The never be hungry diet!

Do you start diets full of enthusiasm, positivity and dreams of a Cameron Diaz-esque body - only to end up, well... hungry? A rumbling tummy is one of the most common complaints of people trying to shed excess pounds. And those hunger pangs not only make you feel miserable, they can also ruin your weight-loss plans.

"When you go hungry, your body thinks there's a food shortage, so your metabolism - the body system that governs how quickly you burn calories - slows down and you start to burn less energy," explains Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation.

But all is not lost. Scientists have developed a successful dieting formula that won't leave you with that empty belly feeling. It's all down to the discovery of two unsexy-sounding things: energy density and satiety.

"Energy density (ED) is how many calories there are per gram of different foods," explains Bridget. "And satiety is the feeling of fullness we get after eating, which stops us reaching for calorific treats."

The latest evidence suggests that the higher the energy density of the foods you eat, the less satiety you'll feel, and therefore the more likely you are to snack. Likewise, the lower the energy density of the foods, the more satisfied you feel after eating - so it's bye-bye to gorging on biscuits.

Follow our diet for four weeks and you could lose up to half a stone. And if you continue the plan as part of a healthy lifestyle, you'll continue to lose weight safely and slowly, and will therefore stay slim forever - easy!

THE DIET

This plan is based mainly around foods with a low energy density (1.5 calories per gram or less), with just a few medium density ones included, and hardly any high density foods. Choose one breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack each day, and drink 1/2pt (300ml) skimmed milk a day (you can use in cups of tea), in addition to any milk in the menus.

BREAKFASTS: Approx 300 calories

• 1 poached egg, 2 slices lean ham and 2 grilled tomatoes, halved, served on a slice of wholemeal toast (no butter or margarine).
• 40g bowl of sugar-free flaked cereal (eg cornflakes) with skimmed milk, topped with a sliced apple.
• 100g low-fat plain yoghurt topped with a handful of frozen berries, 1tbsp crunchy oat cereal and 1tsp honey.
• 1/2 grapefruit, plus a bowl of porridge made with 30g oats, 125ml skimmed milk and 1tsp brown sugar.
• 4 rice cakes each spread with tsp low-fat spread and a thin layer of Marmite. Plus 1 banana.
• 2 Shredded Wheats with 125ml skimmed milk and 1 nectarine.

LUNCHES: Approx 400 calories

• 300ml minestrone soup, plus a salad made with 3tbsp canned chickpeas, 6 cherry tomatoes and unlimited rocket leaves, dressed with balsamic vinegar or a low-fat dressing of your choice (no oil).
• One wholemeal pitta filled with 80g tuna in water, drained, with red pepper, celery and lettuce, 1/2tbsp low-fat mayo and mustard to taste. Plus 1 banana and 1 plain digestive biscuit.
• 300ml carrot and coriander (or other vegetable) soup with a slice of wholemeal toast, served with 2tbsp reduced-fat houmous.
• Medium baked potato with 80g cooked skinless chicken and 2 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained. Limitless green salad (no dressing).
• Small can baked beans on a slice of wholemeal toast (no butter or margarine). Plus a bowl of fresh fruit salad.
• 2 slices wholemeal bread sandwiched with 2tsp reduced-fat mayo, a small, skinless, sliced chicken breast and as much green salad as you can pack in. Plus 1 small pot low-fat fruit yoghurt and 1 large slice cantaloupe melon.

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DINNERS: Approx 450 calories

• Large handful of any type of veg, stir-fried in 1tbsp olive oil. Add a handful of wholewheat noodles and season with a little soy sauce.
• Spaghetti Bolognese made with 50g lean minced beef, half a tin of tomatoes, and plenty of onions, carrots, celery and red pepper to bulk it out. Serve with 75g (dry weight) wholewheat spaghetti.
• One fillet white fish (any type), grilled and served with half a tin ratatouille and 4tbsp brown rice.
• 200g tomatoes, 1 large onion and 200g baby new potatoes chopped and oven-roasted in 1tbsp olive oil. Serve with one cooked skinless chicken breast and undressed green leaves.
• Grilled salmon fillet (raw weight 125g) served with 4 boiled potatoes in their skins, plus a large rocket salad and 6 baby tomatoes drizzled with 2tsp olive oil.
• Stir-fry a red pepper and half an onion in 1tsp olive oil. Mix with 80g roasted chicken breast strips. Wrap in a large wholewheat tortilla with 1/2tbsp low-fat sour cream and 1/2tbsp guacamole.

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SNACKS: Approx 200 calories

• 1 x 35g Snack-A-Jacks Popcorn and an apple.
• 55g pot of chocolate mousse (not low-fat) and a couple of plums.
• A bowl of chopped fruit salad with a 1tbsp (heaped) squirty cream and a handful of crumbled meringue.
• 1 chocolate digestive and 1 plain digestive biscuit.
• A pear, an apple and a handful of blueberries.

For more on low energy density diets, visit Nutrition.org.uk/satiety

PHOTOGRAPHY: CORBIS, GETTY IMAGES *SOURCE: EXRX.NET SPEAK TO YOUR GP BEFORE STARTING ANY DIET PLAN

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