult with your physician about this.

Good luck! It is time to make the change that will make you feel and look different.