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Losing weight can be as difficult psychologically as it is physically. It can become a struggle if we have to make family meals; eating our own meagre diet whilst still having to prepare tempting fare for the others. How can we improve our lot, and continue to please the family?

First off we need to tackle the amount we eat. Whatever food we consume, if we take in less of it we’ll lose weight. It’s pleasing to see a plateful of food at the beginning of our meal – so eat from one that’s smaller than everyone else’s. Eat your food very slowly, chewing every morsel at least twenty times before swallowing. You won’t always finish your meal ahead of the others then, but you will feel more sated.

Basically you can often eat the same food as your family is eating, but cut down on the amount of rice, pasta, potatoes and fatty meat. Eat more veg to avoid getting too hungry. Just don’t be tempted to fill up on bread rolls! If you have a sweet tooth, take care not to go overboard. A portion of stewed apple from the crumble is one thing, but treacle sponge and custard is quite another.

But you can get much cannier than that. Serve reduced calorie meals a couple of times a week to everyone – if they’re done well they won’t have a clue! Add garlic and herbs to macaroni, and bulk it out with plenty of veg. Then use a tin of tomatoes to enrich the sauce. Leave out the oil, but maybe add a touch of Greek yoghurt for creaminess.

When you’re shopping for food, always pick out lean cuts of meat. Remember also that fish can be a lower fat alternative. Whatever the rest of your family weigh, it’s still advantageous for them as well to eat lean meat. Roast chicken is a good all-rounder, just make sure you remove any skin and eat breast meat where possible. Select potatoes that have a naturally creamier texture, such as Vivaldi or Maris Piper. Then you can feel fulfilled without loading them with butter.

Watch out for breakfast cereals – some are loaded with sugar so always read the ingredients before buying. Cereal bars are best avoided too – they look like a healthy snack, but most are incredibly sweet. We also probably consume a load of hidden calories in our drinks. Choose sodas with artificial sweeteners, and make them last longer than usual by adding ice.

Alcohol contains a lot of calories, so when you’re socialising it’s good to find some alternatives. Try drinking tomato juice with ice or spring water. Watered down apple juice makes a passable wine lookalike if you don’t want to be different from the crowd.

It’s obvious that we’re not going to lose weight if we continue as we are. But it’s amazing how a small shift here and there can dramatically help along the way.

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