Diet & Fitness 

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Dairy replacements and weight gain

Often people make the mistake of thinking that cutting out milk and dairy products will help them lose weight, believing that these foods are rich in fat and saturated fat. However, dairy products like skimmed milk and reduced-fat yoghurts can be useful in a slimming diet, particularly as they are rich in calcium - a nutrient that women often lack.

If these foods cause bloating, though, you may be lactose intolerant. But replacing dairy foods with soya products needs careful planning since, unless these foods have been fortified with calcium, they are not equivalent to other milk substitutes. You could therefore be running the risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Here's an easy-to-follow plan:

- Aim for a low-fat, high-fibre diet.

- Choose reduced fat versions of foods wherever you can, e.g. lean meat and either skimmed milk or calcium-enriched low-fat soya.

- Fill up on starchy carbohydrates like bread, pasta and potatoes but don't load them with fatty spreads.

- Follow a realistic exercise regime.calories

Why not chat to other iVillagers about weight gain on the Eating For Health message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:

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