In fact, the promise of summer is enough to motivate one person in five to diet. But for every individual who starts a diet on Monday morning a good many will find themselves blowing it by Friday night. It’s easy to blame the diet but, more often than not, it’s because we’ve picked a plan that’s at odds with our lifestyle.
The key to success is finding a diet that we can slot into our schedules rather than trying to change the way we live to accommodate a new menu. But knowing what diet will suit us isn’t always easy. That’s where we come to the rescue.
We’ve trawled through all the diets from the past 40 years to find the best ones to suit you, whatever your way of life. And while some simply offer a quick fix to help you look great on the beach, others are good for following in the long term.
BUSY MUM
You don’t have much time to cook and you probably can’t be bothered to prepare one meal for the family and a separate “diet” meal for yourself.
Your perfect diet The 80/20 diet
This diet is based on healthy eating and is a great choice for all the family. In just six months, it has sold 30,000 copies.
How it works You eat healthily for 80 per cent of the time and indulge for the remaining 20 per cent. This translates as eating well for six days each week and having one day off to enjoy your favourite foods. Ultimately, it works to cut out all the junk — and all the corresponding calories — so that you lose weight.
Why it will suit you Everyone in the family will benefit from eating healthily so you won’t need to cook separate meals for yourself. As treats are allowed, no one should feel deprived. It also teaches children that it’s fine to enjoy fatty and sugary foods in small amounts.
Stumbling blocks You still eat small amounts of your favourite foods on your “day off”. Munching on crisps, chocolate, curries and slurping wine can undo any calorie savings you’ve made in the previous six days.
My verdict One of the most sensible approaches to dieting. It’s a good idea to adopt the 80/20 way of eating once you’ve shifted those pounds, too.
More information The 80/20 Diet, by Teresa Cutter (Murdoch Books, £12.99)
SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
You love socialising but this usually involves eating and drinking — and it’s rude to refuse. You don’t, however, enjoy your expanding waistline but can’t bear to forgo your favourite treats to lose weight.
Your perfect diet WeightWatchers
This slimming club began in the early Sixties when an overweight housewife, Jean Nidetch, invited friends to her New York home to discuss how to lose weight. Now 1.8 million households in the UK are hooked.
How it works WeightWatchers promotes a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet based on a daily points allowance, which takes away the need to worry about counting calories or fat. You eat or drink whatever you like, providing you don’t consume more points than you are allowed. Weekly club meetings include a “weigh-in” and talk from the leader.
Why it will suit you No food is banned. Slimming clubs are also great if you love socialising, without the temptation of wine! But there’s also an online club if you don’t want the hassle of a weekly meeting.
Stumbling blocks It can be humiliating if you don’t lose weight or, worse, gain it. And if the diet doesn’t suit you, you’ll lose only pounds from your purse. A cheaper option is to calorie-count yourself. Set a daily allowance — say, 1,200 to 1,750 calories — then add up the calories of everything you eat (it is usually marked on food packets) making sure that you don’t go over your limit.
My verdict A good way to learn about eating healthily and to lose weight, whether you have pounds or stones to shift.
More information Call 08457 123000 for details of your nearest meeting, or log on to www.weightwatchers.co.uk
VEGGIE HEALTH FANATIC
You’re obsessed with all aspects of health, and that includes what you eat. But you still find it hard to shift the pounds.
Your perfect diet Detox diets
They offer only a quick fix but are undoubtedly popular, with Countdown queen Carol Vorderman Britain’s favourite detox guru. Meanwhile, Dr Gillian McKeith, the presenter of Channel 4’s You Are What You Eat, recommends a way of eating that’s not too dissimilar. They’ve both been criticised for being unqualified nutritionists and for spouting dodgy theories when it comes to health. But between them they’ve sold more than 1.5 million books.
How it works Advocates claim that detoxing helps us to lose weight by removing toxins caused by pollution, smoking, alcohol and caffeine. Most detox diets are vegetarian and ban dairy, wheat, processed foods, booze and coffee (although McKeith allows fish). Fruit, veg, beans, nuts, brown rice, herbal tea and water are allowed. Such severe food restrictions will limit your calorie intake dramatically so you will lose weight.
Why it will suit you A detox diet will help you to re-evaluate how healthy your diet really is and lets you experiment with nuts, seeds, beans, sprouts and herbal teas.
Stumbling blocks The science is dodgy — our liver, lungs and kidneys are perfectly capable of removing toxins. Cutting out major food groups may leave you short on nutrients in the long term. Side-effects, including fatigue, sickness and headaches, are common at the start.
My verdict If you want to try a detox diet, follow it for just two weeks to de-junk your diet and get into the fruit and veg habit. Then switch to a longer-term, balanced diet that contains a wider variety of foods.
More information Carol Vorderman’s Detox for Life: The 28 Day Detox Diet and Beyond (Virgin Books, £10.99), You Are What You Eat, by Dr Gillian McKeith (Penguin/Michael Joseph, £14.99)
SHIFT WORKER
Varied working hours mean that you don’t have a standard routine and so grab unhealthy snacks rather than proper meals — and this has piled on the pounds.
Your perfect diet Slimfast
Research shows that meal replacements together with medical supervision can help obese people to lose weight. Nevertheless, this popular meal-replacement brand offers a quick fix for shifting those pounds fast and is estimated to have made £40 million in sales during 2004.
How it works In effect, this is a no-fuss way to reduce your calorie intake so that you lose weight. You replace two meals each day with nutritionally balanced milkshakes, soups, smoothies or meal bars, each containing 200-220 calories. For your remaining meal you eat a normal healthy dish. Snack bars are available to replace snacks.
Why it will suit you The meal replacements are portable, hassle-free and require no cooking — the soups simply need to be heated and the powder shakes mixed with skimmed milk. You won’t need to think about food, removing the temptation to buy unhealthy snacks and meals.
