'I'm a dietician - there's an item you need to remove from your dinner table if you want to lose weight'

For those who want to slim down, the expert recommended implementing a no phones at mealtimes rule. Keep your mobile off the dinner table.

While it is difficult to break the habit of taking your phone out when eating, Abbey suggested that it can work wonders.

She said: "We know that distractions like phones, tablets and TVs make listening to our body's hunger and fullness cues really hard."

The expert pointed to a journal published in the National Library of Medicine entitled "Smartphone use while eating increases caloric ingestion".

Here, the research found that "eating with distractors increased approximately 15 per cent caloric ingestion".

Abby explained that this is because we aren't registering emotionally while we eat.

According to the dietician, eating while scrolling or mindlessly watching TV can "strip our food of its sensual satisfaction" - not to mention "interfering with the social benefit of a family meal".

Eating without distraction lends itself to mindful eating. Experts at The Slimming Clinic recommend that people who are struggling with their weight practise this.

Mindful eating may involve spending the first five minutes of each meal in silence.

Another mindful eating practice could be to set a timer for 20 minutes and eat during this full window, rather than wolfing down food.

Eating with loved ones around a table as opposed to on your own with your phone in hand is a good way to achieve this.

As well as advising slimmers to put their phones away during mealtimes, dietician Abbey Sharp also told slimmers to up their protein intake.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• 'I lost 13st - a common daily habit makes it harder to lose weight'
• Women over 50 told of 4 ways to lose weight that don't involve what you eat
• 'I lost 8st in one year - the key to seeing results is a specific routine'

She recommended enjoying protein sources at every meal and most snacks. The expert explained that protein is "king in the satiety hierarchy".

She said: "We know how important maintaining lean muscle mass is for metabolism, weight management and longevity as we age.

"We also know that focussing on protein is really important when we're in a caloric deficit."

She pointed to another journal in the National Library of Medicine that found that people consume 4,000 calories less when their protein intake went from 15 per cent to 30 per cent of calories."

The expert recommended slimmers consume between 20g to 30g of protein per sitting. Experts at Harvard Medical School said: "A weight-based recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 0.8 grams per kg of body weight. For a 140lb person, that comes to 51g of protein each day. Active people - especially those who are trying to build muscle mass - may need more."