You prepare your meals in the kitchen, so it's no surprise this could be where you pile on the most pounds. It's hard to avoid sweet treats hiding in the cupboard when you're rustling around while cooking dinner, but it is achievable.

Here are some tips on how you can make the heart of your home a place where you can lose weight rather than put it on.

1. Keep measuring tools in sight

When choosing and organising the food to include in your meal, you might find yourself adding more ingredients than you need or larger amounts than recommended. Having scales, measuring jugs or any other tools to get portions spot on at arm's reach, will make a big difference in the long run and raise your awareness of eating too much. You might be eating healthy foods but if you tuck into too much, you're not doing yourself any favours.

2. Pre-prepare healthy snacks

If you are prone to reaching into the cookie jar in the kitchen, make sure you have a healthy alternative to tuck into. By cutting up some fresh fruit and vegetables and storing them in the fridge you'll be able to avoid any temptations lurking in the cupboards and keep your body in tip-top condition. To make it even easier, make sure they're placed near the door rather than tucked away at the back so you can grab them on the go. While preparing these snacks, why not pop some in the freezer for when you arrive back home after an indulgent weekend away?

3. Tidy up

It's no surprise that clutter can make people stressed, thus resulting in eating more or opting for calorific snacks, so by keeping your kitchen tidy, you're minimising the chances of eating badly. Make sure all foods are kept in the cupboard and, along with your measuring utensils, ensure you have only the essentials on your counters. The same goes for gadgets; if you have a million different blenders and mixers, prioritise which are used the most and pop the rest away. After all, if you're constantly looking at various machines that allow you to whizz up tasty and unhealthy foods, you'll be more tempted to have some!

4. Sort stuff out

Every few months it can help to have a sort through your drawers, cupboards and fridge. If you bought a tub of peanut butter three months ago and still haven't used it, why is it in there? You don't have to necessarily waste things and chuck them out, but perhaps you could find a healthy recipe for them or take them to a friend's place for them to make something. By clearing things out and re-stocking with healthier options, you'll have no junk food to reach for when the sweet craving hits. And when they do, buy a treat at the time rather than keeping lots of chocolate or biscuits in your cupboard.

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