So how's the diet going?

HAPPY New Year, boring new diet. Every year it's the same. We eat our own bodyweight in brazil nuts over Christmas then pretend to be surprised when we can't get our jeans on in January.

So what do we do? We go on a diet. But which diet do we choose? The GI? Atkins? The Cambridge?

There are dozens of new diet books on the shelves this month and there appears to be a slimming club on almost every street corner, but are we losing any weight?

We spoke to three York women who have joined the annual January diet drive to find out what works for them.

A day in the diet of...

...Becky Cheeseman, a 26-year-old graphic artist, who is on the Kelloggs Challenge (two bowls of cereal plus a healthy evening meal)

"I started Weight Watchers two years ago. I did really well, stuck to it, didn't cheat (much) even though chocolate was calling my name, and I lost nearly two stone.

Then for some reason I stopped going and the weight gradually crept back on, meaning the jeans I bought when I was slimmer found a permanent home at the back of my wardrobe.

So, after munching on too many mince pies this Christmas and the prospect of having to stand next to my skinny cousins at a family wedding next month, I decided enough was enough. I must lose weight.

January 1 was D-Day (Diet Day). Out went the chocolate and nibbles and in came the fruit. I also cut out bread, cheese and sugar from my tea. I lost 4lb in a week, which amazed me.

In week two I started the Kelloggs Challenge, which is supposed to help you drop a jeans size. I am now on day nine of two weeks of eating a bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast, another for lunch and a proper evening meal.

I'm not getting bored yet, but there's still plenty of time. Hopefully, I'm going to be able to continue being good and losing weight once the two weeks are up

My aim is to lose a stone by the wedding - wish me luck."

...Fi Ewing, a 35-year-old full-time mum, who is on Rosemary Conley's new GI Jeans diet, taking classes with Helen Howard-Mawer (01904 790922)

"Following a very over-indulgent Christmas, I was actually looking forward to starting the new diet. And, after the initial headaches and chocolate cravings, I am already feeling the benefits of eating low-fat and low-GI foods.

I initially thought counting calories and checking the nutrition labels on packets (fat content must be no greater than five per cent per 100g of fat) would be a hassle, but it's been easy.

If I follow the plan all the calorie counting is done for me.

Today, for instance, I had porridge for breakfast with a couple of glasses of water and a cup of fruit tea to help me feel fuller for longer.

Mid-morning I had a coffee and an apple. This was followed by another glass of water and a 25-minute exercise session with my fellow dieter, Kate.

Lunch was a well-deserved tuna salad with extra-light mayo and a pear for dessert.

Then it was a couple of hours pram pushing with a skinny latte (deducted from my daily milk allowance) and an apple as my afternoon 'power snack'.

Dinner was a treat as it was a Marks & Spencer Count On Us ready meal, bulked out with some broccoli. After everything had been recorded I had enough calories left for a low-fat yogurt as a pudding.

This is literally a day in my diet.

And it's been a very good day too. I feel very pleased with myself, and I also feel a sense of achievement knowing I am a day closer to my goal. I can't wait to get on the scales!"

...Victoria Feather, a 27-year-old negotiator at Hunters estate agents in Colliergate, York, who is on her own diet, loosely based on the Weight Watchers' points regime

"I've been to Weight Watchers before in 2001 and it worked for me. I had put on two-and-a-half stone in one winter because I moved in with my boyfriend. I was eating chocolate and ice-cream and sausage rolls like they were going out of fashion. My boyfriend didn't put on an ounce, but I went up to 11.5 stone. I never really noticed the weight until it got to New Year's Eve and I didn't want to go out because I didn't have anything to wear.

This time I could feel the weight begin to creep back on and decided to take action.

I didn't over-indulge over Christmas, which was difficult because you couldn't move in the office for mince pies, and I sneaked off to the gym on the afternoon of New Year's Eve to get a head start.

I'm not going to Weight Watchers meetings, but I'm doing my own version of their points system. I basically have some fruit for breakfast, some soup for lunch and a normal, healthy tea - my boyfriend can't bear diet food.

Things are going pretty well so far. I lost 5lb last week, and am aiming to lose about 2lb a week from now on.

I'm a snug size 12 at the moment and I'd like to be a more comfortable size 12.

I'm not bothered about being a size ten, I think women look much better with curves, but I would just like to feel more comfortable with myself."

Updated: 10:37 Tuesday, January 17, 2006