HOW TO EAT

DRINK THE BIG THREE

Tea, coffee and water are your beverages. Everything else is… sub-optimal. Lattes, smoothies and juice add calories but barely affect appetite, and – according to a 2015 study – people who drink “diet” fizzy drinks gain almost triple the abdominal fat of those who don’t. A little milk in tea is fine, and a slice of lemon in soda water could help regulate insulin. Drink coffee black: it’s an acquired taste, but you might as well acquire it.

GO HANDS-ON

Don’t worry about counting calories. You’ve already got the easiest way to take charge of portion size up your sleeves. “Use your hands for portion control,” says Precision Nutrition’s Brian St-Pierre. “Aim to eat two palm-sized portions of protein at every meal, alongside two fist-sized portions of veg, two cupped-hand sized portions of carbs, and two thumbsized portions of fat. In one or two meals a day, leave out a portion of carbs or fats.”

TAKE VITAMIN D

It’s the one supplement that everyone agrees you need, and it’s as essential for fat loss as for general maintenance. Receptors in the brain need it to keep hunger in check, and it optimises your body’s ability to absorb other nutrients. You aren’t getting enough from the winter sun or any rays you catch through a window, so take a supplement – Public Health England recommends 400IU, but talk to your GP if you’re worried about deficiency.