Getting started

"Sixty to seventy per cent of your results will come from improving your diet," says personal trainer Gavin Walsh. For some of us, this means taking a close look at what, how and when we eat. Dietician Katie Peck says: "Your first step is to assess your usual daily calorie intake over a period of seven days. Then you can take steps to adjust your calorie consumption and improve nutritional balance.

"When combined with exercise, your body will start to break down fat stores for energy. So, my top tip is to track your food and drink intake over seven days and then make food swaps, taking out unnecessary foods and replacing them with nutritious alternatives, such as skimmed milk for full fat, sweet fruit for sweets, dark chocolate for milk and whole grain for white bread. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but you should aim to reduce your intake by 200-500 calories per day (assuming you normally eat the recommended 2,000 calories a day)."