The three golden rules for losing weight (2024)

• From his new book How To Lose Weight Well: Keep Weight Off Forever, The Healthy, Simple Way by Dr Xand van Tulleken

All the best-selling diets ask you to believe in a central idea. Sometimes it's an appealingly simple premise: carbohydrates are toxic, or eat like a caveman.

Other diets rely on a ludicrously complicated gimmick, such as an analysis of your blood type or the acidity of your food. In my opinion, most of it is nonsense.

Most diet plans have a deeply flawed scientific premise and they might work, for a while, if you stick to them. But dieting is a tricky business. It is about fighting an extremely basic human urge: the desire to eat.

If you want to lose weight and maintain that weight loss, I am convinced you will have to change your life and your approach to food.

That's why I created my Definitive Diet, serialised all this week in the Mail. I spent months investigating the world's most popular diets and took all the good bits — while discarding the waffle and gimmicks.

The diet plan I came up with consists of really easy recipes for tasty home-cooked meals so you can get started on losing weight right away.

Because we live in a world full of temptation it can be useful to have healthy eating guidelines to support you. Whether you have a lot of weight to lose or a little, you want quick results or you are happy with a slow burn, these three rules will make sticking to my plan a lot easier.

DUMP PIZZA AND CRISPS

This is the culinary equivalent of p*rnography or slot machines or birthday cards for pets — all very well, but the world wouldn't be a worse place without them.

Junk food isn't nourishing. It is designed purely as entertainment. It is made with the aim not of feeding you, but of temporarily and inadequately comforting you.

Food should make you feel full or at least satisfied. But junk food does the exact opposite — it makes you hungry.

If you eat a chocolate bar, packet of crisps or doughnut, you'll usually end up feeling hungrier than if you'd eaten nothing. The real problem lies in the fact that junk food is highly appealing. It's cleverly formulated and can be delicious. There's a specialised art in creating irresistible foods that didn't exist a few decades ago.

If you were a food manufacturer, wouldn't you hire scientists to invent food that was addictively delicious? The tastier you make the food, the more of it people will eat — and the more money you will make. Food such as salted caramel, honey-coated nuts and stuffed-crust pizzas have been designed to make you eat more than you need or even want.

We are surrounded by these 'hyper-delicious' foods, which, unfortunately, are almost impossible to resist. Food design is a sophisticated science that researches just the right ratio of fat, sugar, salt and chemical flavourings delivered with the perfect amount of crunch, creaminess, chunkiness and chewiness to seduce your human brain. Frankly, it doesn't stand a chance.

Many junk foods work by giving you a powerful hit of the reward chemical dopamine, which allows you a minute or more of intense pleasure followed by longing as levels drop.

This is why it's so easy to eat a whole family pack of tortilla chips by yourself. Over-eating isn't lack of willpower, it is dopamine gone crazy — and the food scientists have made it happen.

If you want to lose weight, you can't eat junk food. It's simple. And if it's there, you will eat it — because that's exactly how it's been designed.

So remove it all from your house: put crisps, biscuits, sweets and chocolate bars in the bin.

If it's not in the cupboard, you can't reach for it and it's no more a waste to throw it away than to eat it. In fact, it's much better.

AVOID PROCESSED FOOD

We have become frighteningly reliant on processed foods, convincing ourselves we are far too busy to cook from scratch or we couldn't possibly rustle up a proper meal without a packet mix or a jar of sauce.

The food industry happily perpetuates that belief. And even if you believe you rarely eat processed food, take a look through your kitchen cupboards. There are, after all, varying extremes of processing.

A microwave meal with an infinite shelf life will be processed beyond belief, and anything in a box or packet will have a list of ingredients your grandmother wouldn't recognise.

I urge you to try to develop an extreme hatred of plastic-wrapped food because if it is made in a factory, its job is to make you buy more of it, not to nourish you and fill you up.

Before you eat anything, ask yourself: what has been done to it? And how many ingredients does it contain?

The more ingredients something has the further you should run from it because you can be sure those ingredients have been added to make you crave that food.

Think of the difference between salted and unsalted nuts. If I buy a bag of unshelled, unsalted Brazils (one ingredient), I'll have a satisfying snack.

But if I buy a bag of dry roasted peanuts (which has about ten ingredients) or, worse still, smoked almonds, which are horribly addictive, it is so much harder to stop eating.

Every ingredient is there to make you eat more.

And make a conscious decision to avoid everything with MSG or 'flavour enhancers', which really does make food taste amazing.

The danger is that it acts on your brain in a pretty fundamental way, as it makes the food it's added to hard to stop eating. Avoid it if you want to get closer to a good idea of when you're full and when you're not.

Eat real food instead. Peel your own fruit, buy meat with bones in it, wash your own salad. You'll save money and you'll think more about what you're eating and the quantity you need.

Get started on making your own delicious meals from scratch with these simple, nutritious and calorie-controlled meals created for the Daily Mail by chef Georgina Davies.

