It’s time to tighten our belts! No excuses! All right. But this time let’s do it discreetly. Success is best obtained if you take small steps. Since our appetite each day depends on just a few dozen unconscious decisions, it is highly susceptible to outside influences. If your favourite crisps happen to be sitting in a bowl right in front of you, you’ll grab a handful without noticing. Sealed in a bag ten feet away and they’ll cease to tempt you.

You can easily save a few thousand calories if you keep tasty temptations out of harm’s way – out of sight, out of mind, as they say. Now for the next trick: you’re allowed to eat what and as much as you want, but only at table. No more nibbling at your desk, up on your feet or walking about. And you’re not to do anything else at the same time either, no TV, reading or phoning – just eating. And what about dinner invitations? Research shows we eat about 35 per cent more when we’re in company, without even noticing. The best remedy? Be the last person at the table to pick up knife and fork, adjust the speed of your eating to the person who is eating the slowest, and to fend off your all too kind-hearted hosts so eager to deal out second helpings as soon as your plate is empty, always leave a small amount over.

Text: Elisabeth Lange