Lisa Riley - Lisa Riley’s Honesty Diet

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Michael Joseph is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com

First published 2017

Text copyright Lisa Riley, 2017

Food photography Clare Winfield

Photography of author Nicky Johnston except Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock

The moral right of the copyright holders has been asserted

Photography by Nicky Johnston

Kitchen Getty Images

Edited by Jordan Paramor

Design and layout by Hart Studio

Hair and make-up by Tracey Jones

Food styling and recipe development by Kat Mead

Prop styling by Jemima Hetherington

ISBN: 978-0-718-18888-7

The information in this book is intended for general guidance only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, it is not a substitute for and should not be relied upon as medical advice. Please consult with your GP or a qualified health professional to discuss possible modification of this programme to suit your specific health needs, and do not change, stop or start any treatment or medication without obtaining their advice. The author and publishers disclaim, as far as the law allows, any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use, or misuse, of the information in this book, or from any specific health needs that require medical supervision.

While every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material reproduced herein and secure permissions, the publishers apologize for any omissions and will be pleased to incorporate missing acknowledgements in any future edition.

This book is for Al (Bubby): my love, my best friend, my rock and my shield. You came to me from an angel in the sky, and all this happened because you made me fly.

For Dad, Liam, Nat, Jakey and Joshua: never stop looking for the smile in the moon.

And for my beloved mum, Cath Riley, my ever-present angel. Her legacy lives on for ever in me.

Welcome to what I hope will be a life-changing book for you. My own life has changed beyond belief over the past couple of years, and now I want to share everything Ive learned on my weight-loss journey.

Ive called this book my Honesty Diet because thats exactly what it is. Youre going to be honest with yourself; other people are going to be honest with you; and youre going to be honest about every single thing you put in your mouth.

Youre not going to get to the middle of this book and find a magic weight-loss pill hidden within the pages. The reason? It doesnt exist.

If youre serious about losing weight, the only way its going to happen is if you:

eat healthier meals

choose smaller portions

move around more

This book is all about honesty, so Im going to start off by sharing a pretty hard truth with you:

Are you ready for some more tough love?

The diet industry doesnt want you to know that weight loss is as simple as eating less and moving more. They want you to keep buying their low-fat, additive-laden products, and losing weight/putting it back on again at expensive slimming clubs. Why would they give you a long-term, common sense, sustainable plan when instead they can keep making more money from you, over and over and over?

Im not about to give you false promises or tell you that you can still eat what you want and lose weight, because you cant. Im not one of those people whos going to say you can eat chocolate and ice cream and still drop pounds, because thats simply not true.

If youre looking for a super-quick fix or for someone else to do the work for you, then this isnt the diet for you. And in the spirit of honesty I want to say upfront that there are some bits you may find tough. Nothing worth having was ever easy!

But the incredible news? It really does bloody work.

Just look at me. This plan will be hard at times but it will change your body.

This isnt one of those diets to do for a couple of months and then get complacent about. If you want to feel amazing for the rest of your life you have to be mindful and honest about what youre eating at all times.

Dieting will always be a way of life for me now. People notice all the time that Im careful, but thats because I have to be. Being really focused on what I eat is what gets results and keeps me where I want to be.

The proof is in the pudding. (Or, in this case, in not having the pudding!) I am walking, talking, smiling evidence that with the right guidance, determination and self-belief (and a healthy dose of willpower) you can be the size youve always wanted to be.

Back when I was delving into my wardrobe and pulling out size 28 clothes, I never dreamed Id be able to walk into a shop and pick up a size 12 knowing it would fit me. But now thats my reality every time I buy new clothes. And my God, I love it! I cannot describe the buzz I get when I wear something from a shop I used to stare wistfully into as I made my way to the plus size stores.

I cried my eyes out when I first put on a size 12 T-shirt. It was the best feeling ever. A friend of mine said to me that I was smiling so much at that moment I was glowing. I want each and every one of you to experience that very same feeling.

Heres another thing you may not want to hear: Im not the slimming fairy and I dont have a magic wand. Only you can put in the work and drop dress sizes.

Its also not enough just to read this book. You have to take action!

So throw those crisps in the bin, dust off your trainers, and prepare for the fabulous new you!

Well, actually, youre going to have two.

The first one is me. By the time youve finished reading this book, hopefully youll hear my voice in your head like a concerned friend every time you want to sneak to the corner shop and stock up on Doritos.