New Year diet success – is it all in the stars?
Around 14 million of us will start diets in the new year, but the average dieter will have already quit by the second weekend in February.
That’s according to new research released today which shows a third of us will embark on the traditional New Year’s resolution diet, with that figure climbing to over 40% of women.
Research by M&S also found that the average person has been on five diets in their lifetime and far from being derailed by our partners, families, friends and co-workers it seems most of us know we only have ourselves to blame for breaking our diets.
According to astrologists, your star sign can determine whether your New Year’s diet will be a stunning success or whether you’ll be into the left over chocolates by Valentine’s Day. How will you fair?
Aries
Life Pursuit: The thrill of the moment
Vibration: Enthusiastic
Aries Secret Desire: To lead the way for others.
Least healthy sign
Thrill-seeking Aries lives for the moment, and it’s no different when it comes to food. You’ll try anything and your enthusiasm leads you on many culinary adventures. Your impulsiveness and willingness to eat anything when the mood takes you is the reason why you’re the least healthy of all the star signs. Many Aries admit to not even trying to eat healthily!
However this can lead to much inner turmoil as you are also the vainest of all the signs! Nearly a third of Aries say their main motivation for going on a diet is seeing a dodgy picture of themselves – significantly more than people of any other sign.
Taurus
Life Pursuit: Emotional and financial security
Vibration: Determined energy
Taurus Secret Desire: To have a secure, happy and wealthy life/marriage.
Health conscious and in good shape
Determined Taurus is unsurprisingly one of the healthiest star signs. Your steady approach to eating ranks you 3rd in the health tables, behind stubborn goat Capricorn and lean little fish Pisces.
Taurus are also the most health-conscious of all the signs – you are therefore likely to feel very guilty on those rare occasions when you let your healthy eating slip. Almost a third of Taureans give wanting to be healthy as their main reason for going on a diet, ahead of concerns about looks and weight. Your desire for a stable, happy life applies to your eating habits too. It’s all about moderation for Taurus – a little of everything.
Gemini
Life Pursuit: To explore a little bit of everything.
Vibration: Intense mental energy
Gemini's Secret Desire: To be ahead of the crowd
Flaky eaters
What worries Gemini the most is the desire to be ahead of the crowd, and therefore you are the adventurous and pioneers of the food world. You like to explore, to try new things, to break down barriers, to push the boundaries, to challenge your taste buds with intense new flavours. Which is why you have some of the least consistent eating habits of any of the signs. In short, you are flaky, and we’re not just talking puff pastry here. Only pleasure-seeking Sagittarians and space cadet Aquarians are less consistent with what they eat!
Cancer
Life Pursuit: Constant reassurance and intimacy
Vibration: Moody
Cancer's Secret Desire: To feel safe (emotionally, spiritually, romantically and financially)
Comfort non-eating
The gentle little crab is likely to use food as emotional crutch. You use dieting to reassure you and to give you a feeling of safety as you face the big wide world. Perhaps that’s why you’re really rather good at dieting – on average keeping it up for an impressive 47 days and beaten only by steadfast Capricorn, eccentric Aquarius and passionate Scorpio. So if you’re a Cancer and planning to start that New Year’s diet on 1st January, you’ll probably last until February 16th before those Valentine’s Day chocolates from your secret admirer get the better of you!
Your genuine nature means you don’t much worry about outside appearances. You’re the least vain of all the signs – less than a quarter of you would be spurred into dieting by seeing a dodgy photo of yourself!
Leo
Life Pursuit: To lead the way
Vibration: Radiant Energy
Leo's Secret Desire: To be a star
Diet-resistant
You lions are all about leadership, and you’re certainly true to type when it comes to leading the anti-diet backlash. Least likely of all the signs to go on a diet in 2011, if you do give in to dieting pressure, it’ll be a short one. Leo’s average diet span is just 36 days, with only soft and sweet Virgos and Piceans giving in before you. So if you start your New Year’s diet on January 1st, you’ll probably be done by February 5th! Leo secretly desires to be a star, and you make every effort to be with your eating – resulting in you coming an impressive 2nd when it comes to consistently healthy eating – beaten only by steadfast and controlled Capricorn.
Virgo
Life Pursuit: To do the right thing
Vibration: Compassionate and caring
Virgo's Secret Desire: To love and be loved in return
Shortest diet
Virgo, Virgo, in the end your willingness to please always gets the better of you! Of all the star signs, your diets are the shortest, lasting an average of just 33 days. So that New Year’s diet only lasts until February the 2nd. It’s not like you don’t care – no-one could ever say that about you. In fact, quite the opposite – you care too much. You care about other people and about doing the right thing, so perhaps you don’t want to rock the boat by being demanding about what you eat. Maybe that’s what makes you give in and ditch the diet so soon. The upside of caring though, is that overall, you’re a consistently healthy eater over the course of a year, beaten only by that sure-footed Capricorn goat and leadership-orientated Leo.
