It is easy to start the new year with great intentions and fly out the blocks when it comes to training and dieting.

But there is a reason why many new year’s resolutions are dead in the water by the end of January and going too hard, too soon can be counter-productive.

“We’ve just had Christmas, most people have over-indulged over the festive period and one of the mistakes people can make is to overdo it now,” Mitchell says.

“They just go too hard with the training, too hard with the diet and then they crack at the end of the January. It’s really important to set yourself realistic goals.”

Set realistic goals. It’s about chipping a bit off here and there and not going too crazy about it.

Your target weight will differ from person-to-person, but the key is to take things in small steps, Mitchell says, and cut down on fat and calories over a longer period.

For example, if you have put on two kilos and want to shed that weight gained over Christmas, Mitchell says it can be achieved by shaving 500 calories off your daily intake.

“It’s about chipping a bit off here and there and not going too crazy about it,” he adds. “It’s important to get a good even distribution of food throughout the day, including having breakfast – porridge is great for breakfast.”