It must be every slimmer's dream - a way to lose weight without dieting, with no need for calorie or carb counting or arduous gym regimes. And after years of research into the secrets of permanent weight loss, that's just what two psychologists have come up with. Professor Ben (C) Fletcher and Dr Karen Pine believe that if you can break the habits that made you fat in the first place, you can lose pounds without obsessing about food. In fact, they make a point of not focusing on food at all. "When you are on a food diet you become very sensitive to external cues and are using your willpower all the time and trying not to think about food. Unfortunately the opposite happens," says Prof Fletcher. The University of Hertfordshire pair have devised the No Diet Diet which, they say, will help you lose around 2lb a week without calorie counting. And they insist the weight loss will be sustained afterwards. Much of the onus is on the individual realising their bad habits and doing something different. "For instance, if a man pops into the local garage on his way to work for a newspaper and a packet of crisps as a force of habit, one suggestion is that he goes an alternative route to break that habit," says Prof Fletcher. "Over time you accrue a web of habit. If you have an extra biscuit a day for a year, you might put on 20lb. "It takes a long time to become fat. You are overweight because of that habit web. We tackle the broader habits that keep you fat. We are not just talking about food and exercise. The habits of what you eat are held in place by a wider set of habits, involving personality and psychology." They claim that if you follow their 28-day programme detailed in The No Diet Diet, you can expect to be around 8lb lighter and more content with life. They say more than 1,000 people had been on the programme - all had lost weight and maintained their weight loss some three months later. "We've found that, by and large, happy, open-minded people have a collection of habits and traits that keep them slim. Obese people, on the other hand, have other habits that ensure that they steadily pile on the weight," says Fletcher. The scientists found that over-eating and lack of exercise is not the main reason people become overweight. It's their habits. "We get people to try new ways to do something different to break them out of the habit machine that's making them fat," says Prof Fletcher. "People get into a comfort zone of behaviour. If they try a new behaviour it might be more effective." The programme is split into the following phases. The first four should take about one week each. Phase One This lays the groundwork for habit-breaking. Carry out one simple task each day, like giving up watching TV for a day. Perform two extra tasks in the first week, making sure they aren't too onerous, such as listening to a different radio station. Phase Two To help break the habits that govern your behaviour in day-to-day life, behave a little differently each day in seven key personality areas: Assertive-Unassertive Calm-Energetic Definite-Flexible Spontaneous-Systematic Introverted-Extroverted Conventional-Unconventional Individual centred-Group centred Over a week, find seven new things to do, one for each day. For example, if you are normally an unassertive person, be a little more assertive in putting your views across. Phase Three You should be more mentally flexible and less habit-bound. Food cravings should begin to subside. You need to look at your habits and measure their negative effects on your life by working your way through some short questionnaires. The emphasis is on losing weight by making life more interesting and doing something different. Carry out one simple task each day to break the habits surrounding how you interact with people. Carry out two extra tasks during the week, selected from a menu of new activities. It may be as simple as throwing something away you no longer need or turning off your mobile phone for a day. Phase Four This phase helps target problem areas, your most ingrained negative habits, in the subconscious. Each day you will need to: Act in a different way towards somebody. Behave differently in a normal daily situation. Phase Five This should enable you to continue losing weight by providing you with the tools which embed habit-breaking into your life. It might involve you sitting down with a friend and spotting each other's habits before they gain an unwelcome influence. The No Diet Diet, by Professor Ben (C) Fletcher, Dr Karen Pine and Dr Danny Penman, is published by Orion, priced £9.99. Available now. For more information about the No Diet Diet, go to www.nodietdietway.com. | 
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