If you want to lose a few pounds or improve your health, changing your eating habits is key! But, with so many diets around, choosing the one that's best for you can be a chore.

Experienced tips
It takes a lot of willpower not to reach for that naughty fix when the hunger pangs kick in, so we've put together tips from experts to help you satisfy your cravings and snack healthily without ruining your diet.

Identify when you're most likely to lose control and take action. Go for a walk, drink a glass of water, or call a good friend as a distraction.

Dry fry:  As long as you use a non-stick pan, you can put the meat and veggies straight in and 'dry fry' them.

Losing weight can be hard work and there are common traps that we've all fallen into along the way. But with a bit of awareness you can overcome them, get those pounds off and keep them off. Here are some classic diet mistakes you'll probably recognise.. and the easy ways to avoid making them:

Feeling exhausted can be a trigger to reach for food as your body tries to compensate for lack of energy. The solution: Choose foods that will fill you up and give you slow release energy without lots of calories.

Good options for meals are porridge, pasta, chicken or fish sandwiches made with grainy bread, or vegetable soup. Snack on nuts, dried or fresh fruit and low fat yogurts. A moderate caffeine hit at lunch time (a cup or two of coffee) will help you through that afternoon dip, but don't overdo it.

It's really hard to find healthy food on the run, and that can spell disaster for your waistline. Always carry healthy snacks, for example fruit, nuts, a wholegrain sandwich or a yogurt, so you're prepared. But don't miss proper meals if you can avoid it.

Remember no one food is 'bad', it's your overall diet that counts.

What happens when you tell yourself you've blown it with just one slice of chocolate cake, so you finish the whole thing.  One bad day isn't going to spell disaster. Just get straight back on track with healthy eating.

Keeping that weight off

When you've lost your weight, how do you keep it off? Researchers interviewed thousands of dieters who have lost more than 10 per cent of their body weight and kept it off for at least a year. They came up with the following advice:

• Be physically active for an hour or more daily.
• Severely limit the fatty and sugary foods you consume and keep a check on overall calorie intake.
• Always eat breakfast.
• Weigh yourself once or twice a week.
• Maintain a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends.