So, what marks out truly successful slimmers?

1. They do not diet. They do not survive on milkshakes, no carb, low carb, high fat or low fat diets and expect permanent results. Temporary outcomes come from restrictive practices. Most slimmers will decide to follow healthy eating guidelines but their single most important habit does not concern specific foods as such but is simply to eat only when their body signals that it is hungry. And let me tell you – after years of ignoring these signals this can be incredibly difficult at first.

2. They are experts at time management. Everyone has the same 24 hours in each day – it's how you prioritise those hours that makes the difference. Schedule your exercise in your diary as you would a business appointment. Do it or – if no other alternative – cancel but immediately reschedule.

3. They set SMART goals (specific, measurable, action-orientated, realistic, time-limited goals) and they chunk them down (and write them down) into monthly, weekly and daily actions.

4. They remain committed to those goals. They do things even when they really don´t feel like it. The best definition of commitment I've ever heard is this: 'Commitment is doing the thing you said you would do long after the mood in which you said it has left you'. Spot on. Don't be a quitter. You know what to do, you've written it down in manageable steps – now just do it.

5. They are organised and adaptable. Their gym bag is packed in the car ready for a workout at any time, they pre-prepare food to take to work. They adapt quickly to feedback in order to nip any problems in the bud. For example, if they know that their motivation levels tend to flag at a regular time each day, they will make plans to get them over this period. It can be as simple as phoning a supportive friend or family member, focusing on a vision board or listening to a positive CD. All that matters is that it works.

6. They take total responsibility for their results. Let me ask you something - if, following a highly stressful few weeks at work, you cannot detect any improvement in your fitness levels or body shape then how would you react? Would you say 'I could have a great body if it wasn't for this demanding job' or 'No wonder I'm overweight; I'm too tired/have no time to workout'? Real winners will recognise that what they are doing is not currently working as they'd hoped and they will experiment by implementing small changes in their eating/fitness routines until the ball starts rolling again.

7. They regularly take time out and visualise their desired outcome – a powerful reminder of why they're pounding the streets at 7am on a rainy autumn morning.