Q: I have been trying to lose weight for some time and I can’t seem to win. I eat three healthy meals a day and I snack in between. Breakfast at 8am, mid-morning snack 10am, lunch at 12pm, afternoon snack at 2pm, late snack at 6pm, and supper at 8.30pm. I go to the gym eight times a week (five times in the morning per week and three times in the afternoon per week). Could I be doing something wrong? Please help, I am desperate to wear jeans just like my friends.

A: It is very difficult to say what you are doing wrong in terms of the diet as I don’t have a full diet history. You mentioned you are having healthy meals and snacks, but what are you eating? How it is prepared and how big are the portion sizes.

A healthy snack would be for example yoghurt, or a fruit, 3 Provita’s with low-fat cheese. You need to look at the energy density of the food you are eating, to ensure you are not consuming more energy than what you are using.

Try and have foods that are higher in water content, higher in fibre and lower in fat. Ensure you are including complex carbohydrates in your diet. Drink alcohol in moderation; remember it adds extra kilojoules to your diet. Ensure you drink enough water during the day.

My concern is that you are eating supper very late. I would move your afternoon snack to 5pm and supper to 7pm. Be very mindful of the amount you are eating and portion sizes as you could be eating more energy than what you are aware of.

In terms of your exercise program I am no expert, but it seems that you have reached a plateau. I would perhaps step up you cardiovascular program to longer than 30 minutes as well as you weight training program, bring in some resistance training.

Read this from our March issue:

If you’ve reined in your kilojoule intake and never miss a workout but still don’t see results, you may have a sluggish thyroid gland. The hormones it produces, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, help control every aspect of your metabolism, from your heart rate to the number of kilojoules you torch. Without enough of either hormone, your metabolism is forced to slow down. Symptoms of the condition, called hypothyroidism, include lethargy and weight gain, but a definitive diagnosis requires a blood test. An estimated one in eight women will develop some form of thyroid disorder in their lifetime – the risk is greatest in women who are pregnant, have a family history of the disease, or are over 50. Cheating on nutrition and skimping on exercise are more common culprits in a lagging metabolism, but if you find you’re working hard and getting nowhere, talk to your doc.