Diet pick and mix

Being January there are of course a million different diet books filling the shelves of every bookstore in town with baffled shoppers trying to choose between them.

Now whilst I'm a big supporter of general healthy eating I do think exercising some discipline and sticking to a regime for a short period can be a good idea to kickstart weight loss and break unhealthy habits.

So if you have decided to embark on a diet how do you choose one?

Personally I think the reason why diets don't work for a lot of people is that they find them impossible to stick to. I'm sure if you stuck to the diet to the letter then most of these regimes would work - at least in the short term - the problem is alot of them leave people feeling deprived of their favourite foods, leaving them grumpy and fantasising about cheesecake or whatever it is they're missing.

If, like me, you love carbs then sticking to a low-carb diet is super difficult - that's why I prefer low GI diets that still let me enjoy pasta, rice and my beloved sweet potatoes. If, however, you love meat and the idea of going without steak makes you want to weep then a Mediterranean style low-carb diet may be the thing for you.

If you find yourself baffled in the book shop scan through for the list of permitted foods in each book and see if it includes foods you naturally enjoy ... if the list makes you frown or wretch or you don't even recognise half the items on there, chances are you won't be able to stick to it!

If you can't live without sugar then it's probably a good sign that you should give it up, but if it's more that you're a total foodie and the idea of not being able to indulge and have some treat foods then you may be best off following a fairly strict regime to the letter six days a week and then have one 'day off' where you can enjoy whatever you fancy (a good day to eat out).

It's also good to get creative - if there are any of your favourite meals that aren't allowed on your new regime can you adapt them so that they are? I've made low-GI gluten free apple pie, soy 'cheesecake' and vegan chocolate brownies to keep me on the straight and narrow - do any of them taste as good as the original? No, sadly not, but I still enjoyed them and stopped craving the originals.

Just remember most diets fail because they're so unappealing you can't stick to them - so find a regime that still allows you some of your favourite foods and it will be much easier to suceed.
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