CURB ALCOHOL INTAKE

Dry January is a great time to start a dietary regime because not only are you free from having to factor in the extra calories in that glass of wine or 'medicinal' gin and tonic, but you're much more likely to stick to the plan.

After a few drinks with friends, you are far more likely to say: 'To hell with the diet!'

So I believe it's a good idea to avoid alcohol on the rapid weight loss one-meal-a-day plan.

You can have one or two drinks a week in your two-meals-a-day plan. Just apply caution (and watch your calorie intake) on the three-meals-a-day plan.

See the list of low-calorie alcoholic drinks in the magazine and diet diary that came with Saturday's paper.

Eight deliciously satisfying dinners

If you're following the one-meal-a-day plan, bump up these meals with vegetable side dishes and enjoy a fruit-based dessert (see tomorrow's paper) or healthy snack. All work equally well as part of the two-meals-a-day or three-meals-a-day plans.

Chicken, broccoli & spring onion stir-fry

Serves 2 (386 calories)

4 spring onions, sliced

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 chicken breasts, skin removed and sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 red chilli, sliced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 small head of broccoli (approx 200g), chopped

100ml chicken stock

Juice of 1 lime

Fry the spring onion in oil for five minutes, until soft. Add chicken, garlic, chilli, soy sauce and honey, turn up the heat and fry for a further two minutes before adding the broccoli and stock. Simmer for three to four minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are cooked through. Stir in lime juice and serve.

Butter bean, tomato & vegetable stew

Serves 2 (634 calories)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 white onion, chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 heaped tsp paprika

300g tin butter beans, drained

½ courgette (about 100g), cubed

200g tin tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and sauté onion for five minutes.

Add the red pepper and paprika and cook for five minutes more.

Add the butter beans, courgette and tomatoes. Season and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, adding water if needed.

This butter bean stew is delicious served with kale or spinach.

Turkey meatballs with peas & basil

Serves 2 (393 calories)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves

200g turkey or chicken mince (or chicken breasts pulsed in a food processor)

Salt and pepper

150ml chicken stock

2 tbsp creme fraiche

25g basil, finely chopped

150g petit pois

Fry the onion for ten minutes in 1 tbsp of the oil until soft and starting to caramelise, add the garlic and cook for a further five minutes. Leave the onions and garlic to cool before mixing well with the mince, salt and pepper.

Wet your hands and shape the mince into six meatballs. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the same pan and fry the meatballs, turning, until golden brown. Next add the stock and simmer for a few minutes until it starts to evaporate. Add the creme fraiche and simmer for another ten minutes. Now add the basil and petit pois, simmer for two to three minutes until the peas and meatballs are cooked through.

Stuffed sweet potatoes

Serves 2 (585 calories)

2 sweet potatoes

1 small courgette, grated

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

150g cooked quinoa

80g feta

Preheat the oven to 180c/gas 4.

Scrub the sweet potatoes, dry, then prick with a fork and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to cool slightly.

Mix together the courgette, lemon zest and olive oil. Season well.

Next, cut the cooked sweet potatoes in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh (reserving the skins for later). Mix flesh with the quinoa and courgette mix before spooning the mixture back into the skins. Place the stuffed sweet potatoes on a baking tray and sprinkle the feta over. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until hot and golden.

Salmon parcels with anchovies, leeks & peas

Serves 2 (476 calories)

1 leek, finely sliced

4 anchovies, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

150g petit pois

2 salmon fillets

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180c/gas 4.

Fry the leek, anchovies and garlic in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat for five to seven minutes or until the leek is soft. Take two lengths of foil and lay them over a baking tray (with enough overlap to wrap each salmon fillet).

Divide the cooked leeks, anchovies and garlic between the pieces of foil, spoon over the peas and lay the fish fillets over the leek mixture.

Drizzle over the lemon juice and remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle over the lemon zest. Season well.

Bake for 15 minutes in the oven, then serve.

Shakshuka

Serves 2 (291 calories)

1 leek, sliced

½ bulb of fennel, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

Salt and pepper

100g kale

4 eggs

15g flat leaf parsley, chopped

Fry the leek and fennel in oil for five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, then add the tomatoes. Season well and simmer for ten to 15 minutes. Stir the kale into the tomato sauce so it starts to wilt. Next, make four evenly spaced hollows in the thick sauce and crack an egg into each. Sprinkle over the parsley, turn down the heat, put a lid on the pan and leave to simmer for a further ten minutes or until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny.

Leftover roast beef or lamb casserole

Serves 4 (305 calories)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 stick celery, finely sliced

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp plain flour

100ml red wine

200ml beef or lamb stock

1 x 400g tin tomatoes

3 sprigs rosemary

300g leftover roast beef or lamb

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a casserole dish and add the onion, carrots, celery and parsnip. Cook for ten minutes over a medium heat, stirring regularly. Stir in the flour and add the wine and stock. Simmer for two to three minutes until the sauce starts to thicken, then add the tomatoes, rosemary, leftover meat and Worcestershire sauce. Season well, and turn the heat right down.

Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 30 minutes to one hour until the meat is tender and falls apart. Check the pan regularly and add a splash more stock or water if drying out. Serve with steamed greens and mashed potato or white bean mash.

Mediterranean prawn stew

Serves 2 (312 calories)

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

½-1 red chilli, sliced

5 large tomatoes (about 500g), roughly chopped

Splash of white wine

100ml fish or vegetable stock

125g white fish (coley, cod or pollock), in bite-sized pieces

125g raw prawns

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

Small bunch basil leaves, chopped

Small bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium heat, add the onion and fry for five minutes until soft. Add the fennel and cook for a further five minutes. Add the sliced garlic, chilli, tomatoes and wine and increase the heat. Cook until the wine has evaporated.

Next, pour in the stock and reduce the heat to a light simmer. Cover and leave to cook for ten to 15 minutes. Add the fish and prawns and simmer for three to four minutes until just cooked (adding a splash more water if needed). Add lemon zest, juice and basil before serving.

Four smart salads

There's so much more to salad than a bag of wilting leaves. Get adventurous — think colour and variety! A good salad is packed with flavour and nutrients. You should be able to get three or four of your five a day right there on the plate. These salads are great for supper or lunch, and can be packed in a container to take to work.

Broccoli & courgette with peanut dressing

Serves 2 (179 calories)

125g tenderstem broccoli

with a vegetable peeler1 small courgette, shaved into ribbons

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to serve

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 tsp peanut butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp cider vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tsp honey

Steam the broccoli for five minutes, then refresh under cold, running water. Drain.

Arrange the courgette ribbons and cooked broccoli on a serving dish. Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients. To serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with the toasted sesame seeds.

Bean, spiced squash & rocket

Serves 2 (318 calories)

½ small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped

100g green beans

100ml water

1 x 400g tin butter beans, drained

15g parsley, chopped

50g rocket leaves

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 tsp tahini

1 tbsp olive oil

Juice of ½ lemon

Pinch salt

1 tsp honey

Preheat the oven to 200c/gas 6. Put squash on a lined roasting tin, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season. Roast in oven for 25 to 30 minutes until soft. Gently fry garlic and chilli in the remaining olive oil for two to three minutes. Add green beans and water, and simmer for three to four minutes until beans are cooked. To make the dressing, mix together all ingredients. Put squash, butter beans, green beans, parsley and rocket leaves on a plate and dress just before serving.

Prawn, mango and noodle

Serves 2 (638 calories)

Drizzle of olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

165g raw prawns

100g rice noodles

1 avocado, peeled, stoned and chopped into cubes

1 mango, cubed

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 red chilli, chopped

10g coriander leaves, chopped

10g mint leaves, chopped

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

2-3 drops fish sauce

Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat and sauté the garlic for a minute or so. Add the prawns and sauté for another two to three minutes until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl, pour over freshly boiled water, cover with a plate and leave for two minutes, or until soft. Drain and rinse well under cold water, then drizzle with a little oil to stop the noodles from sticking together. For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together. To assemble the salad, mix the avocado, mango and cooled prawns together, then stir through the noodles.

Add the dressing and mix well so that everything is nicely coated in the punchy flavours. Divide between two shallow bowls and serve immediately.

Roast carrot, goat's cheese & lentil

Serves 2 (652 calories)

3 carrots (about 300g), quartered lengthways

3 garlic cloves, quartered

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime

200g cooked Puy lentils

Salt and pepper

80g baby leaf salad

65g soft goat's cheese, crumbled

Tahini dressing (see recipe above)

Preheat the oven to 160c/gas 3.

Place the carrots, garlic, oil, honey, lime zest and juice on a baking tray and roughly mix to coat the carrots in all of the lovely flavours.

Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until the carrots are soft.

Remove from the oven, add the cooked lentils to the carrots on the baking tray then mix well to coat in the sticky roasting juices.

Season well with salt and pepper. Arrange the salad leaves on a serving plate, spoon over the lentils and carrots then crumble the goat's cheese over.

Serve with tahini dressing.

Medical disclaimer

Check with your GP before startinga diet if you are underweight orfrail or have a history of psychiatricillness, are under 18 or pregnant orare breastfeeding, on medicationor have Type 1 diabetes.

• Adapted by Louise Atkinson fromHow To Lose Weight Well: Keep Weight OffForever, The Healthy, Simple Way by DrXand van Tulleken with recipes byGeorgina Davies (Quadrille, £15). © Xandvan Tulleken 2017. To order this book for£10.50 (offer valid to January 28), visitmailbookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640.Dr Xand's TV series How To Lose WeightWell is on Tuesdays at 8pm on Channel 4.