So lets face it if you've tried one diet plan you've most likely tried a hundred, why is that?

Sometimes they work other times they don't but what is it that makes it impossible to stick to them?

1) You're an adult the days of being told what to eat are long gone !

Anyone else remember sitting stubbornly in the school canteen resisting eating some sort of alien looking grey slop while the dinner ladies pretend to ignore you while you push that slop around hoping it will magically disappear or be snatched off the plate by a hungry entity, then the meanest dinner lady comes along, the one that nobody dares to mess with and before you know it you've got a plastic spoon and grey slop being rammed down your throat quicker than you can choke out a scream for help...please tell me it wasn't just me?

Home was also a place for forced feeding, my mother was one of the toughest, she knew I hated brussell sprouts so she made sure she served them up every damn week ( I still can't look at them now) I would spend hours (not exaggerating) in the dining room on my own refusing to eat those little balls of hell, unfortunately for me my mother was as stubborn as I was so sooner or later they had to be gone from my plate, that woman would even extend my bedtime to ensure that I ate them!

As time went on I became a pro at dispersing and disposing of the evil balls of hell, we didn't have a dog unfortunately (my children's favourite method of food disposal) so I had to be creative, smashing the little critters up and putting them in the bottom of my mothers pot plants was a firm favourite, she never could understand why her soil was going mouldy, then of course I was a kid so it was acceptable to drop one on the floor, of course I would roll it around a bit in carpet fluff to ensure that it was inedible, then my last stop was the downstairs loo (praise the lord we had a downstairs bathroom) given that I was spending pretty much several hours on my own in the dining room while the rest of the family lived out their lives in front of the tv I would smash up several balls of hell and flush down the loo, now trial and error taught me that I had to wrap them in loo roll because those little buggers float and/or stay at the bottom mocking me, I could only get away with one flush so I couldn't ditch them all there.

I also had to ensure that my disposal wasn't too quick or else it would be unbelievable that I had got through them, my mother was stubborn and suspicious (rightly so I suppose)

Anyway all of the above rigmarole gave me a firm sense of doing what the hell I wanted with food the minute I was old enough so now if somebody orders me to eat celery you know damn well I'm eating cream cakes instead...this could be why I have in the past struggled with my weight...however I think most people would agree that when you are told to do something it's a lot less enjoyable than just deciding to do it yourself.

2) Food plans can be expensive;

Most of us don't have hundreds of pounds to spend a week on food. In the past I've fed a family of 5 on £20, sure it wasn't easy but it was possible. Unfortunately junk foods are cheaper than fruit and healthier foods - sad but true.

Some good ways to cut costs is to buy tinned or frozen fruit and veg, they don't go off as quickly and with the case of frozen produce you just use as much as you need and put the rest back in the freezer, so no waste. However be careful of unhealthy syrups, added sugars and salts with tinned produce.

3) Food plans don't allow for social situations;

Ever been on a diet but then need to go out for a loved ones birthday, everyone else is tucking into pizza or lasagne and you're asking for the salad minus the dressing, and desert well it's not much fun watching everyone else tuck into hot chocolate sundaes while you twiddle your napkin is it!

A better option is to take a night off, if it's a special occasion one night in the grand scheme of things will not make much difference but make sure it's a cheat meal not a cheat festival. Make a deal with yourself beforehand ie. if you like sweet stuff forego the starter, have the main and a desert. If you love wine but aren't too fussed on the desert then have wine instead but set yourself a limit because regret can hurt more than heartburn !

4) Food plans are have no flexibility;

So picture this the food plan tells you that on day 3 you have to eat tuna on a rice cracker for lunch but your partner has left the rice crackers unwrapped and they've gone soft and fed the tuna to the cat because you ran out of cat food...no matter what you chose to take to work instead is going to feel like a cheat and psychologically you feel like you're failing which in turn is more likely to make you reach for something you shouldn't have because you think 'sod it I've already failed anyway!'

5) Food plans don't allow for cravings;

We only live once (as far as we know) so why sit down to a meal of something you don't want to eat?

When I actually looked at my eating habits I realised that when I ate something I wasn't in the mood for ie. using up stuff that needed using or eating something because another family member wanted it, if I didn't enjoy the meal I would keep eating afterwards to try and find my 'happy place'

Ever felt stressed and eaten a mountain of junk to make yourself feel better? The reason why you didn't just stop after one chocolate bar was because you weren't feeding hunger you were feeding emotions and it's the same with food disappointment, if you don't enjoy your food you are just going through the motions, you won't be satisfied and so you will keep eating until you find your happy.

Rather than totally denying yourself something that you really crave just work it into your own plan ie. you really want ice cream, ok have a small serving, eat it slowly, enjoy it, do NOT beat yourself up for eating it, accept that you wanted it and so you had it then go for a walk to a) stop yourself eating more things that aren't helpful to your goals and b) burn off some calories so that you don't need to feel any guilt.

Guilt free eating !

My 5 tips on how to stay on track with your goals;

1) Make it achievable - no silly fad diets, eating nothing but potatoes or apples for a week is a bad idea don't do it !

2) Do not deny yourself any reasonable desire - by reasonable I mean have the ice cream if you want it just don't have a whole tub !

3) Eat slowly and enjoy your food, enjoy the tastes, textures and smells. Eating slowly satisfies you more and you'll find that you eat less.

4) Think about what you want and need to eat - stop, think about it, what does your body need and what do you want? If you nourish your body it's less likely to crave food, if you enjoy your meal you are less likely to seek out something else.

If you've just done a big workout your body needs carbs and protein, if you've had a day of watching movies have something lighter.

5) Stop the guilt trip ! Our emotions strongly dictate our eating habits. Stop feeding your emotions. Think you are hungry? stop and think, when did I last eat? If it was a full Sunday roast 10 minutes ago then no you aren't hungry you are feeding an emotion, whether it's boredom, anxiety, loneliness...treat the problem not the symptom therefore if you are bored get up and do something (ideally something active, that will help you achieve your goals), lonely? Call a friend.

Think about what you need and what you want then look for the healthiest way to satisfy both of those needs.