Stumbling blocks It’s expensive, boring and does little to encourage you to replace the bad eating habits that made you gain weight with healthier ones that will stick for life.
My verdict If you want to give it a go, set yourself a short timescale and start learning about healthy eating so that you don’t go back to bad habits when you come off the drinks.
More information www.slimfast.co.uk
GOLDEN OLDIE
You worry about your health and are prone to constipation. But with more time to snack and cook, it’s hard to lose weight.
Your perfect diet The F-Plan diet
This multimillion-selling diet was hugely popular in the Eighties and was the first of its kind to recommend a healthy, high-fibre, low-fat diet. The F2 diet, an updated version, was launched this year.
How it works Like the original, the F2 diet is high in fibre but limits fat. It also recommends low glycaemic load foods and probiotics to boost levels of good bacteria. The fibre fills you up and prevents you feeling hungry, while low-fat intakes slash calories. Meat and cheese are limited; home-made veggie soups, salads, fruit and wholegrains are in abundance.
Why it will suit you It’s based on gimmick-free, healthy eating A good fibre intake keeps your digestive system working properly, prevents constipation and reduces the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Stumbling blocks Excessive wind is common, particularly at first. Constipation can still occur if you don’t drink more fluids. And it may be low in iron as red meat intake is limited.
My verdict A good choice for eating well to lose weight and in the long term, but don’t be afraid to eat lean red meat every so often to boost your iron intake.
More information The F2 Diet, by Audrey Eyton (Bantam Press, £12.99)
ENERGY JUNKIE
You love sport and exercise. But you often undo all your good work by eating to boost flagging energy levels, often experienced after exercise or mid-afternoon.
Your perfect diet The glycaemic load (GL) diet
This new diet is the next step on from the glycaemic index (GI) diet, which is popular with about two million Brits.
How it works The GI diet looks at the effect that carbohydrate-rich foods have on blood sugar levels. The GL also considers the amount of carbs found in a typical serving of a food. This means that some foods with a high GI such as watermelon have a low GL because they contain only small amounts of carbs in a typical serving. In contrast, foods with a low GI such as pasta have a moderate to high GL because they contain a lot of carbs in a typical serving. Choosing low GL carbs such as fruit, veg, beans and oats, slowly releases sugar into the blood, providing a steady supply of energy that prevents hunger. Avoiding high GL carbs such as doughnuts, white bread and cornflakes prevents an immediate, but short-lived, rise in blood sugar that leaves you lacking in energy, hungry and searching for another carb fix to perk you up.
Why it will suit you Keeping blood sugar levels steady provides sustainable energy, so that you get more from your workouts without constant snacking.
Stumbling blocks You’ll still need to think about what you’re eating otherwise you could OD on fat and calories, making it hard to lose weight.
My verdict When combined with a low-fat intake, it’s a great way to lose weight.
More information The GL Diet, by Nigel Denby (John Blake, £7.99)
EMOTIONAL EATER
You eat out of habit and when you’re bored, stressed, tired, lonely and unhappy. You hate your body and have dieted loads of times, but the weight always piles back on.
Your perfect diet Paul McKenna’s I Can Make You Thin
This is a fantastic approach for helping people to understand the way they think about food and themselves. Since its launch in January 2005, this book — together with the follow-up 90 Days Success Journal — has sold 663,000 copies.
How it works This will help to build your self-esteem. You’ll learn to recognise true hunger and reprogramme your attitudes. And then you’ll find it easier to control what you eat.
Why it will suit you You’ll start to like yourself and realise that food can’t change your emotions no matter how much you eat.
Stumbling blocks You’ll need to go elsewhere to learn about healthy eating.
My verdict A great choice for anyone who’s been stuck in a cycle of comfort eating and dieting for years.
More information I Can Make You Thin, by Paul McKenna (Bantam Press, £9.99)
WORKAHOLIC
Your job means that you frequently wine and dine clients, but all that rich food plays havoc with your waistline.
Your perfect diet The Atkins diet
It has been slammed by health professionals. Nevertheless, it was one of the most popular diets on record with about three million followers in the UK in the late Nineties.
How it works This high-protein diet cuts out carbs so your body switches to burning fat (a state called ketosis). Bread, potatoes, pasta and fruit are off limits, but meat, fish, cheese, cream and butter are allowed.
Why it will suit you You’ll find it easy to eat out as most menus include steak, fried fish and creamy sauces. Carb-rich bread and potatoes come as side dishes, so are easy to skip. And desserts can be swapped for cheese and a black coffee with cream.
Stumbling blocks This diet undoubtedly helps people to lose weight but, when followed in the long term, it may affect health. High-fat intakes increase the risk of heart disease, while excessive protein may cause kidney problems. Other side-effects include bad breath, nausea, constipation.
My verdict There are loads of healthier diets around that will help you to lose weight. But if you still want to give it a go, I recommend following this for only a couple of weeks. And use your common sense: for instance, make it healthier by choosing lean meat, grilling rather than frying, and skipping butter and cream.
More information Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution, by Dr Robert Atkins (Vermilion, £7.99)
Juliette Kellow is a registered dietitian and co-author of The 2006 Calorie, Carb and Fat Bible, with Rebecca Walton (Weight Loss Resources, £12.99)
TOP TIPS
You know you want to lose weight, but your heart isn’t quite in it. Need some help? The psychologist Dr Kerri McPherson, of Queen Margaret University College, in Edinburgh, offers advice.
GETTING STARTED
STICKING TO THE PLAN
KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF
Exercise is the only thing that has been proven to help people maintain their weight loss. It also helps to create a positive body image, so that you are more likely to work hard at maintaining your new figure.
