The no-diet fat busters

If you are on a New Year diet, think again. Research increasingly supports the idea that calorie counting is oversimplistic and selfdefeating because there are many types of fat, and 90 per cent of dieters will regain any weight they lose. In addition, celebrities plugging their own diets or boasting about incredibly slim figures just weeks after giving birth, are damaging the self-esteem and even the health of women who try to copy them. The key to a successful slimming strategy, say experts, is to ignore the fad diets vying for your attention and focus instead on the type of fat you have.

Having identified your type, using our easy guide (in Look Here Too box below), a few well-directed lifestyle changes are then far more likely to help you shift extra pounds than depriving yourself of your favourite food and drink vices.

BINGE-EATING FAT

Everyone has moments when they pig out - but bingeing occurs when a person eats so much of a forbidden food so quickly that it is barely tasted, and they continue until they physically can't consume any more. The underlying reasons for bingeing are almost always emotional, and connected with low-self esteem, stress, sadness and an over-critical self-image.

Binge eaters closely associate food intake with self-esteem - they feel good when they succeed in cutting out their " forbidden foods" and guilty when they've lost control and eaten large amounts.

Instead, aim to: EAT LITTLE AND OFTEN: Binge-eating fat is often the result of excess dietary control - bingeeaters often pig out when they feel low and their body is crying out for food. By eating small, healthy snacks every three or four hours you won't feel hungry and it will be harder to binge. Regular snacking will also speed up your metabolism, helping you to lose weight.

DESTIGMATISE FORBIDDEN FOODS:

Allow yourself to eat chocolate, chips or dessert in moderation without feeling guilty - having small amounts will encourage you to see these foods as treats which you are in control of.

IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS: Which emotions make you eat? Find ways to change your behaviour. If you suffer from low selfesteem, talk it over with a friend; if it's stress, breathe deeply or meditate, or distract yourself by going for a walk.

ANGER FAT

Studies have found that people who have a tendency to be get angry eat about 600 calories a day more than their calm counterparts. They also produce higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which raises blood sugar and encourages fat deposition.

DISPEL YOUR ANGER: Identify what triggers your anger - often it is the result of frustration or blaming other people for the expectations you have of them. If you change the way you think, you may find you can defuse your anger.

LEARN TO SAY NO: Often, anger arises from frustration and a sense that things are unfair. Explaining your viewpoint and saying "No" when necessary, can ease anger.

TALK: Nothing promotes anger fat more than a relationship full of misunderstandings and recriminations. Talk rather than let anger brew and, when you can't find a compromise, agree to disagree.

STRESS FAT

Everyday stresses such as negotiating the Tube, getting stuck in traffic or trying to meet tight office deadlines can have the hidden side effect of making us eat more. Many of us comfort-eat when faced by stress. It makes us feel temporarily in control while "treat" foods give us a sense of security. Stress, by causing a surge in adrenaline levels, can also give rise to sugar highs and lows, which encourage snacking on sweet foods.

IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS: Note down what makes you stressed and review your approach to those situations. If the cause is work deadlines that you cannot control, reinforce the belief that you can only aim for what you can do in that time. If crowded places make you anxious, deep, slow breathing will help control adrenaline levels.

SWITCH OFF YOUR INNER-CRITIC: Often we make external stress worse by creating internal stress - such as imposing excessively high expectations of ourselves. Being realistic and less of a perfectionist can cut stress and stress-eating.

GIVE YOURSELF BREATHERS: Intersperse stressful tasks with ones you find relaxing. An instant stress-buster is to breathe deeply and slowly down to your abdomen while looking out of a window.

DEPRESSION FAT

When people feel lonely or low, they eat to compensate. Depression also raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol which encourages weight gain and means you can put on weight even if you don't overeat.

GIVE YOURSELF A LIFT: Make a list of things you enjoy doing and make you feel good and go out of your way to do them. Hang out with friends who make you laugh.

EXERCISE: Physical exertion boosts endorphins (feel-good brain chemicals). Try and do some exercise every day. It will keep levels of cortisol down and burn off depression-fat calories.

STOP NEGATIVE THOUGHTS: Spirals of negative thoughts undermine self-confidence. Stop these thought processes, replacing "I can't" with "I can". Don't think of reasons you are unattractive; think of all the things that make you desirable. This will help you believe in yourself.

LAZY THYROID FAT

The thyroid is a gland in the throat that secretes hormones that control metabolism. If it becomes underactive or "lazy" it makes the metabolism slow and sluggish. Energy levels drop while weight piles on. As hormone levels drop, some women stop regular menstruation. Up to 10 per cent of women suffer from this condition.

STOP YO-YO DIETS: Severe calorie restricting diets can make the thyroid gland underactive. When food is sparse, the body goes into starvation mode - the thyroid gland slows down, slowing the metabolism to conserve energy. That's why women on strict diets who start eating properly again, tend to put on even more weight than they've lost.

HAVE A THYROID TEST: The only way to diagnose a clinically underactive thyroid is via a blood test conducted by your doctor. If you have the condition, you may be given thyroid hormone tablets. These speed up metabolism, boosting energy levels and weight loss.

DRINK GREEN TEA: High levels of green tea have been found to aid weight loss by speeding up the metabolic rate. Or take unbrewed triglycerides: each capsule is the equivalent of drinking more than 100 cups of green tea a day ( Metasys £79.95 for three months' supply; 0870 240 8151). Studies are said to have shown a weight loss of a stone in three months.

PRE-DIABETIC FAT

Weight gain around the waist accompanied by constant fatigue is a sign of Syndrome X, a pre-diabetic state caused by the huge amount of "hidden sugar" in most modern diets and the body's sugar-control mechanisms getting worn down. Women are particularly vulnerable because in a bid to lose weight, many cut out fatty foods and increase their consumption of potatoes, cereal, pasta and bread-based meals. However these simple carbohydrates are "hidden sugars", which cause blood-sugar levels to rise rapidly.

EAT LOW-GI FOODS: Eat foods that are low on the Glycaemic Index - which indicates the speed at which a foodstuff releases sugar into the blood. High GI foods - such as white bread, white rice, pasta and pastries - should be replaced with low or moderate GI foods such as wholegrain pastas, breads and brown rice.

LIMIT CAFFEINE: As caffeine raises blood-sugar levels, limit your intake to one cup of tea or strong coffee a day. Dilute fresh fruit drinks or smoothies with the equivalent amount of water.

30 MINUTES DAILY EXERCISE: Do 30 minutes exercise such as a brisk walk each day. Researchers have found that even small amounts of physical exercise can halve the risk of Syndrome X and Type 2 diabetes, where sufferers' bodies do not produce enough insulin. This form of diabetes has been linked to obesity.

FAT-FRIENDLY VITAMINS: Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, nuts, wholegrains and fruit. These are rich in nutrients such as chromium, magnesium and antioxidant vitamins which help the body transport sugar into cells (rather than storing it as fat). X-Vite, available from Revital (0800 252875) is a supplement containing vitamins, zinc and chromium which helps improve blood-sugar control.

GET CHECKED FOR PCOS: Women suffering from pre-diabetic symptoms and weight gain may have polycystic ovarian syndrome, particularly if they also have persistent acne and have thick hairs growing around their chin. The good news is, treating PCOS can help you lose weight. Contact your GP who may refer you to a specialist.