There are simple, general guidelines that we can all follow that will allow you to achieve and maintain the right weight for you. They are realistic and flexible enough to accommodate treats, special events and a social life!

Let\'s start with a reality check, though. Just as our height is determined by our genetic make-up, so then is our weight. You simply will not be able to beat your genetics!

If you are genetically programmed to be a size 12, you will never be able to maintain a size 8. You may be able to achieve it through a variety of unhealthy methods, but it will be impossible to maintain unless you devote your life to it. In doing so, you risk becoming physically ill to the point of malnutrition and even death. In addition, you risk developing an obsession which controls you life. Skinny does not suit you, unless you are naturally built that way.

A woman forcing herself to be thin in spite of her genetic makeup, does not a healthy woman make! That is reflected in her skin, her vitality, and her ability to engage socially.

Your body will continually try to get back to what it wants to be, genetically. If you set an unrealistic weight or try to implement a diet which does not satisfy your body\'s nutritional needs, including energy to maintain a genetic set weight, you will fail. You will lose weight in the short term, but it will return long term.

* A nutrition plan that helps you to lose excess weight, but maintain your ideal weight and meet your body\'s physical needs, will work; it will simply be a way of life that you begin to take for granted. *

A diet is a strategy to lose weight in the short term. Permanent, long term weight loss is the result of your lifestyle and is therefore something we can ALL achieve.

So, take a step back... Have a look at the average size of your family members, or at least pick one who is roughly the same height and who eats in a balanced manner. That will give you an indication of the sort of size you should aim to maintain. If there are no such family members, take a look at your frame, your height and your age and your weight pattern throughout your life. Without being extreme, set a realistic goal for your ideal weight and learn to accept and love that image.

Remember, it is not just how much someone weights... it is how vital they are, how confident they are, the condition of their skin and the form that their weight takes.

For instance, someone size 14 who does no exercise and whose flesh is lose and unshapely will look very different from someone of the same size, whose body is relatively toned. The thought that you may have to exercise to make the most of your weight and shape may seem off putting and even scary. It is worth remembering, however, that you will, by the time you are at a healthy weight, have more confidence and feel motivated to look after your body.

In addition, exercise that you take at that point will be for wellbeing and improvement, rather than for weight loss. The need to kill yourself doing horrible gym workouts, simply won\'t be there!

So, the sort of exercise that will improve tone and shape can be fun, such as salsa classes, and done only in moderation if you wish.

This is NOT a diet, it is a nutrition plan that will help you to reach your ideal weight and maintain it for life. If the goal is realistic and the guidelines are easy to follow, there simply will be reason to regain weight lost. It is worth pointing out that maintaining a realistic, healthy weight for life, will make you look and feel far more attractive permanently, than the fad diets which make you unhappy and slim for short periods.

Rather than weighing yourself, use your clothes and your eyes to guage your success. Notice a difference in your energy and your confidence and be motivated by them, not the scales. You are losing fat, not weight. Muscle and lean tissue, which can increase with health, weigh more than fat. The scales will show weight loss, but won\'t reflect the actual amount of fat you\'ve lost or how good you now look ... so don\'t bother with them.

With a healthy goal in mind, then, let\'s embark on the route to this ideal weight and sense of wellbeing!

A quick note on exercise

Any exercise is better than no exercise. The key to success is the same, however, as for food. You need to be able to integrate it into your lifestyle. A mixture of some exercise which gets your heart rate going and some exercise which tones your muscles is key.

This means that simple walking at a pace which makes you breathe a little heavier than usual and makes you slightly hot, just twice a week will suffice for your \"cardio\" work.

A walk outside can be fun, you can take in the scenery, and it can fit into your daily routine; leave 20 minutes early for work on two mornings and walk part of the way, for instance. A pilates session at home for 20 minutes once or twice a week will be cheap, not too time consuming and will help to build tone in your body. Basic pilates can be learnt by reading a book or viewing a DVD on the subject.

The only exercise you\'ll keep doing is one that you can genuinely integrate into your life. If fun is a motivator for you and you enjoy socialising, replace of your nights out with a salsa class. This will tick the same boxes as your other social activities, but will also tick the exercise box! (and group classes can be very inexpensive)

Your nutrition plan for life

The first lesson in good nutrition is listening to your stomach! Try to train yourself to focus on how empty or full your stomach feels. Change the focus of your hunger from your mouth and your need to taste or chew, to your tummy and energy levels. This will revolutionise how hungry you feel and when you are eating, the point at which you stop because you feel full.

