I am a survivor of various diets over the years. The pattern generally goes like this:

I get fat.
I diet.
I lose weight.
I get fat (again!)

I have used the Pritikin diet, derived from the American Apache (or possibly Hopi?) Indians and I did lose weight, but for various reasons it was not a sustainable lifestyle choice.
I have used the Weight Watchers point counting program and I lost weight, but eventually, I started to gain weight again.
I have used a variety of "home-grown" diets that didn't work either.

Right now, I am just over 18 stone, on a daily stomach pill, and have rising cholesterol and blood pressure.

After somer research I have now settled on the Paleo diet as one I can live with in perpetuity. Here's why:
- No silly measuring of food - simply eat until you are full.
- Eat as much lean meat as you want.
- Eat as much Chicken, Turkey and game meat as you want.
- Eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want.
- Eat nuts and seeds in moderation.

The only proviso is that you get as close to nature as possible - for instance, any beef you eat should be grass fed only, no grain supplements, no growth hormones, no additives of any kind. Any vegetables you eat should be picked fresh from gardens that do not use pesticides, soil conditioners or process the vegetable by adding anything to them.

How realistic is this in the UK?

In a word, NOT. However, you can do your best with what's available and what's affordable and you will still get benefits from the diet.

I have been moving towards this type of eating for a while, but I was still eating dairy products and grains as well.

I will update this blog in about a fortnight or so and we will see if I have made any progress....