There is nothing more difficult than trying to find that thin person who is struggling to get out, especially when you are used to sedating him/her with 3 or 4 cupcakes on your mid-morning break. So how do you lose the pounds without losing your work colleagues at the same time?

Some may say that it is easier to give in and blame it on everyone else rather than make a few lifestyle changes to keep everyone happy. Although, it may feel as though workers want you to fail at your diet, they are more likely to ask you out for lunch purely because they do not want you to feel isolated or excluded. This is great for your mental well-being as it proves that your friends like you with or without the extra pounds!

When colleagues ask you out for lunch don't make it a knee jerk reaction to say "no" just because you cannot order the same things as them. When the word "no" is repeated too often, people start to get the message and those work friends who were once close, start to become more and more distant. Instead, there are three ways that you can deal with this situation.

I'd love to come out with you another day - instead of dismissing every invitation for lunch, you could simply let your colleagues down gently by explaining that you have already prepared a packed lunch or that you are meeting someone.

Alternatively, you could keep your diet to yourself and explain that you are going to skip pub lunches as you are saving for a holiday or something else. This way you are still in control of your diet without offending anyone. But rather than deny yourself any time with your co-workers you could turn this negative statement into something positive by asking them if they would like to join you for a coffee later on in the day or if they would like to share a packed lunch in the park on Thursday or Friday, this way you can prepare your meals according to your diet and stretch your legs with your friends.

If you would like to eat out with your friends, it could be a good idea to conduct some background research into finding out if the pub or restaurant they like to frequent has dishes on the menu which will suit your diet plan. This way, you can still enjoy the company of your work colleagues and psychologically, will not feel as though you are on a diet. Then you can have a pleasant hour away from the office with great company and comfortable surroundings...all good stuff.

Restaurants nowadays are becoming more and more accommodating when it comes to adapting recipes for different diets. In many instances, the chef will be prepared to make changes to an order rather than risk losing the customer, so don't be afraid to ask. You may be surprised to find that a restaurant you thought was off bounds could be your favourite place.

Come clean. The biggest mistake you can make is not letting your co-workers know that you are on a diet for fear that they will be non-supportive. In contrary, your work friends are more likely to support you if they know that you are watching your calorie intake. In fact, you could even encourage others to trim the waistline an inch or two! Another tactful approach is to lose the word 'diet'. Everyone hates this word and the negative connotations associated with it. So, rather than confess that you are "on a diet" try explaining that you have decided to eat more healthily. With obesity, heart disease and the risk of diabetes, work colleagues may even find themselves questioning their own unhealthy food choices.

So now that you have covered lunch time, how do you deal with the rest of the day?

Research has shown that office workers are more likely to consume chocolate when it is within eye range. If your office has a jar filled with biscuits or chocolate, try putting one within eye range which is loaded with fresh fruit.

Its cookie time! Not for you it isn't...while the rest of the office have opened up a packet of biscuits and are busy dunking their double chocolate chips into hot, steaming tea, you need to swap that cup of tea for a cup of soup. That way you can resist the custard cream temptation and still enjoy a hot drink with your work colleagues. No-one will think you are odd for not wanting to dunk a gingernut into your low calorie chicken soup!

Let's take it outside. The boss has been on your case all day, the phone hasn't stopped ringing and you desperately need a chocolate fix wrapped up in some serious comfort eating. Instead of going to the ladies, step outside for a couple of minutes or take a walk to the coffee pot. This helps to release those feelings of overwhelm and panic.

Put on a happy face. The computer has been freezing all day, you've had to work with Sweaty Steve from accounts and you want to take it out on a nice greasy jam doughnut. Resist the urge by turning that frown upside down. Instead of grimacing at Steve, try giving him a beaming smile. He may not recognise you with that 'new look' but it really will change your mood and when you think about those calories that you have resisted, you will actually end up feeling as good on the inside as you do on the outside!

I'll do it all tomorrow. The dreaded report that you have put off for weeks needs to be submitted tomorrow, that long and detailed email you need to send to an irate customer has to be composed today or you have to chase that awkward customer for an unpaid invoice...this calls for some much needed pacifying in the form of crisps! What do you do? It would be so easy to walk to the corner store, reach for the cheese and onion and crunch away those tasks you hate...but they will still be there when the last crumb has been savoured.

Instead, approach them slowly. Start by opening up the email from that customer and reading through the points, decide that you will only write the first paragraph and go back to it later, before you know it, you will have fought the urge to procrastinate and will have thrashed out that email in half the time it took you to face up to it.

The gym will still be there in the morning...granted, you have made it through a full day of sticking to your diet. The last thing you want to do is head off to the gym, even though you know it always works away those cobwebs and leaves you feeling more invigorated. Instead of saying no to the gym, promise yourself that you will go but you will only stay for five minutes. By the time you have changed your clothes and started warming up, you are likely to stay and complete your full workout.

Don't ruin it at the end. So now you have made it though the working day and had a pleasant workout. The trick now is to keep this up when you arrive home. It can be too easy to sit in front of the TV, thinking about a nice piece of cake to go with that cuppa but think about all the hard work that you put in throughout the day and you are more likely to swap that cake for a low fat yogurt or a chocolate mousse. This way you still have something sweet and satisfying but with less calories. Why not introduce the fruit bowl to the coffee table? You could even add some dried fruit and nuts. Now you are more likely to become absorbed in your favourite movie whilst munching on a nice piece of dried apple, simply because the dried apple is within eye range.

A glass of wine is certainly not the way to wind up a perfectly healthy day. If you have a tendency to reach for a glass or two at the end of the day, replace your wine glass with a mug of hot chocolate and take a warm, relaxing bath. This is much more likely to send you off to sleep so as you can wake to another easy day of maintaining a naturally healthy diet with little effort.