Happy New Year! Here we are, a brand new year stretches ahead of us. What are your plans? Does the future look bright? Does the future look lean, fit and healthy for you?

Did you make the usual resolutions on New Year's Eve? You know the ones: Lose weight, join the gym, eat healthy foods, and quit smoking blah, blah, blah.

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the new year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the new year and Christmas.

Let's face it, by the time the festive season comes to an end, don't you usually feel bloated, fat, tired, generally grey in mood? You look back on the holidays and regret how much you ate and drank and vow it won't happen again next year – but it usually does.

However, you look in the mirror and think to yourself "Right! That's it! This is the year I am going to lose weight and get the body I really want!"

You are fired up and ready to go! Enthusiasm and excitement at what lies ahead fills your head and you cannot wait to get started.

The television bombards us with the latest celebrity fitness videos (I will just point out here that being a celebrity does not mean you know anything about health, fitness or nutrition). There are computer games promising to help us "tone up" and shed the unwanted Christmas pounds, the local gyms excite us with fantastic offers if we sign up in January, promising to get us fit and "toned" by February. The next "fad" diet is being advertised everywhere you look.

It can get kind of confusing can't it?

Well here are some quick tips to help get you through the hype:

Avoid fad diets – anything that encourages you to replace real foods with juices, shakes, bars or pills

Don't waste money on gimmicky exercise equipment. Most people I know who have a treadmill in their homes use them only as a clothes horse! If home equipment is what you want, then you would be better to spend your money on things like medicine balls, resistance bands or kettle bells (just make sure you follow the instructions and use them safely!)

Hire a personal trainer – personal training is no longer just for the rich and famous, and is not as expensive as most people think. Once you have found a good reputable trainer, ask them if they do small group training so that you and a couple of friends could share the session cost

Look for social support – boot camps are amazing for this. A whole bunch of people training together with a trainer who is motivational, encouraging and supportive.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you success. Jump in with both feet and don't let friends or family sabotage your efforts.

Chose your route wisely and think about what would be best for you.

Remember, we all achieve much better when we are accountable to someone and when we are motivated, encouraged and supported.

Visit www.isleloseit.com