"Plan what to eat. Eat what you planned."

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most powerful.

This month I'm taking part in my own July Tortoise Diet Lite 4-Week Challenge, because I know how valuable it is to keep reinforcing the habits that lead to long-term success.

That's really what the Tortoise Diet Lite is all about – incorporating four simple habits into your daily life. As you practise them consistently, they gradually become automatic and quietly guide you towards your weight-loss goals.

One of the biggest tools for success – not just for weight loss, but in almost every area of life – is getting organised and making a plan.

One habit I strongly recommend is planning your meals in advance for the week ahead.

I often debate with myself about which is the most important of the 12 steps of the Tortoise Diet Method. I find it depends where I am in life at the time. So right now, my favourite step, and one which distinguished this Method from so many others is, Guideline Number 12. Which is to Stay in the Race.  

Aaahhh – the approach of a New Year – the time when many of us, irritated with ourselves for not being where we thought we should be or wanted to be by the end of the old year, resolve to do better next time.  So we come up with another list of resolutions, probably the same as last time and also like then, ones we are not likely to fulfil. For a lot of women (and men) weight comes very high on that list and we promise all sorts of thing to ourselves in the drive to do better. We resolve to make all sorts of changes, often all at once, starting on 1 January every year. How has that been going for you so far?

Lemon Meringue Pie - Delicious comfort food.