One thing I see all the time is people starting on a new exercise programme or diet but never seeing it through. There’s a reason for this and if you’ve experienced this yourself, don’t worry – we’ve all been in the same boat!

What’s happening is that we’re being overwhelmed. For example, things sound simple – like going low carb, but it’s actually kind of complex to do. You need to get rid of all the bread, biscuits, potatoes, rice and pasta from your kitchen. Then you need to buy lots of green veggies, then you need to work out what to cook for lunch. It quickly becomes intimidating and dispiriting.

What we’re going to do here is share one tip a week on stuff you can do right away. Stuff that is so simple, it’s almost ridiculous not to do it.

The first tip in our weekly series is so quick to implement you can do it when you’re going to have your next meal.

All you have to do is EAT SLOWLY

Eat like a cow, not like a Jack Russell – take your time to chew and swallow. The aim is to take around 15 minutes to finish your meal.

Put your fork down between bites, chew properly and take a sip of water between mouthfuls. So if it usually takes you 5 minutes to finish your meal, increase it to 8 minutes. Work up to taking the full 15 minutes.

It takes between 15 to 20 minutes for you to start feeling full, as your intestinal tract starts to signal to your brain that you’ve eaten. It works for most people but not all but it’s well worth giving a try!