Is it a good idea to start a diet in January?

Advice seems to be all over the place for this, so here's a few of my ideas. I'm certainly not a doctor or a nutritionist (would a nutritionist share a recipe for this?!) but these just seem common sense. 

Breakfast on New Year's Day?

It's been suggested that one of the top reasons for a successful diet or any kind of lifestyle change is a support network. January is filled with people getting up early to go to the gym, buying up kale and making their own yogurt. Even if 90% are back to their old habits by Valentine's Day, the fact is in January they're on it, and they're on it hard. Sharing your experiences with friends, family or colleagues can make that goal shape or size seem a little more attainable. Even if people around you have a different approach, this can cause debate and give you a chance to try out different ideas, or conversely make you believe more in what you're doing yourself. On a more shallow note, starting in January gives a good 5-6 months until the prospect of showing skin on the beach, a sensible period of time to lose weight or to tone.

Not exactly ideal for a run!

But fun though it might be to imagine going for a run with a group of friends, or sharing a salad with your colleagues, we have to remember that this is January in the UK, If we're lucky, it's just dark and wet. More likely it's freezing cold and there's a constant threat of snow. This is not an ideal situation if you're trying to eat more healthily, in fact it becomes very easy to crave warming, stodgy foods to stave off the feeling of cold. The short daylight hours also make it harder to fit in that run or that bike ride. 

Before you worry that it's all doom and gloom and we should just keep eating like it's Christmas for the rest of the year in a vague attempt to feel satisfied, it has to be said there's a certain feeling of satisfaction that comes from drawing a line under overindulgence at Christmas and making a new start. For many of us, December is the time of year when we eat and drink more than we usually would. Personally, I've found myself saying to myself at a party "I'll switch back to the mulled wine after this salted caramel eggnog, bit healthier," as though red wine heated with brandy and sugar is a "healthy option"! After behaviour like that it seems natural to want to swing the other way. 

But there's a little problem with having that clean cut between December and January. Unless you're either very greedy or very well organised, you'll probably start January with a few goodies still

Tins of biscuits seem to appear all over the house in January

floating around. A quick rummage has found a full sized panettone (good until the end of the month) and a tin of ginger and chilli biscuits. Perhaps the best way to integrate these into your January diet is to simply have them in moderation, one biscuit instead of half the tin.

When you do finish all your chocolates and cookies and cheese, this is a pretty good time of year to be stocking up on the healthy snacks. Most major supermarkets choose this time to run promotions on nuts, fruit, vegetables and lean meat, making this an economically attractive time to start a diet. This is good news for most of us, for whom January is the long gap between paychecks where we have to keep an eye on the bank balance a bit more than we do normally. Mind you, if financial affairs are concerning you, starting a diet that is radically different to your current lifestyle can be an expensive prospect.

So in summary, be aware that January is seen as a time to diet, and use it to your advantage. Share your experiences with everyone else and use that strength to try and break out of the "January only" healthy lifestyle. If you're worried about money, don't make any changes that are too radical and remember to scrutinise offers in shops, are they really healthy, will you really eat them? Don't worry about having the odd biscuit or chocolate that's leftover from Christmas, just work it into your plan. Remember it's better to slowly ease into a new lifestyle over a period of weeks than to dive into a completely different and unsustainable diet.

I'm hoping to share a few healthier recipes and tips over the next few weeks, but no doubt there will be some cakes and things in for good measure. As they old saying goes, you don't make friends with salad!