Libra
Life Pursuit: To be consistent
Vibration: Unsteady
Libran's Secret Desire: To live an easy, uncomplicated life.
Getting the right balance
We all know that Librans are all about balance, as the sign’s symbol, the scales, suggest. And Libran eating habits back this up. Your pursuit of balance in all things means you’re the 3rd most likely of all the signs to go on a diet in 2011. Note: not the 1st most likely to go on a diet – that would suggest an obsessive nature. No, Librans are just fairly likely to diet, but not as much as impulsive Sagittarius or steadfast Capricorn. And when you go on your diet, you’re fairly good at sticking to it, but not excellent, coming in somewhere in the middle of the signs for how long you’ll last. Thirty-eight days takes you to the 7th Feb – so you’ll have had a good enough run of it, but you won’t spoil Valentine’s Day by refusing those choccies from your secret admirer! Maybe you’ve got the balance right!
Scorpio
Life Pursuit: To survive against all opposition
Vibration: Resilient
Scorpio's Secret Desire: To triumph
Feat of endurance
Passionate to your core, Scorpio never does things by halves, and true to form, that applies to your dieting habits too. Your resilient character gives you strength in the face of hardship, and the courage to endure that diet for a whopping 48 days! So if you start your diet for the New Year on January 1st, you’ll keep it up until February 17th, laughing in the face of those Valentine’s Day treats! You don’t like being beaten by anyone or anything, so you might be miffed to know that eccentric Aquarius manages to stick it as long as you, and that steadfast Capricorn manages over a fortnight longer! But you’re above average at healthy eating anyway so maybe that takes the sting out of the tail!
Sagittarius
Life Pursuit: To live the good life
Vibration: Overly expressive - frequent burnouts
Sagittarian's Secret Desire: To make a difference in the world
Food as fuel
The most energetic of all the star signs, Sagittarius needs a constant supply of calories to keep those high energy levels up. Therefore, to try to avoid burnout, you’ll grab and go, eating whatever’s in front of you, whenever and wherever. That and the fact that you like to live the good life explains why you’re the 2nd least healthy of star signs and the least consistent when it comes to healthy eating over the course of the year. In order to try to make up for your erratic and unhealthy eating, Sagittarians are also the most likely of all the star signs to go on a diet – more than four in ten of you will in 2011! Like you, pretty dramatic stuff!
Capricorn
Life Pursuit: To be proud of their achievements
Vibration: Poweful resilient energy
Capricorn Secret Desire: to be admired by their family and friends and the world at large
Goody two-shoes!
Ok Capricorn I’m not going to beat around the bush. You are officially the healthiest star sign when it comes to your eating habits! You are by far the healthiest both in terms of what you eat and also in terms of consistently healthy eating over the course of a year. And there’s more... you are also the best at dieting, sticking to that healthy eating plan for an average whopping 63 days! So those January 1st New Year’s diets will last all the way through until March 4th. Surprising then, that you are also the least health-conscious of all the signs, with fewer than a fifth of use stating health as your main reason for embarking on a diet. Mind you, with such natural control and steadfastness, you hardly have any reason to worry about your health anyway!
Aquarius
Life Pursuit: To understand life's mysteries
Vibration: High frequency
Aquarian's Secret Desire: To be unique and original
Playing by your own rules
Aquarius, you know your own mind. Even when it’s all over the place! In keeping with your reputation as a bit of a space cadet, you are the 3rd least healthy of all the signs, and the 2nd least consistent in your eating habits over the course of a year. However, when you do decide to go on a diet, you stick to it. In fact, your share joint 2nd place with passionate Scorpio for length of time dieting, behind only sure-footed Capricorn. Your average diet length is an impressive 48 days, which means if your New Year’s diet starts on January 1st, you won’t give up until February 17th, stubbornly refusing those Valentine’s Day treats. And that stubborn streak is even more evident by the fact that Aquarians are more likely than people of any other sign to say nothing at all would inspire them to go on diet – in fact one in four of you flatly refuse!
Pisces
Life Pursuit: To avoid feeling alone and instead feel connected to others and the world at large
Vibration: Erratic Energy levels
Pisces Secret Desire: To live their dreams and turn fantasies into realities.
Swimming with the current
Just as your sign is symbolised by two fishes swimming in opposite directions, you Pisces are a little contrary when it comes to your eating habits! You are actually the 2nd most healthy of all the star signs and you’re consistently healthy too, coming in joint 3rd in terms of healthy eating over the course of a year. But it seems you don’t like diets at all – you’re the 3rd least likely sign to embark on a diet, and if you do get around to it, it’ll be a pretty short one of just 35 days. So that New Year’s diet starting on January 1st will be ditched by February 4th! Perhaps you just want to be a fishy swimming free, being generally healthy, going with the flow and seeing where the tide takes you.
M&S will be launching their biggest ever range of healthy eating solutions in January 2011 – go to marksandspencer.com for more details.
