Drinks

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Takeaway coffee

What did we do before meeting up for full-fat triple mocha frappacinos? Our love of takeaway coffee has helped to add inches to our waistlines with the average sized latte weighing in at around 220 calories and 11g of fat.

What to eat instead
Losing the latte pounds is easy though, just swap your usual order for skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, or soya if you prefer. And don't forget to skip the whipped cream, syrups and chocolate flakes.

If you fancy a change from coffee try a smoothie but beware of the ready-made shop-bought varieties. You might think that swapping your coffee for a shop-bought smoothie is a better option, but think again! Although they can up your five-a-day quota they can still be high in fat and very high in sugar. Yes, it's fruit-sugar but if you don't burn off the sugar it turns to fat.

Diet drinks

There are some nutritionists who believe that diet drinks are just as bad as regular drinks. Diet drinks have less sugar, which is better for your waistline and your teeth but there's some research that suggests that sweeteners in the drinks increase your appetite and create cravings, so even though you might be drinking a diet cola, you'll soon want a packet of peanuts or a bar of chocolate!

What to eat instead
It's boring and you've heard it before but water is the best option. It's great for your skin, it fills you up and helps your body to burn fat. If you can't stand the taste of water add some fresh fruit juice instead.

Alcohol

Just one glass of wine can't hurt the diet, surely? Well, just one glass of wine contains around 80 calories. But how many of us can really stick to just one glass? And even if you can you will be more inclined to say, 'sod the diet!' and tuck into the sort of high-fat, high calorie food that you're trying to avoid.

What to have instead
Try a low-calorie wine or beer or mix your drink with sparkling water, or think of the 'empty' calories in alcohol and go for a fruit juice instead.

By Louise O'Connell