Tips

• Avoid processed carbs including white bread, pasta, rice, biscuits and cakes
• Identify your 'trigger foods' - those that once you start, you can't stop eating. Get them out of the house
• Stop drinking. Wine o'clock is a major cause of middle-age spread
• Don't build your social life around food. Limit eating out and takeaways, as larger portion sizes and hidden fats can really inflate the calorie count and your waistline
• Stop treating yourself with food. Food cannot solve anything except hunger. Find other ways to reward yourself after a bad day
• Don't do a Heston. Constant food experimentation boosts appetite. Keep your meals simple and repetitive. A bit of food boredom is a good thing
• Exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, varying your activity to stop over-training
• Learn to say no. Doing stuff you don't want to do creates stress, which can lead to overeating. Cutting your commitments also gives you more 'me' time
• Get a non-food hobby. Find something new that inspires and excites you, gets you out of the house and puts the food out of your head
• Be consistent. Get a routine going and stick to it

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