Do a Diet Check

Making tiny tweaks to your daily routine can make a huge difference to your waistline

Swap white bread for wholemeal
The calorie count is the same, but white bread has much less fibre so you'll feel hungrier much more quickly.

Tweet what you eat
It's the new way to keep a food diary. If you have to note it down, chances are you'll pay more attention to what you eat.

Don't skip breakfast
You are more likely to crave quick sugars such as cakes and sweets if you skip breakfast.

Stay hydrated
Being thirsty can often be mistaken for feeling hungry. Sipping water between meals is ideal. Around 1.5 to two litres a day is a minimum for an average-sized person.

Cut out sugar in tea
Five cups of tea can add up to almost 500 empty calories. Try to break the sweet habit altogether rather than swap for sweeteners, since researchers now believe sweeteners may make the body crave extra food.

Eat fruit, don't drink it
A small glass of orange juice counts as one of your five daily fruit and vegetables, but it has 100 calories. A few glasses really adds up but won't fill you. You're better off eating the fruit.

Stick to dark chocolate
If you need some chocolate (which is simply the case sometimes!) then stick to dark as most people need less of it to feel satisfied and it is only 60 calories for two squares compared with 265 calories for an average bar.

Eat eggs in the morning
Research shows that they trigger a hormone that helps suppress hunger pangs in the brain and you'll end up eating less for the rest of the day.

Eat more meals
Eat five mini-meals rather than three larger meals a day. If you go too long without food your body will try to conserve more fat.

Know your onions
An onion a day boosts the function of your liver - which is your main fatburning organ