The three times of day we break our healthy eating pattern

We start the day with the best of intentions, our iron resolution firmly in place - this is it.

However, come 11am, that porridge is a distant memory, and no tea round is complete without a chocolate biccie, right?! Well, it's not just you- according to research there are particular times of day when vulnerable dieters are most susceptible to giving in. Studies show that the biggest "snack-o-clock" times are 11:01, 3:14pm and 9:31pm (to be exact). According to Mail Online, a whopping 750 calories can be consumed during these periods, which will definitely curb any dieter's weight loss.

Lee Smith, managing director of Forza Supplements which commissioned the study, said:

"We are all becoming much more knowledgeable about nutrition and how to eat more healthily at traditional meal-times.

"It is at other vulnerable moments during the day - these snack o’ clocks - when all the damage is done".

So, how do we avoid these munchie moments?

Skipping breakfast is apparently the biggest culprit for the 11:01 hunger pangs, while stress is to blame for the 3:14pm pick-me-up.

Making sure to have a healthy, balanced breakfast should curb the pangs at 11am, and Smith advises avoiding coffee shops like the plague when it comes to the post-lunch slump.

He says: "It is pointless coming to work with a low-fat salad in a tupperware box if you are going to pop out to a coffee shop and wreck all that good work."

When it comes to the 9pm nibbles, hot drinks are usually a precursor to sugary snacks.

Lee advises to avoid the "will I put the kettle on?" moments in order to cut calories, which unfortunately, pertains to the work cuppa as well.

We can ALMOST imagine sacrificing the chocolate, but the tea? Don't take our tea!