More weight loss tips that really work

We sorted the facts from the fiction, cut through the hype, checked the scientific evidence and found the approaches that really deliver waist-slimming results - you're welcome!

If you're eating a balanced diet and doing regular exercise, you're well on the way to a healthy lifestyle - but here are some tips to help maximise your weight loss.

1. Ditch the juice
Fruit juice and smoothies can contain as much sugar as fizzy drinks. Juicing removes the fibre - the filling part of fruit that helps reduce its impact on blood sugar. Researchers have found that people who consumed one or more servings of fruit juice each day increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 21%. Eat the whole fuit and opt for water, sugar-free drinks or tea instead.

2. Have a slice of cake (yes!)
Cutting out treats like cake and chocolate is more likely to make you put on weight than lose it, according to a survey. In fact, 86% of slimmers lost weight while continuing to enjoy their favourite treats. Those who lost most weight ate as much chocolate as they had before going on their weight loss plan.

3. Out of sight, out of mouth
If you keep food in sight, you're more likely to eat it. So hide that biscuit tin and put treats or trigger foods on the highest shelf. It's easier to avoid temptation when it's not staring back at you every time you open the cupboard.

4. Walk before dinner
Who knew? A quick walk can help you cut calories. In a study of overweight women conducted at the university of Glasgow, a 20-minute walk reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal.

5. Go with the (whole) grain
The fibre in the wholegrain content of brown bread, pasta and rice prolongs the digestion process, so sugar is released over a longer period of time. In a Harvard University study, women who ate more than two daily servings of wholegrains were 49% less likely to be overweight than those who ate the white stuff. Can't eat gluten? Brown rice, amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa are just a few gluten-free wholegrains that serve up lots of fibre.

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