It shows that your New Year’s diet will fail and how to make it stick

A health coach has revealed red flags to watch out for when it comes to New Year’s diets – and says one popular method is akin to showering for a week and hoping you don’t smell for the rest of the year .

Vanessa Sturman, 37, is a health and behavior coach with 10 years’ experience and has warned dieters about fads to avoid.

In the first few days of January, she says many go out of their way to implement their New Year’s resolutions, but Sturman claims that more than 80% of people who set them will fail.

To stick to a New Year’s resolution, Sturman says you should incorporate it into your daily life gradually rather than completely cutting out certain foods or food groups.

“A lot of people set unrealistic goals for themselves,” said the coach from Barnet, London. “A new goal or action will only be sustainable if it is integrated into your life. You have to change your habits.

“Say you want to start doing some exercise – you have to make sure you have time to get up and do it, making sure there are no obstacles in the way.

“When it comes to New Year’s diets, there is so much information out there and some very dangerous fads and diets that are not sustainable.

“The reason some don’t last is because people are doing these detoxes and juice cleanses and when they stop they have no idea what to do next.”

Sturman said one of the biggest red flags she sees when it comes to diets are ads that promise to change your life with a key ingredient or product.

“Someone promising to take just this one thing and everything in your life will transform is a red flag,” she argued.

“For example, an expensive powder that says it’s all your body needs, yes, people might see some results, but one thing isn’t going to change everything.

“Our health cannot be transformed with just one product. It consists of many factors including nutrition, mental health, movement and much more.

Sturman stressed that it’s important to invest in your health, but you need to make sure it’s in a sustainable way. For example, the extra subscription might be $150 a month, but she questions whether anyone needs $150 — and whether they’ll be able to spend it in the long run.

“Having a supplement can be great, but you have to focus on your nutrition and make those changes,” she said.

“You have to understand your weight barriers and make fundamental changes in what you’re doing. Whatever you put your money into, make sure it’s not wasted.”

Sturman said people should be aware of words like detox, cleanse and reset and said they could be “dangerous” and “lacking scientific evidence”.

“What are you going to do when the detox is over? It’s like saying I’m only going to shower for a week and not smell for a year,” she said. “You have to make small changes in each of your days instead of making a massive change all at once.

“If someone is asking you to throw out all the food you have and enjoy, it’s not only unsustainable, it’s unnecessary.”

Whether you’re getting advice from a nutritionist or a lifestyle coach, she stressed that it’s important to consult with a medical professional.

“I always tell people to go talk to your doctor about the changes you’re making,” she said. “Having different professionals in different areas will give you the best result, please discuss any differences with your doctor.

“You should talk to your doctor about any symptoms of concern, and it’s a huge benefit to have different specialists in their areas to help sort out your problems.”