FROM the moment you wake up to the minute you go to bed, you can make every hour count in your mission to slim down and get your health back on track.

Here’s how to start, fill and end your day, feeling satisfied while making food choices that can help you meet your weight loss goals.

7am: Grab a glass

The moment you wake up, down a large glass (approx. 500ml) of water. 

As well as freshening your breath after eight dry hours of slumber – dehydration being one of the leading causes of halitosis – it’ll help kick-start your metabolism and stave off hunger pangs later, says Anita Bean, author of Food For Fitness (A&C Black). 

“It’ll help your body absorb water-soluble vitamins later – add a slice or two of lemon to boost your digestive system and add some flavour,” she says.

7.30am: Fry up

Skip breakfast at your peril – and pile the protein on your plate. 

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A US study of overweight teens found those who ate a high-protein breakfast consumed on average 400 fewer calories each day than those who either skipped breakfast or had a regular, carb-heavy meal. 

“Protein activates the body’s signals which curb appetite, reducing overeating and cravings later,” says Anita. 

Credit a drop in the hunger hormone ghrelin and a rise in the hormones which signal to your body you’re full. 

Load your plate with two poached eggs, a grilled tomato, baked beans, and two rashers of grilled bacon – a guilt-free ‘full English’ that will super-charge you for later.

8am: HIIT

There’s no need to head to the gym to start torching calories. 

“Do four, 20-second intervals of full-body exercises such as squats, star-jumps or press-ups, with 10 second rests between each set,” says Matt Punscheon, head trainer at LA Fitness (lafitness.co.uk). 

“This kind of high-intensity training – or HIIT – jump-starts your metabolism so your body keeps burning calories throughout the day.” 

Focus on your form, and try to beat your total done in the allocated time each day, he says. 

“This should only take a few minutes, and it can be done anywhere, by anyone – work at your level, and enjoy the glow of completing each session,” says Matt. 

9am: Sink 500ml of skimmed milk

In one University of Tennessee study, regular exercisers who consumed an extra 1,200mg of calcium daily lost an average of 10 extra kilos in six months. 

It showed calcium stored in fat cells plays a crucial role in regulating how fat is processed and stored by the body. 

The more calcium there is in a fat cell, the more fat the cell will burn – and the greater the weight loss. 

“Calcium prevents the storage, and increases the break-down, of fat at a cellular level,” says Anita. 

Skimmed milk provides the same vitamins and minerals as whole milk — with almost no fat. 

Because the fat portion of whole milk doesn’t contain calcium, you can lose the fat without losing any calcium.

11am: Graze

Grab a protein-rich snack, like a handful of unsalted nuts, or some peanut butter spread on apple slices. 

By preventing your blood sugar from dipping too low between meals, you'll have a more stable insulin response – aka fewer hunger pangs and less over-eating. 

“When there's a large surge of insulin released after a big meal or after a lot of carbs, it can promote more fat storage than if you eat regular, smaller meals," says Anita. 

“Snacking’s only bad if you eat the wrong foods.”

1pm: Max your minerals

Lunch on a spinach salad with mackerel and flaked almonds. 

“They’re all rich in magnesium which your body needs to fire-up its metabolism,” says Anita.  

A 2013 US study found taking higher amounts of magnesium helps better control insulin and glucose blood levels. 

The same study also showed magnesium helps with bloating and water retention.

2.30pm: Go green

Swap your builders’ brew for green tea to help burn fat. 

Dutch biochemists found green tea extract contains a compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which – when combined with the caffeine in green tea – helps boost fat oxidation and resting metabolic rate by up to 20%. 

In tests, just two cups a day helped burn almost 600 extra calories a week.

4pm: Slurp soup

Make your next mini-meal a chicken soup. 

US researchers found it helped dieters lose an extra 2lb a week when slurped twice daily, thanks to its high protein and water – and low fat – content. 

Try Covent Garden’s new Classic chicken soup, packing just 140 cals per 280g bowl (£1.65 from Tesco).

6pm: Hit the road

Get your heart racing for your main cardio fix of the day.

“Your body temperature and other physical parameters reach a peak in the early evening, meaning warmer, more flexible muscles, greater strength and stamina and faster reaction times,” says Andy Wadsworth, elite cycling trainer with bwcycling.co.uk and former World X-Terra Triathlon Champion. 

“Choose whatever cardio exercise works for you – swimming, jogging, even brisk walking.” 

Try the NHS Couch to 5k program if you’re lacking inspiration (www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/)

7.30pm: Go fishing

“Your body's digestive processes are working at full power now,” explains Anita. 

“You’ll be able to digest food properly and won’t be over-eating as your blood sugar should still be sufficiently elevated.” 

Try salmon with soy, honey and sesame seeds with mixed peppers and noodles for a metabolism-boosting, low-fat hunger tamer.

10pm: Soak

“A hot bath tricks your body into cooling down more rapidly when you get out, which leads to deeper, restorative stage 4 sleep,” says Professor Jim Horne from Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre.

 “You’ll digest your food more efficiently and wake up feeling more refreshed.”

10:30pm: Sip Horlicks

The hot milky drink is packed with sleep-inducing tryptophan. 

And fit some black-out blinds to guarantee minimal disruption.

“Insufficient sleep causes spikes in the stress hormone cortisol and disturbs your blood sugar, leading to over-eating the following day,” says Anita.

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