24 sneaky diet tips

Clean your teeth immediately after dinner. This should stop you from reaching for sugary snacks. Bonus move: Get more kilojoule burn by doing squats while you brush.

Watching TV can be a dangerous de-stresser. For every two hours you watch daily, the risk of obesity rises 23 per cent, says a study from Boston’s Harvard School of Public Health.

Use your mobile to photograph everything you eat for a day, then review the pictures. What could you have dropped? “Keeping a diary is often touted as the best way to lose weight. A visual diary is even more impactive,” says dietitian Susie Burrell.

“In restaurants, ask for a ‘to-go’ box with your meal,” says Susie. “Dole some into the box first and have it put in the fridge until you leave.”

“Savour the food you eat,” says dietition Susie Burrell. “Feel it pass your lips, explode on your tongue. How does it feel? Is it sharp tasting or velvety? This will slow down your eating.”

Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that your tummy is full, so savouring each bite will help you avoid overeating.

Go for mustard, thinly spread avocado, hummus or cranberry sauce instead.

One coffee chain’s Grande Caramel Macchiato has 1100kJ and 11g of fat, which equals four 250ml skinny cappuccinos (275kJ and 0.5g of fat each).

Write down three small changes you can make over the next 24 hours, from drinking more water and walking up at least four flights of stairs, to not eating anything after 8pm.

Avoid carbs (think bread, potatoes and pasta) after 5pm. Instead, think protein and pile your plate high with vegies.

Instead of trying to go cold turkey on all your favourite foods, banish just one naughty treat a week. Cutting out one Tim Tam each day is a saving of around 2800kJ a week.

One study, published in the journal Pediatric Research, showed that when

boys ate lunch in front of the TV, their consumption increased by 1083kJ.

Always be the last to finish at the table. “Finishing first means you’ll eat more while the others catch up. Watch and pace,” says Susie.

Think bread, rice or pasta – not bread, rice AND pasta.

Blotting each slice with a paper towel can eliminate huge amounts of saturated fat.

Think a fist for a serve of rice of pasta, a thumb tip for oils or butter, a matchbox for a chunk of cheese (or else one slice).

Sleep more than six hours a night and definitely more than four a night. Those who slept four hours or less were 73 per cent more likely to be obese, found a Columbia University study.

Think nuts in their shell, prawns with tails on, drumsticks instead of breast. Use chopsticks and your left hand to slow you down.

Keep walking shoes in your bag at all times. Walk part way to work, to the shops, to events, to openings, to school

Join the Heart Foundations’ Walking group. Visit www.heartfoundation.org.au or call 1300 362 787. It’s free.

It’s better to eat snacks of 400-600kJ that are healthy and filling, but if you’re desperate for a sweet treat, try two Maltesers, eight grapes, two Redskins or a square of chocolate – each snack is around 100kJ.

If you can’t do it for real, fake fat-loss in photos. “Stand with one foot side-on and one facing the camera, with your body and face turned three-quarters to the camera,” says Woman’s Day photographer

George Fetting.

“To reduce flabby arms, hold them away from you body or put your hands on your hips.”

Are you truly hungry or just bored? Is it at least three hours since you last ate? If not, distract yourself by taking a walk, ringing a friend or having a long bath.

Steam foods wherever possible – but if you do roast or fry, drain on a paper towel before serving. Make stews and casseroles ahead and allow to cool, so fat can be scooped off before reheating.

We’ve done it for 50,000 readers this year – for free. Simply upload your photo and see your body shrink. Use the Woman’s Day Virtual weight loss tool to motivate yourself to lose weight for real using the Woman’s Day Diet plans.