diet photo
diet photo
(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

Our 7-day metabolism boosting diet will teach you how to speed up your metabolism, and targets your tummy, hips and thighs for a slimmer you...

A metabolism boosting diet plan that works fast, tastes good and doesn't feel like a life sentence? You've come to the right place! Our 7-day metabolism boosting diet targets those troublesome spots - like hips, thighs and tummy - with brilliant results - you could lose up to a stone in just three weeks.

The Metabolism-Boosting Plan

So what is the plan all about? Carbs are banned and the focus is on protein, fruit, vegetables and healthy fats. This is a good thing, as these foods are good for ensuring you never feel hungry. Both protein and fibre fill you up, while 'good' fats are thought to make boosting your metabolism easier, because they makes meals seem more satisfying and stop you snacking on the bad stuff. Protein also revs up your metabolism, ensuring you burn the maximum calories at all times. Plus, it's brilliant at getting rid of that stubborn tummy fat.

Simply follow the first week exactly to get yourself started, then for the next two weeks, mix and match from the same meals and others that follow the same rules. Ideally, you should have at least five portions of fruit and vegetables and one serving of dairy a day, and it's good to vary your proteins, such as fish, meat and tofu.

Stick to your 7-day metabolism-boosting plan exactly, and have six to eight glasses of fluid a day such as water, herbal tea, low-cal soda and tea and coffee without sugar.

Keep clicking for your 7 day metabolism-boosting meal plan...

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 1

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 1

Breakfast: Fruit salad made from 1 apple, 1 orange and 2 kiwis, chopped. Mix with a little apple juice. Top with 125g low-fat yoghurt and small handful of almonds. Lunch: Half an avocado topped with 100g canned crab meat (or 4 to 5 chopped crab sticks). Serve with tomato and red pepper slices dipped in tzatziki. Dinner: Place 125g white fish in a roasting pan with slices of red pepper, courgette and aubergine. Sprinkle with rosemary and 1tbsp olive oil; roast at 200C for 15 to 20 minutes. Snack: 5 olives served with 25g feta cheese.

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 2

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 2

Breakfast: 2 omega-3 fortified eggs, scrambled, served with 2 slices lean ham or 2 well-grilled rashers of mid-eye bacon, fat removed. Add a quarter of an avocado, sliced Lunch: Greek-style salad made with chopped tomato, cucumber and onion, and topped with 5 black olives and 50g low-fat feta cheese Dinner: 150g lamb chop, grilled. Serve with 2 to 3 handfuls of cauliflower, boiled and mashed with a little milk or Greek yoghurt, and unlimited mangetout. Add 1tbsp tzatiki. Snack: Either two pieces of medium fruit or 1 handful of almonds.

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 3

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 3

Breakfast: Smoothie made from 200ml skimmed or soy milk, 1 banana, big handful of berries and half tbsp ground flaxseed Lunch: Salad of spinach, 3 to 4 strawberries, 1 handful of almonds and a little balsamic vinegar. Add 100g chopped chicken breast Dinner: 100g chicken breast, grilled. Slice and top with 1tbsp pesto, 25g of grated cheese and 1 slice of ham, and grill for 1 minute. Serve with green beans Snack: 5 pieces of dried fruit.

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 4

(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 4

Breakfast: 2 apples or pears, cut into slices. Dip into 1tsp peanut butter. Serve with 200ml skimmed or soya milk Lunch: Coleslaw-style salad made from chopped red and white cabbage and carrot, mixed with a little low-fat dressing and 2tsp olive oil. Top with 100g prawns Dinner: 125g lean steak, grilled. Serve with roasted aubergine, red pepper and courgette mixed with a little olive oil Snack: 125g pot fruit yoghurt or 200g canned fruit in natural juice.

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 5

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 5

Breakfast: Large slice pineapple, watermelon or mango served with 125g low-fat cottage cheese or yoghurt. Add small handful of almonds or sprinkle over half tbsp ground flaxseed Lunch: Salad made from 1 handful of spinach, 2tbsp sweetcorn, 2 chopped cauliflower florets and 1 chopped tomato. Top with 200g canned tuna in brine mixed with 1tsp olive oil and some lemon juice Dinner: Frittata made from 2 eggs, chopped mushrooms, asparagus and ham, served with green beans and salsa of chopped tomato, onion and coriander mixed with a little olive oil Snack: Half an apple with 1tsp peanut butter.

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 6

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 6

Breakfast: 2 eggs, scrambled and mixed with 50g smoked salmon. Serve with 200ml orange juice Lunch: Caprese-style salad of half sliced avocado, 1 to 2 sliced tomatoes and 50g sliced buffalo mozarella. Add 1tbsp pesto or drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil Dinner: Chilli made from 75g lean mince, half an onion and chilli powder. Add 1 handful tinned kidney beans and 200g canned tomatoes. Serve with 1tbsp avocado and corn on the cob Snack: Any large piece of fruit (such as fresh mango).

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 7

How To Speed Up Your Metabolism: Day 7

Breakfast: 2 slices mid-eye bacon, grilled well and served with 200g low-sugar baked beans. Add 1 slice avocado. Serve with 200ml orange juice Lunch: 100g roast chicken or turkey served with 200g mashed parsnip or swede and unlimited other vegetables, other than potatoes. Add 1tsp gravy Dinner: 200ml serving of vegetable soup served with 4 artichoke hearts (from the deli) and 2 slices Parma ham Snack: 125g pot fruit yoghurt or 200g canned fruit in natural juice or one slice any large fruit. Now you have completed your 7-day metabolism-boosting plan, expand your options by mix and matching one breakfast, lunch and dinner from the first week. Also try mixing up your snacks - you could try 1 Babybel-style cheese with a stick of celery or a protein shake made from 150ml skimmed milk and a scoop of protein powder. Remember: one of the best ways to fail at a diet is to deny yourself - most of us are likely to cave and overindulge. Pack a diet-plan friendly snack every day.