Dear Donovan,

I am an 18-year-old university student who desperately needs to lose weight. I am 5 feet 4 inches tall and weigh approximately 170 pounds. What I need you to help me with is a meal plan and maybe an exercise programme that I could work with daily.

I have found that a lot of my clients put on weight while they are studying. This is primarily because persons are up studying late at nights and so they might snack. This is not a good practice because digestion of the snack usually robs the brain of energy and this results in one becoming very sleepy. If you must snack, then do so on fruits or coconut water. In addition to this, the absence of exercise also leads to weight gain since as a student you might be spending a lot of hours at a desk.

There is also the added stress associated with exams and general studies. Despite these factors, you can lose weight and do it in a healthy way by adopting a healthy lifestyle. It would have been good if you had given me an idea of your eating regimen. Even so, you can follow this general meal plan to kick start your weight loss programme. Good luck!

On waking: Drink one glass of water to flush the system. This can be at any temperature.

Breakfast: (About 7:00 am to 7:30 am) Eat two to three fruits or half of your regular breakfast. Make healthy choices; so no fried food if possible. Try not to skip breakfast or you will find that you might eat too much during the course of the day.

Mid morning snack: (About 9:30 am-10:30 am) Have 12 ounces of coconut water or one fruit.

Lunch: (between 12 noon and 1:30 pm) You could cut your regular lunch in two and have half for lunch and the other half for dinner. Make sure that you have a lot of fruit and vegetables and a choice of protein which is not fried. Another option is to have a 12-ounce fruit shake or meal replacement shake. A third option is to have 16 ounces of a light soup, or protein with raw and steamed vegetables with one piece of carbohydrate. It is best to avoid eating white rice and flour while trying to lose weight.

Mid afternoon snacks: (Anywhere between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm) You could have water or coconut water.

Dinner: (About 6:30 pm) You can have the same options as lunch. It is best to have dinner before 7:00 pm.

As it relates to exercise, try to get in at least 30 minutes daily of cardiovascular exercise which could include walking, running, crunching, cycling etc. It would not be wise to do muscle building exercises since this will make you build muscles and muscles weigh more that fat. You can also walk the long route to your classes so you can get in more exercise.

Exercising will help to release the feel-good hormone which will help to reduce your stress levels as you study.

Do you have a weight loss story to share? Email wilsonn@ jamaicaobserver.com, or call 936-9439.