Whether you work at home, in an office, from your car, in a hospital, in the air, in a bar, underground or a combination of the above, we all have one thing in common. We all need to stop for meal breaks!

So often we agonise over what food we give our children (organic buck wheat pasta, anyone?) but when it comes to our own ‘food as fuel’ we can get a bit lazy.

It’s easy to get stuck in a routine of ‘I don’t have time to make my lunch so I’ll just grab something from the café.’ But when this happens every day, instead of every now and then, it can take its toll not only on your wallet but also on your waistline.

By taking the time to make your own lunch (or breakfast, or dinner, or snacks depending on the time of day you work) you are saying ‘I count. What I eat is important, and it is a priority for me to be healthy.’

Sometimes it’s just so easy to reach for the take away menu. But if you’re trying to lose weight it’s best not to get your calories delivered to your door in a greasy cardboard box.

Try this great recipe for a delicious, low fat pizza that’s going to be ready faster than you could have it delivered.

By making your own healthy take away food you can control what goes in, and of course, what stays out.

An important note for pizza is not to go overboard with your toppings. Two to three good quality ingredients is a great option. Any more than this and the pizza tends to become a little sloppy.

Sometimes when you are trying to lose weight by following a healthy eating plan, life throws up a challenge to test you. This happened to me recently when a good friend visited from out of town and invited everyone to meet for lunch at the local pub.

I groaned inwardly as I thought of the high calorie, deep fried foods that would be on the menu. Self-control is all well and good, but when a plate of chips is sitting in front of me my will power can get a little shaky.

It’s come to our attention that Christmas is practically on top of us already. How did that happen? It seems like Chrissie 2011 was only a couple of months ago!

You’ve worked hard all year to lose weight, follow a healthy eating plan and exercise regularly but Christmas can often put us to the test.

Parties, get togethers and long lunches, not to mention the day itself, can make November and December one long eating and drinking frenzy that can threaten do undo all the good work you’ve achieved.

There’s something about weekends and brunch that just works so well together. In our house, brunch is definitely more ‘breakfast’ than ‘lunch’ with an early bird nine month old who needs his morning sleep by 9.45am.

None the less, heading out with the family for a bite to eat is a great way to start the weekend.

With the weather heating up, BBQ season is almost upon us. There’s nothing like gathering with a group of friends to enjoy a cool drink and some delicious summer food.

Unfortunately, the humble BBQ is a prime location for best laid weight loss plans to go awry.

The thing with BBQ’s is that they tend to go for an extended period of time. Forget walking in, ordering, eating and heading home, like you’d do at a restaurant.

It’s not unusual for a BBQ to begin in the late afternoon and still be going strong late into the evening, offering hours of opportunity for your healthy eating plan to be sabotaged.

When we follow a healthy eating plan or are trying to lose pregnancy weight we all need to drink at least two litres of water per day – and many of us choose to supplement our water intake with drinks such as tea, coffee, soft drinks and maybe even a glass or two of wine every now and again.

But what you might not realise is that your favourite beverages could contain lots of hidden calories, fat and sugar – which could seriously de-rail your healthy eating and pregnancy weight loss plans. This is especially true in the summer, as we tend to consume more fruit juices and soft drinks throughout the hot months as a means of cooling down.

Alcohol can play havoc with your weight loss because it is not just a normal food or drink product.

Alcohol is metabolized completely differently to other foodstuffs, which means that when alcohol is present in your body, calories from food and drink are not broken down as easily, which can cause weight gain.

When alcohol is consumed, as soon as it reaches your liver, it gets immediate attention from your digestive system. If you drink very quickly, your liver cannot process all of the alcohol in one go, leaving it to be dealt with by other bodily systems – hence the feeling of being drunk.

Thai food is well known for being super flavourful – flavour combinations in Thai cuisine are often surprising and sweet, spicy, bitter and sour flavours are often found together on the same plate. There are plenty of healthy options, for those following a weight loss plan including vegetable and noodle based dishes, as well as steamed chicken or fish, but there are also plenty of fattening curries full of coconut milk and cream.

Fried foods are also in abundance on a Thai restaurant menu so you should steer clear of these.

Top tips what to eat and what to avoid at a Thai restaurant.

• If you’re a fan of spring rolls, try summer rolls instead. They are basically the same as spring rolls – vegetables and rice noodles enveloped in rice paper, but they are steamed instead of fried meaning that you get all the flavour of the vegetables and flavourings but without the fat. Satay chicken, game or tofu is also an excellent choice for a starter – the protein itself is very low in fat and full of flavour, and although the sauce/marinade contains peanuts, they are rich in heart-healthy fats making them a healthy choice.

At Lose Baby Weight we have looked at the top types of restaurants and take away foods and what you can eat that won’t harm your weight loss plan. Today, we look at Chinese food.

The Chinese people are known for being healthy individuals and that is due mostly in part to their diet, as well as their lifestyle. Their diet is low in fat, high in protein and vegetables and also high in healthy carbohydrates. But Chinese food in Australian Chinese restaurants is not authentic and as such often has lots of hidden extra ingredients that are more suitable for the Australian palate, meaning you’ll find plenty of corn-flour thickened sauces and lots of deep fried and sugary foods.