Broken your diet again? What's your excuse this time? Photo: Getty
With the bikini season getting closer, the race to get into beach-ready shape is well and truly on for many of us. Two-thirds of us, apparently. But shifting pounds isn't easy - as any dieter knows - so it should be no surprise to discover that, on average, women break their diet just four days after starting one.
That's one of the findings of a survey of 3,000 women carried out by OnePoll.com, which also asked about the excuses we make for giving up on a weight-loss plan. Among the most common excuses are, "I need cheering up" (hands up if you've ever used that one?), and "Diets make me miserable", or even "I've got low blood sugar".
And guess which is the most common excuse for ditching a diet? According to the survey, it's simply, "I gave into temptation" (sometimes the most obvious excuses are the best).
And forgive us if you've heard (and used) all of these before, but "I've been dumped so there's no point", "I don't want my boobs to shrink", "It's my time of the month so I need chocolate", and "I've got a hangover" are all among the most popular reasons we give ourselves for abandoning a diet. Some women blame their workloads too, claiming, "I'm working hard so I need to keep my energy levels up".
So how many diets does the average woman give up on in her lifetime? Ten, says the survey, which also confirms that 53% of British women believe they are overweight by 11lb on average.
How many diets have you started - and failed to stick to?