You choose what you eat - so there is no need to cut out foods you enjoy. Depriving yourself is a sure way to get bored quickly. We'll show you how to stop thinking of food as 'good' or 'bad'. It's more about how much you eat and how frequently. Okay, some foods are far more nutritious than others, but it's unrealistic to try and change your diet overnight. So your food diary is about showing you how to make small changes - balancing a bit of what you fancy with healthier choices. If you stay within your calorie target, you can lose weight successfully.

To help you gradually improve your diet, our practical Eating Guides explain what small healthier swaps you can make. If you decide what to change, you're more likely to stick with these improvements - for good.

Sometimes it's possible to plan what you're going to eat in advance, and sometimes it's not. The beauty of the food diary is that you don't follow a rigid meal plan. So forget the 'all or nothing' attitude to dieting. If you eat something not on your plan you don't have to throw in the towel and start again tomorrow as your food diary is completely flexible.

Fill in your diary throughout the day as you go (via your mobile or PC) and it tracks your calorie intake telling you how many calories you have left. Or you can complete it for the day ahead if you prefer to plan in advance what you're eating. Decide what works best for you.

For days when you need a bit of flexibility like a night out or the weekend - there's a handy setting in your food diary that gives you a higher calorie allowance on the days of your choice.

The daily calorie target we set is personal to you. Low enough to help you lose weight successfully, but realistic too - so you can stick to it comfortably.

By choosing what you eat with a little more care, you'll quickly see that it is possible to eat plenty so you won't be hungry.

Our Eating Guides give smart tips on how to spend your daily calories wisely. When it comes to type of foods - not all are equal in terms of what fills you up and keeps you feeling fuller for longer.

Some foods are very 'calorie dense' - this means you only get a very small portion for the number of calories. Examples are cakes, biscuits, chocolates. Gone in an instant, not very filling but lots of energy!

On the other hand, for the same number of calories, there's food that is much more filling and actually takes much longer to eat. Examples are a granary chicken salad roll, or fresh fruit topped with yogurt and museli.

By eating smarter, you can get plenty of tasty, filling healthier food for your calories. In fact you might be surprised how much it's possible to eat when you consider your food choices and choose wisely.