The second and possible most important lesson in guaranteeing good nutrition is BALANCE.

If you are able to create variety in the colour of the food you eat and the types of food you eat, then you are on the road to success.

For instance, if you are able to vary your vegetable intake between salads and cooked vegetables, you will be getting a variety of different nutrients. You will also be forcing your body to cope with foods in different states, making them easier or harder to break down. This will kick start your system and increase your metabolism. The same goes for meat and fish; a good balance between the two is always the best option.

With those two general principles in mind, here are the other guidelines you need to follow on a daily basis:

* Do NOT leave more than three hours between eating: this will ensure that you are never so hungry that you over eat. It will also ensure that your body has a consistent source of energy, which will regulate blood sugar and encourage a good metabolism. It will free you up from cravings and free your mind from thinking of food. You\'ll be amazed at the effect this can have ... you will STOP CRAVING sweet things without even realising it;

* Eat three meals a day, with snack in between each meal: Using the THREE HOUR rule, make sure you have a meal sized breakfast, lunch and dinner, and plan small snacks in between. The snacks should be made up of a wide variety of foods, from a piece of fruit or cereal bar, to a yogurt;

* At each meal ensure there are a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and roughage: as a simple and easy to use rule of thumb, you should have a fist sized portion of each on your plate.

For breakfast, a standard bowl of cereal (carbs) with low fat milk (protein) and a piece of fruit (roughage) is perfect.

At lunch, for example, a salad with some dressing (roughage), some strips of smoke salmon (protein) and a bread role (carbs) is healthy and filling.

For dinner, a chicken stir-fry with stir-fry vegetables and noodles is nutritious and easy to cook.

The idea is, you fill up using a fist sized portion of each of the food groups. If you follow this simple rule for each meal, you will be providing your body with all the nutrients it needs. You will also fill up sufficiently to prevent you craving high sugar foods between your meal and your snack;

* Fats are GOOD: Fats form an essential building block for our bodies. Fats don\'t deposit in the body as fat. They break down into energy in the same way as all the other food groups. They simple provide more energy per gram that the other groups and should, therefore, be eaten in smaller quantities.

Do NOT, however, cut them out. This will mean you miss a major source of nutrition and will leave you craving food even though you are full because your body won\'t be satisfied.

You should include a small amount of fat in each meal. These may be part of the food you\'re eating, such as fat contained in milk (which is itself a protein), or you may add it separately.

An example of the latter is adding a spoon of salad dressing to your lunch or a spoon of oil to your stir-fry. Two tea spoons worth of added fat is roughly the proportion you should aim for, but try just to use your common sense ... sometimes you\'ll need more, sometimes less;

* Refined sugar should be avoided: Notice that I do not say that it should be banned. Treats are important to ensure you don\'t feel as though you are depriving yourself. Avoiding consuming refined (i.e. white) sugar on a regular basis is, however, sensible and should become part of your lifestyle.

This extends to the types of snacks you have; a chocolate bar once or twice a week is fine, but not for every snack!

The rule also applies to the carbs you chose for your mealtimes. For instance, chose whole grain cereals for breakfast and brown bread, pasta or rice (as opposed to white) for you lunch and dinner.

Again, this does not need to apply to EVERY meal, but just to the majority. This is because the darker colour carbs release their sugars more slowly and consistently than white ones. This will mean you stay full and satisfied until your next snack and that you have a steady stream of energy. Whiter carbs and sugars will give you a rush of energy, followed by a dip that will leave you craving more food.

* Remember that all the guidelines above should be applied to your life for the MAJORITY of the time *

They do NOT need to apply 100% of the time; we are trying to create a lifestyle that is flexible and NOT RESTRICTIVE so that you can stick to it long term.

So, if you go to the cinema or a birthday party, of course you can have some popcorn or a piece of cake. You can\'t stop living just to stay slim!

And the great news is that your body wants to maintain its ideal genetic weight ... so it will make subtle adjustments to allow for these treats without a change in weight.

An example of this is that your body will increase its core temperature the next day, so that you burn off the additional calories consumed. Or it\'ll curb your appetite the next day and, if you listen to your stomach (not your mouth!), you\'ll naturally eat a little less the next day without even noticing it.

Maintaining this balance IS POSSIBLE for ALL OF US. Simply, stop punishing yourself, follow the guidelines above and listen to your body.