3 Steps to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting

1/ Become aware

Spend a week getting to know your cues to eat, says Dr David Kessler. That’s what, when and why you eat. Write them all down (try the free app, iDo Notepad). The idea is to identify bad eating habits that have become so automatic you don’t notice them.

2/ Break the link

“To compete with old habits, practice a competing behavior repeatedly,” says Dr Kessler. Instead of coming home and going straight to the fridge, go for a walk, have a shower or call your mum. And turn off the box: TV food advertising increases automatic snacking found Yale University research.

3/ Rewrite the script

Change the way you talk to yourself about food, says Dr Kessler. “Instead of ‘That slab of cake looks good’, remind yourself of your goals: ‘If I don’t eat that, I’ll feel better about myself’,” he says. Make one small thought-change every three weeks for the best results.