You CAN lose weight and eat !

Now, losing weight does not mean starving yourself or spending hours at the Gym to get that perfect hourglass figure or those six pack abs, a new diet called the Greek Doctor's Diet helps you lose weight while eating.

The diet focuses on controlling blood sugar levels and helping dieters to avoid hunger pangs.

It has similarities to both the Atkins and GI regimes but with a much heavier emphasis on Mediterranean-style eating, which encourages eating more fruit, vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil and fish.

The diet was designed by Dr Fedon Lindberg, a Greek-born, Norwegian-based specialist in obesity and hormonal disorders. He believes eating a little often is better than going for long periods without food as this risks overindulging later.

Followers should eat mainly foods with a low GI (glycaemic index) which release sugar into the bloodstream gradually.

Sugary high-GI foods should be strictly limited and eaten as small snacks only after a low-GI meal. This helps to limit the sudden fluctuations they cause in blood sugar levels.

Dr Lindberg's diet is designed to improve overall health as well as weight loss by sticking to what he calls a 'slow carb' approach. In this respect it is similar to the GI diet which focuses on foods that are digested slowly and are more satisfying.

But like the Atkins diet, Dr Lindberg's plan cuts down on starchy high-carbohydrate foods - such as white bread, baked potatoes and rice. It also encourages plenty of protein and fats - but only those regarded as healthy.

Unprocessed vegetable fats found in nuts, seeds, avocado and olives, cold-pressed vegetable oils such as canola and olive oils, and fatty fish are all favourites on his menu.

Cheese, cream and butter should be eaten only in moderate amounts. Alcohol and caffeine, however, should be limited because they kick off a desire for sweet foods.