Ways and means to stay trim

Blossoms, nodding daffodils and leaping lambs are the things of spring - as are lattes in the sun, lazy brunches and long lunches as we come out of winter hibernation.
But with summer hard on the heels of spring, those who have put on a few extra kilos over winter will be watching their waistlines.
Eating out can be detrimental to your diet but with a bit of know-how you can still socialise without losing the spring in your step.
It's all about making smart choices and not being afraid to ask for what you want, says Tauranga dietitian Fiona Boyle.
If you are in a cafe and are tempted by a meat pie, go for one with a potato topping, as most of the fat content is in the pastry, says Fiona, of Food Solutions. Better still would be a filled roll, which has around 9g of fat, compared to 36g in a pie (the equivalent of two tablespoons).
If you can't resist something from the pie warmer, try a savoury in a bread casing or something with filo pastry, which is often a lower-fat option. And wait until you have had your savoury before ordering your sweet - you may decide you don't want it. "If it's not on your tray you're not going to eat it."
When it comes to eating out, size really does matter. Portions are much larger than they used to be 20 years ago, Fiona says.
For instance, in 1987 an average sausage roll contained 879 kilojoules of food energy, compared to 1423 kilojoules in 2004. Cupcake energy has doubled from 585 kilojoules to 1170 kilojoules.
"Try to look at the overall size. If you wouldn't eat that volume normally try to leave something on your plate. Do you really need that volume or would three-quarters suffice?
"We live in an environment that if you've paid for it you're going to eat it all. If it's something you think about before you start it's easier to do."
Avoid chips with your meal (the thinner the chip, the fattier they are) and opt instead for baked, roasted or mashed potato, or another carbohydrate like rice.
If you order fish, pan-fried or crumbed is a better choice than battered and tomato-based pasta sauces are kinder to your hips than their creamy counterparts.
Where feasible ask for sauces on the side so you can be discerning about the amount you use and steer clear of having breads and dips as starters.
"It's easy to say yes as soon as you sit down but they're not necessary."
While desserts by their very nature screamed calories, not all were created equal. "The higher the fruit content, hopefully the lower the fat content," says Fiona.
"Sorbets are a great alternative to ice-cream and sharing a dessert can be quite useful as well."
People also need to be mindful of what they drink, she says.
"You can get a lot of calories and sugar from different drinks."
If you are having a coffee ask for trim milk and if you are having a bottle of wine with dinner make sure there is also water on the table.
"You are more likely to alternate if there are two drinks in front of you."
Tomato juice and sparkling water are good alternatives to juice and fizzy drinks.
And be mindful of hidden extras.
"Ask lots of questions. What does it come with? How big is it? Is it available in entree size?
"If you can spot the obvious things it helps minimise the hidden things."
But it is also important to keep things in perspective, says Fiona.
If you are going out for a treat, then make it a treat. "Think about how often you eat in these situations.
"If you eat out very frequently you need to put pretty good care into your choices, but if you're perhaps going for a big celebration and you don't go out very often then go out and enjoy yourself."
Survival in the midst of temptation
As the editor of two glossy magazines and the wife of a politician, Natalie Bridges spends much of her time flitting from event to event.
And with each event comes a tempting menu of delectable delights.
From sausage rolls to deep fried camembert, she constantly faces the decision - to eat or not to eat?
So how does she keep herself looking as glamorous as her lifestyle?
By eating what she wants - in moderation.
"When I obsess about it my weight fluctuates. If I just relax around it and eat what I like in the right portions ... that's how I run my diet," says Natalie.
"If you deny yourself you can end up bingeing. If I'm craving chocolate I have a square or two and if I want an icecream I have one and move on."
Learning to moderate their snacking was, however, something she and husband Tauranga MP Simon Bridges learned the hard way.
"It's a trick for young players. When we started we put on quite a bit of weight," she says.
"Everywhere you go you there's another coffee, another biscuit, another snack. It's the nibbly bits ... that's when you put on weight, when you're snacking a lot. You have a snack here and a snack there, and before you know it you've had your calories for the day."
With their errant lifestyles they try to make healthy choices when they can.
"Grabbing snacks on the move is one of the difficulties for Simon and I. Eating on the go can be quite hard," says Natalie.
"Tauranga is quite health conscious. A lot of places have little salad boxes where you can get a little bit of salad and pasta ... and then there's good old Subway. We like that sort of stuff.
"There are usually healthy options on a menu. You have to choose or not choose them. We are a huge fan of burgers, like everyone else, but we have to be careful."