Those of you who have access to the internet will know it is full of excellent and often free information and ideas.

There is an upside and a downside to this: There is so much material, it's hard to know what's genuine and what isn't.

If you don't quite know where to start, you'll often find reviews in the weekend newspapers.

For those of you without access to the internet, I suggest you take yourself off to your public library and ask someone to show you how to begin.

You can't afford to be left out of such an important part of our 21st-Century lives.

What has the internet got to do with weight loss? This week, I can think of two connections.

First of all, it's an excellent diversion from cravings. It keeps your hands and mind busy and prevents gratuitous eating.

The internet is a great place to get advice on your hobby, such as hints for the gardener, for "meeting" people with the same hobbies through chat rooms or playing a game online.

I often look to the internet for ideas. One of my favourite sites features the hypnotherapy guru Jurgen Wolff's newsletters at www.brainstormnet.com This week, he suggests a thought process called Change Your Shoes.

It involves looking at a situation from a variety of points of view.

This can be applied to any number of situations but I'm looking at how it might help you lose weight.

Here are a few examples: Let's say you're trying to park in the supermarket car park on a busy Saturday morning.

You see a spot and suddenly, as if from nowhere, someone else nips in.

Instead of getting hot under the collar, imagine this sneaky shopper has your interests at heart.

Think of it in terms of them giving you a reminder you should be parking at the entrance to the car park, as far away from the shops as possible, so you can get the benefit of some extra exercise.

Here's another example. If you're a regular reader of this column, you'll know I'm constantly suggesting you eat more slowly with the result that you'll eat less.

I often have clients who try this out and then moan that their food gets cold.

My suggestion is to use the "Change Your Shoes" approach.

Instead of bemoaning your cold food, imagine it is reminding you to assess whether or not you're still hungry.

If you decide you've had enough, you can put your knife and fork together and leave the rest without regrets.

In other words, the cold food is acting as a wonderful reminder that you don't need to clear your plate at every meal.

You should stop when you're satisfied and before you're stuffed.

Have fun practising looking at things differently, in different shoes, and you'll lose weight.

You can get support from Dr Judy Citron and her team of DietCoaches by joining her telephone weight-loss classes, right from your own home.

"You lose weight and you're not on a diet. It's amazing." Phone free for more information on 0800 074 0260 or visit the web site at www.thedietcoach.com