Based on our experience a carb exclusion period is a must if you want to lose weight. Beginning back in the 1980s with the Montignac diet, the idea of giving your pancreas a rest from processing sugars seems to be a very good thing. A two week break from all carbs occasionally helps you metabolism function better.

We do not eat bread, pizza, or pasta, which is another way of saying we eat very, very little of them and use them for treats rather than convenience. A good fresh pasta occasionally. An interesting bread. Pizza when we want to blow out but we are talking once every three months for theat.

About a year back we ate ready meals for a week - we knew we were going to be harried and wanted a quick way of preparing meals for the children and for us. It was a digestive disaster. We were sick from indigestion.

We do not eat breakfast cereals. They are carb bombs spiked with salt and sugar. There is no point in eating them unless you think you lack folic acid in your diet. Most cereals are fortified.

We do not eat supermarket pate or processed meats - even the apparently yummie ones. Why? Most contain dextrose or glucose. We do not eat their pressed meats either but that's because they taste bad.

We moderate our meat intake anyway using a little pork to cook other food in, occasionally.

We do not eat prepared sauces. Without exception in our experience they contain sugar, too much salt, and dextrose or glucose.

We avoid cheap chocolates from the shop counter, opting instead for quality (even if we don't always go for plain chocolate we source high quality milk choco). The reason is, cheap chocolates often contain hydrogenated fat.

We avoid deli sandwiches where possible and processed cheese.