It’s time for you to take control..

You are what you eat? Still tired after a night's sleep? Puffy eyed? Suffering from PMT with monthly mood swings, bloated and tearful? Or do you, like hundreds of people, complain of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) caused by a poor diet, lack of exercise or stress? Do you suffer from acne or psoriasis?

Do you feel that the time has come to do something about your weight - too fat, too thin?

Has what you eat each day become an issue? Perhaps, like a lot of people I know, you feel as if there's nothing more you can do you seem to eat hardly anything any more and still the weight won't go!

Perhaps it's not about how much you eat each day, more what you eat or don't eat that is keeping you how you are.

Most of you will, by now, have heard of the Atkin's Diet - a diet sold on eating more meat (protein) than anything else. I have not tried this diet, as I don't think I could manage it long-term, and I truly believe in long-term change of diet, change of habit, breaking the routine for the better, to really make a difference.

So many people have rushed to tell me of their dramatic weight loss, of feeling far healthier, more energetic, their sudden relief from problems etc, after some unrealistic, short-term diet, only to pile on the pounds again once they've found they can't keep it up.

I have listened to people talk of their despair, suffering from one or more of the symptoms I've mentioned above. If there was a cure-all pill for all of the above, someone out there would make a fortune!

The trouble is we are all different, as far as our will power is concerned anyway. I am a secret chocolate eater - always have been, always will be. The difference now though, is that I can eat a bar every few days and not feel guilty' about it. I have finally sorted out my food, nutrition and exercise and feel pretty good about it.

I went to see Linda Stott, former paediatric nurse and now one of the UK's Herbalife distributors. Linda provides personalised health and nutrition programmes helping people to lose weight, feel good and look great. "It's not all about weight -loss through nutrition, I also work with bad skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis and of course with sports people." Linda works privately from her home studio in Stainton. She began by putting on the kettle and making me a hot drink - lovely, it tasted of raspberries, really fresh and revitalising. As I sipped, we chatted about my worries. She didn't speak until I'd finished and then she jotted down my goals' - those that I wanted to achieve (to become a more balanced, less stressed, fitter, slimmer person, with the energy of a 21 year old).

Even though I don't appear overweight, I have grown around my middle, making my jeans and skirts uncomfortably tight. Linda did a simple Body-fat' test and the counter showed what I had expected, my stored body fat had indeed gone up. Two years' ago it was 23 - now it was 29.

Linda ascertained that I was dehydrated, drinking only half of the two litres of water my body required daily (that'll be the puffy eyes and IBS) and that I needed to top-up' my good bacteria' to help break down my food.

Even though I eat plenty of fruit and veg, I often skip meals altogether, sometimes forgetting to eat until the afternoon. Linda told me that I was mineral-deficient and eating nowhere near enough protein (lack of energy). Protein is an essential component of virtually every cell in the body, but many people don't always get enough protein from their diets for optimal health.

Adequate daily protein intakes range from 50 to 70g, optimum 100 to 130g. (Sports' enthusiasts should take in extra protein for strength, endurance and recovery).

One tin of tuna or a chicken breast will contain about 27g. Dieters often cut back on protein in an effort to reduce calories and lose weight. This can lead to deficiencies that are detrimental to health, trigger nutritional imbalances in the body and actually slow weight reduction down, thus leading to weight gain!

Most of us will be familiar with the term yo-yo' dieting (to diet then put the weight straight back on). To get out of this cycle the proper balance of nutrients is needed and one of the most important is protein.

OK, so to get me started I required a flush out'. Colonic irrigation? No. Simply Aloe Vera to add to my water, a far easier, natural approach.

Linda prepared my lunch.' It only took five minutes. A gorgeous smooth cappuccino' milk shake made from nutritious mineral and vitamin-rich powder with an extra helping of protein (derived from natural soya rather than meat - suitable for vegetarians). I had mine made with soya milk as I was keen to try it, but it's just as lovely with skimmed cow's milk. I then nibbled on what seemed like a gorgeous, chewy, chocolate-nougatstyle nut bar - it was of course a protein-rich, chocolate-covered soya bar, amazing, I usually hate those alternative' snacks.

By this time I was aware that I was feeling different - energetic, wide awake. Not my usual still-hungry, tired-after-lunch self.

Herbalife seem to have four main programmes' - formulas one to four. I was now officially on formula one and feeling better by the minute.

Linda showed me books of before and after' photos (I never tire of seeing healthy weight-loss transformations and dramatic results for those suffering from a bad skin condition); differences, not only in the person's change of shape, and in their skin, but in their overall well-being. Take David for instance, weighing in at 28 stone, lethargic, bloated and fed-up with his ever-decreasing lack of mobility. Having made the decision to change himself, to improve his quality of life, he sensibly sought information on nutrition to help him begin his diet and increase his exercise.

With Linda's help and the support from the Herbalife team here in the Lakes, David now weighs in at 16.5 stone and is still planning to lose more. He says that his quality of life has changed dramatically with his new-found energy and sense of well-being; he feels younger, fitter and more able to live life to the full than he ever thought possible when he was heavily overweight and stuck in a rut. When he began his nutritional programme, his goal was simply to lose weight, he could not see beyond that - now his goal is to find the right lady with whom to share his new zest for life.

The nutritional formula one' package will cost you around £2.60 a day - less than a sandwich and cappuccino on the high street!

Catch up with my progress on the Herbalife health and weight-loss programme in next month's Looking Good on Friday, November 5.

Linda Stott and other members of the Herbalife team are currently giving out information on Herbalife programmes, along with nutritional advice, skin care advice and free body-fat tests, on the upper floor of the Westmorland Shopping Centre (near Evans and Super Drug), Stricklandgate, Kendal.

Linda will also be on the Herbalife stand this Sunday at the Staveley Health and Beauty Show.

To book a consultation with Linda or to receive a booklet on Herbalife call Linda on 015395-60313 or e-mail: www.lindainthelakes.co.uk for better health www.gdsportsnutrition.co.uk for better performance.

Linda Stott and her team are looking for new members to join them as full and part-time distributors for Herbalife here in the Lake District; for further information call her now.

Weight loss testimonials presented are applicable to the individual depicted and are not a guarantee of weight loss nor are they typical. Individual participation affects results.