Do you have that sinking feeling about needing to lose weight and being forced to go hungry and eat nothing but dull diet food?

There's no need to be gloomy - you can eat deliciously and have more than enough food to stop you from being hungry all the time and still lose weight.

1. Divert your Food Budget

Whatever money you save by not eating out, buying take-aways or splurging on chocolate and snacks, spend on special healthy foods from the delicatessen such as exotic fruits, smoked meats or lobster. Delight your taste buds with the finest foods instead of bombarding them with sweet or salty fattening snacks and meals.

2. Try New Recipes

Avoid boredom by eating a variety of foods and not going for the same old safe diet options. Try new foods and recipes. Actively seek out light dishes you'd like to try and experiment a bit. Look for new ways to serve everyday foods you like and you'll end up eating more delicious meals than you ever did before.

Vary your lunches as well as dinners. Replaces the boring old sandwiches you usually buy at the local shop with home-made healthy mixed salads including lean protein and whole grains.

3. Choose Filling Food

It's important that you don't get too hungry while you lose weight. Raging hunger and no healthy food on hand is a situation guaranteed to have you reaching for the nearest fattening snack. Make sure your meals are filling enough to last until your next meal or snack without overloading on calories.

Typical dietary advice is to fill up with vegetables or salad but that's difficult if you're not a fan. If you don't like vegetables, get a healthy filling quota anyway by adding them to soups and stews (in pureed form if they're really not for you).

Also eat the whole grain varieties of carbohydrate foods so that you get the advantage of a slower release of energy along with the bulk they add to your diet. For snacks choose fruit and a little lean protein to provide a balanced slow-release of energy to keep you going to your next meal.

4. Make every Meal an Occasion

When you're trying to lose weight it helps to focus on the food you're eating, to eat it slowly and enjoy every mouthful. You have to register that you are eating. We often fail to do that when we mindlessly pop food into our mouths standing at the fridge - we feel unfed and still hungry in our minds.

Always sit down to eat and avoid distractions like reading, TV and answering your email during your meal. Set the table every evening, use your prettiest china and glassware and make your meals something to look forward to - an occasion rather than just an opportunity to wolf down whatever is available and quieten hunger pangs as fast as you possibly can.

5. Plan to Succeed

Before you go food shopping plan ahead for the next few days so that you know exactly what you need to buy. Don't let yourself get diverted from your list. It's a lot easier to avoid the temptations of buy-one-get-one-free pizza if you have a range of delicious, nourishing and filling foods to look forward to by sticking to your list.

Include at least one emergency meal on your list for those occasions when you find you get home unexpectedly late and are too tired to cook the one you'd planned. If you always keep eggs in your fridge and whole meal bread in your freezer you can whip up an omelette on toast. Or choose some of the better ready-made meals that keeps well in the fridge or freezer such as the quality chilled soups or pasta sauces now available in the shops.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small