Are you in the diet trap? We've put together some hints and tips to get you out of the trap!

Shopping for food
Did you know that low fat food is not the same as low calorie? Remember when you pick up food in a supermarket to think about what you are buying, and check the labels. It is very easy for us all to be lured into the trap of thinking low fat is low in calories! Sometimes low fat food is low in calories, but not always. Remember to also be wary of products that state they are fat reduced. These can often be very high fat foods that have some of the fat removed, but are still relatively high in fat and calories. We have seen 'reduced fat' foods that have 25% fat, so be careful!

Research has shown that buying low fat foods can lead to over-indulgence. It is far better to treat yourself to a small amount of the real thing than to spoil all of your efforts by overeating low-fat foods.

Make sure that when you go shopping that you take a list and stick to it. Think about shopping on the Internet. Research has shown that it is far less tempting to buy impulse foods like chocolate, and overall food bills tend to be lower as a result.

Never shop when you are hungry. How many times have you eaten a bar of chocolate because you were hungry and saw it at the checkout or bought fresh bread because shopping with all those fantastic smells made you weaken?

Eating Food
Researchers tell us that it takes the brain 20 minutes to make us think that we are full. Slow down when you eat. Just think about the amount of food you can eat in 20 minutes if you are eating quickly. Chew your food and drink plenty of water both before and during your meal.

Think about portion sizes. Don't pile your food high, it could mean the difference between serving yourself a meal amounting to 1500 calories rather than 500. If it is there in front of you, you know you will finish it…so think before you serve your food. Servings should be the size of pudding plates rather than 12" dinner ones and try and put your knife and fork down in between mouthfuls.

If you have difficulty in limiting portion size, have you heard of the Diet Plate? It cuts out all the hard work of measuring portions and is a huge success with those of us who are trying to lose weight? The plate sets out the portions on the plate, so you just fill each section up to get the correct amount.

If you are eating out, think about where you are going and what type of food you can order. Try to choose a restaurant that serves up healthy and appetising options. Make your food selections to tie in with what you want to achieve in your eating plan.

Soup is a great starter and knocks the edge of your cravings.

Get moving
Did you know that a brisk half hour walk every day could lead to a 10lb weight loss each year?

Park your car that little bit further way from your office, better still, leave it at home and walk. Any amount of exercise is better than nothing, even if you can manage 10 minutes a day, you will make big changes to the way you feel.

Avoid those crash diets
We all know that when it comes to weight loss there is no quick fix. 75% of the weight we lose will be fat but the rest will be lean tissue and water. To reduce this, take your time and if you are looking to drop a dress size, give yourself at least 8 - 12 weeks. Crash dieting or dieting too much leads to proportionately more muscle loss.

To solve the problems you have with our body, you need to look for permanent well - being and not aim for quick fixes like crash diets.

Keep a food diary
You will be amazed at just what you do eat and it will make you think twice before you open that fridge door.