You’ve been dieting a few weeks, but the scales have not moved. Having great expectations is one of the biggest diet blunders. For weight loss to be sustainable, the ideal loss to aim for is half to one kilo a week.

Tip: Slow and steady if your diet mantra. Always try to visualise how much weight you’ve lost. If you don’t think one kilo is much, empty out two 500g tubs of margarine and see how much it really is.

Constantly weighing yourself to check your progress only leads to disappointment – especially as weight fluctuates throughout the day.

Tip: If you weigh yourself at home, do it once a week at the same time of the day. Take notice of other indicators to judge your weight loss, such as how your clothes are fitting, or use a tape measure to see how you’re tracking.

Diet meals are lower in kilojoules and fat, but this doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. Eating three bowls of low fat ice-cream, might mean you end up consuming more kilojoules. Another thing to keep in mind is that low-fat foods are not always lower in kilojoules.

Tip: Treat diet foods exactly the same as you would normal food. That way, you will reap the benefits of eating food with a lower fat content.

Eating out occasionally doesn’t necessarily present a problem, but many of us eat out several times a week. All those creamy sauces and desserts add to the kilojoule loading.

Tip: Try sharing an entrée or dessert, or order a salad for starters and have coffee with biscotti for dessert. Look for meals which are cooked using low-fat methods, such as frilling or steaming and order sauces on the side.

Leftovers, a few biscuits as you clean up and that piece of cake that was left after morning tea all add to the total kiljoules consumed.

Tip: Set rules for your eating – for example, don’t eat in the car or while you’re watching TV. By keeping a diet diary and logging everything that goes into your mouth, you’ll be aware of how much snacking really goes on.

Often family favourites such as fish and chips or lasagna are high in kilojoules. The kids want them so you cook them and eat them too. That’s okay if you’re an active child, but for a more sedentary adult, it’s not so good.

Tip: You don’t have to prepare separate foods for yourself. Just be aware of portion sizes and give yourself a smaller serve of the high-kilojoule food. Pop any left overs in the fridge or freezer so you’re less likely to go back for seconds and choose lower kilojoule ingredients.

While skipping breakfast may make you feel skinnier, its bad news for weigh loss. You’ll feel hungry later on and you’re more likely to reach for a sugary treat at morning tea if you haven’t had a good breakfast.

Tip: Make it a point to eat breakfast or keep something healthy on stand-by such as fruit or yoghurt.

You need to get into that tight dress for a party, so you try to fast-track your diet regiment by skipping meals. This approach only promotes weight gain in the long term, your body loses mainly water and often muscle not body fat, once you start your old eating habits again, the weight will go straight back on.

Tip: Aim to eat three meals every day. During each meal, remind yourself that you’re speeding up your metabolism and increasing the rate you burn kilojoules.

If you forbid yourself the snacks you love, you’ll only make the desire stronger. These so called “bad foods” require a special strategy.

Tip: For foods you know plague your subconscious train yourself to eat them only in small quantities and don’t keep a lot in the cupboard.

Soft drinks don’t fill you up like a meal, so it’s easy to think they don’t contribute to weight gain. However, thinking that consuming them will stop the urge to snack is unwise.

Tip: Having a glass of water before you eat a meal will make you feel fuller, faster. Herbal teas, sparkling mineral water and diet soft drinks are all great options, but watch out for the caffeine levels in cola beverages.