If, like me, you spent several depressing Saturdays battling the crowds last December searching for that elusive 'knock em dead' outfit before conceding they don't DO 'knock em dead' (or even 'knock em a little bit sideways' ) in your size, you no doubt entered the New Year resolving to shift that excess weight once and for all.

You then went out and bought the Dukan, or the Atkins (or South Beach or Beverly Hills or Cabbage Soup or Zone Diet... on and on goes the list). All promising rapid pain free results, all failing to deliver for one reason or another - the other usually being that most of these diets are nigh on impossible to follow for any length of time.

So are you resigned to yet another party season in the good old faithful (boring) LBD? Well the good news is it doesn't have to be that way. And the even better news is you don't have to spend the next nine (yes, thats how long it is until Christmas) weeks living off green sludge, eggs and grapefruit or pure, unadulterated cow.

Heather Pointer is your local, award winning Slimming World Advisor. Offering a warm welcome, support and guidance Heather's commitment to your weight loss success could see you getting to Christmas with that New Years' Resolution achieved. Slimming Worlds' unique food optimising programme means there are no special foods to buy, no exclusion from family occasions and no deprivation leading to the starve/binge trap of unrealistic weight loss methods.

On the Slimming World programme, you can expect a loss of 2-3lbs per week depending on how much you have to lose. Call it 2.5lbs and Christmas will see around 22lbs less of you! Throw in a bit of exercise (no, DON'T join a gym, you tried that New Year as well and all you lost was £35 a month) just 20 to 30 minutes walking - make that BRISK walking - and there might be even less of you!

If, again like me, even a whole 2 stone would still leave you less than sylph-like, don't use this as an excuse not to bother. Just losing half a stone does wonders for your self esteem and motivation. Half a stone means putting your clothes on, not squeezing into them. A stone means tightening your belt a notch or two. A stone and a half is that dress you bought but never felt comfortable in. Step by step goals that can be achieved, especially when with the Slimming World programmem there are no banned foods and no starvation, just heaps of praise and support.

And when you have a bad week (that's when, not if... because you will), the trick is NOT to say 'oh I've blown it' and head to Burger King. Get yourself to your next class and be prepared to be supported, encouraged and motivated all over again. That's what its there for.

More details and a link to the Slimming World website can be found in thebestof Macclesfield Business Directory.

Plus if you join Slimming World before 22nd October 2011, you'll enjoy HALF PRICE membership!