If you are starting out on a diet with the intention of losing weight then follow these five tips to ensure your get the most out of each meal.

Planning The idea of planning what you eat will most likely fill a lot of people with a sense of dread. But planning your meals does not mean carrying around a little black book full of scheduled mealtimes and calorie charts. What it does mean is thinking a little before you sit down and eat. This is particularly true if you work in a high stress environment and the temptation to comfort eat is strong. A mental toll booth is a powerful tool - When the desire to comfort eat or indulge in junk foods is tripped, ask yourself why you suddenly felt the urge to eat. Often some external reason such as a task you hate doing (filing or calling a certain client) can be the cause of candy attacks!

Portions Preparing your own meals is always the best option if you want to loss pounds. Not only do you know exactly what has gone into it, but you can prepare the exact amount you require to keep yourself fuelled up. It always a good idea to stay away from restaurants, particularly fast-food ones, when you are beginning your weight loss programme, as most places simply pile on carb rich food like French fries and bread, which are high in salt and other additives. As you start to make progress, eating out every now and then is no problem as you will become accustomed to how much food you should be eating.

Chewing This tip is so simple - it like the advice your grandma would dish out but no one listened to! Digestion does not start in the stomach. It starts in your mouth. Your teeth and saliva team up and get to work extracting the nutrients from your food as soon as you make the first chew. Enzymes in your saliva help kick of the pre-digestive process and chewing properly will help increase your energy levels significantly. It's harder than it seems but to chew each mouthful at least twenty times will means less work for your digestive system, will release energy into your system faster and reduce flatulence. All this means your food goes further, your concentration will improve and you'll feel more comfortable around other people!

Putting down your knife and fork This may seem a bit weird at first, but it's another technique that works. Simply putting down your eating utensils between each mouthful will slow down your eating sufficiently enough to make you aware of what you are actually doing. By doing so you become aware of what's in your mouth, slowing your instinctive response to take another bite before you are actually ready to do so and it'll help you actually enjoy the taste and textures of your food.

Turning off the TV / Do not read This radical but simple step is for anyone who wants to regain control of their appetite. Like putting down your knife and fork between bites or chewing twenty times before swallowing, turning off the TV or not reading removes the distractions that cause you to eat on automatic pilot. Eating becomes a secondary activity when reading or watching a TV program and eating can degenerate into a shovelling activity that robs you of the energy and taste that your food should offer you.

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