You can get back on track by starting some form of exercise and eating small, regular meals to assist in weight loss.

• Concentrate on healthy snacks of wholegrain starches and low fat proteins, with plenty of salads and fruit during the day. A strict diet wreaks havoc with your metabolism and can lead to moodiness and fatigue!

• Some fats are good for you! Eating lean meat to avoid saturated fats is a good idea, but you need  not avoid all types of fats! Some foods provide essential fatty acids, specifically Omega-3, helpful in reducing heart disease risk, symptoms of arthritis and assisting concentration, especially in children. Include foods like fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, tuna), sweetcorn, broccoli, walnuts and flax seeds (crushed) in your diet. Olive oil and avocado pear provide good quality unsaturated fats, also beneficial in your diet.

• Many of us battle to eat a balanced diet everyday and portion sizes are important in achieving this. Imagine a dinner plate from home, and divide that up into ‘food groups’ mentioned below:

• Most of the plate should contain vegetables and/or salad with your lunch and dinner. Have a fruit in between meals to help get enough Vitamin C and A which support the immune system.
• An equal amount can contain wholegrain starches e.g. brown rice, wholewheat bread or pasta, baby or sweet potatoes.
• A smaller amount should be left for lean protein e.g. skinless chicken, lean red meat, fish  or lentils & beans. Fatty fish like tuna and sardines provide essential Omega-3 fatty acids which may benefit heart health.
• Dairy products can contribute the same as the amount as the protein i.e. some low fat cheese or milk in food preparation or as a glass of milk. Yoghurt can be used as a snack in betweenmeals.
• Fats should contribute the smallest amount, so limit fried foods. Use some olive oil for food preparation, or nuts and seeds in a stir-fry.