Freedom in dieting means slimming without having to obey a rigid set of rules. Dr Jacques Fricker shows here that it is enough to follow some basic nutritional guidelines, which can be applied easily and flexibly in everyday life. This flexible approach to slimming will help dieters reach their own personal goals without renouncing pleasure. The author argues that the era of constraining, frustrating diets is over. Today's dieters can: • eat in the most beneficial manner for the body's well-being by favouring foods that preserve health; • eat everything, without excluding or demonising any type of food; • shed pounds at a pace that encourages their efforts and will provide lasting weight loss; • continue sharing meals with friends and family, enabling them to lose weight successfully without upsetting their social lives; • learn to become aware of their appetite so that they leave the table after a meal feeling satisfied and sated, avoiding the hunger pangs and tiredness that result from inadequate meals. Pleasure has not been ignored in this efficient, balanced, “user-friendly” diet which is never frustrating and is guaranteed to provide lasting results thanks to its reassuring, reliable and easy-to-follow health rules. This diet proposes a variety of food combinations from which dieters can choose according to their own tastes. Also included here are guidelines for every meal of the day, in all situations — at home, at the office, on the run, or in a restaurant. Because slimming begins with knowing which foods to buy, a number of practical tips are given to help dieters shop. Jacques Fricker's reputation as a leading writer on dietetics and slimming was established with the publication of his best-selling Guide du bien maigrir. A nutritionist at Hôpital Bichat, in Paris, he teaches at several medical schools and was for many years a research fellow at the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM).