Fed up counting kilojoules or measuring fat grams when you want to lose weight? Try these easy weight-loss tips and you could lose up to three kilos in a month.

1. Eat the lowest kilojoule foods on your plate first

Then by the time you get to the fattening stuff you'll feel fuller. ‘With fish and chips, people always eat the chips first - but focusing on the fish will fill you up faster with good food and cut the amount you eat,' says nutritionist Johnathon Holmes from Melbourne's Dietetic Weightloss. Even better, lift your vegies or salad off the plate and consume them separately five to 10 minutes before your main course. Studies found that you'll consume around 17 per cent less of the next course if you do - that's around 420kJ per meal.

2. Boil, scramble or poach for breakfast

Those who eat eggs in the morning feel fuller than other breakfasters, have more energy and also consume less food and kilojoules over the rest of the day, according to studies by Dr Nikhil Dhurandhar.

3. Swap pasta or rice for shirataki noodles

These high-fibre noodles, made from the konnyaku plant, contain virtually no kilojoules, so swapping rice or pasta for them will save 1260kJ per serving - a weight loss of 0.3kg a week if you eat it three times. Find shirataki (aka elephant yam, konjac or konnyaku) noodles in Asian supermarkets.

4. Leave three bites at every meal US experts estimate this cuts the amount you eat at every meal by about 315kJ, which leads to a weight loss of around 8kg a year. Nutritionist Johnathon Holmes says a glass of water or herbal tea after eating makes it easier. ‘It switches off your brain from thinking it's going to get more food,' he says.

5. Sniff yourself thin

US researchers found sniffing peppermint every two hours cuts hunger and shrinks the amount of kilojoules you consume by 23 per cent - enough to trigger weight loss of nearly 1kg a week. Peppermint isn't the only scent that works. Aromatherapist Karen Seinor says to try grapefruit. ‘It connects us to a real sense of power,' she explains. And when that's engaged motivation soars, making it far easier to eat healthily.

6. Use the fibre-filled rule

Created by Dr Steven Schnur, author of The Get Real Diet, it means upping fibre intake and restricting packaged food to kinds with at least 2g of fibre per 380kJ. ‘The slimmest, healthiest people in the world have one thing in common - they eat a lot of fibre,' he says. Fibre fills you up so you don't overload on high-fat food, and blocks absorption of some fat and carbs. Consuming 30g of fibre a day may flush away up to 500kJ a day.

7. Confuse your tastebuds

Stop sugar cravings in their tracks by eating something salty instead, says Spero Tsindos from the Australian Naturopathic Practitioners Association. Swap an afternoon chocolate bar for four olives and you'll save an average of 820kJ every day - a weight loss of 0.4kg a week. It works the other way too - if you're craving salty chips, have something sweet but healthy such as fruit instead.

8. Put your fork down between bites

US researchers found that people who do this, and chew each mouthful well, enjoy their food more and eat less of it - cutting consumption by around 280kJ at every meal, which will see you lose around 1.7kg a month.

9. Get the right mix

Meals should only have small amounts of protein and carbs, and unlimited vegies. The easiest way to do this is with the Diet Plate, which has measured portion sizes for protein, starches and even sauces painted on it. A Canadian study found people lost weight - and diabetics decreased medication - simply by using it. Visit www.thedietplate.com.

10. Add herbs and spices

In a US study, people who ate super-tasty food lost 15 times more weight than those eating bland fare - an average of 2.5kg a month. The extra taste makes you feel fuller faster, and also livens up healthy foods such as tofu, rice and vegies, making you more likely to eat them.

By Helen Foster