'I'm a nutritionist - a protein-rich diet can be the answer to losing weight'

She said: "There is not one food that generates weight loss alone; as a nutritional therapist, I steer people away from looking for silver bullet solutions and towards thinking more about their overall diet.

"The combination of foods and how and when they are consumed is a key factor for managing health and weight loss."

The expert encouraged people to include a multitude of different foods but with a particular focus on protein.

She said: "Protein slows down the release of sugars after a meal which reduces insulin spikes which means less sugar gets stored as a fat.

"It will also leave you feeling more satisfied after a meal. Protein contributes to lean muscle growth and the more muscle we have the better our metabolism will be."

Knowing how to get your protein in your diet can be complicated but the expert outlined a series of foods which are excellent for protein intake.

Great foods with high levels of protein:

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Eggs
• Tofu
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Bone broth
• Quinoa
• Grass-fed beef or lamb
• Feta cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Milk
• Kefir
• Greek yoghurt
• Salmon
• Cod
• Mackerel
• Prawns

The expert advised: "Including a protein powder in a breakfast smoothie can be a useful way of increasing protein intake and switching away from sugar-laden cereals.

"A high protein and high fibre breakfast will set you up for a better day in terms of energy, mood and blood sugar which will make resisting less beneficial foods easier."

Joanna recommended fibre for its ability to balance blood sugar levels and help people feel fuller. When people indulge on a weight loss journey, they feel they need to remove all their macronutrients. Joanna said this is not the case and encouraged people to include more fibre in their diets.

She said: "The majority of adults do not consume enough fibre each day. We get fibre from plant-based foods, which means consuming a range of vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and rices with each meal.

"Fruit is also an important fibre provider and is best consumed with breakfast alongside a source of protein to prevent blood sugar spikes from the sugar."

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It is important to cut out certain foods from your diet as well like ultra-processed foods due to the empty calories they possess.

The expert said: "Reducing UPFs (ultra-processed foods) is a good thing for everyone to consider and particularly in weight management.

"UPFs are less nutrient-dense than whole foods which means that you eat more of them! These empty calories are high in sugars, sweeteners and useless or even harmful ingredients that will make weight loss harder.

"When we consume UPFs instead of real food it will impact the health of our gut, our mood and metabolism."