While the Internet is packed with web sites offering dietary and fitness advice and the newest diet and fitness fads confusion about what you should eat and how you should exercise is becoming more and more common.

But rather than devising a fancy diet plan, sticking to the basics of good eating and regular exercise should help you reach your goals says Personal Trainer Claire Kent.

Despite popular myths that dieting doesn?t work, Ms Kent said a good diet combined with enough exercise should set you on the right path to losing weight and getting fit in the new year. According to the latest set of health statistics from the Department of Health gathered through the 2000 census 57 percent of adults in Bermuda are obese.

Reasons for our bulging waist lines are also revealed in these statistics with 27 percent of adults reporting they get little or no daily physical activity, and 16 percent spend five or more hours a day watching television or playing computer games.

Over half our population is also dieting according to these same statistics. While we may not be a healthy lot we are making the effort. Ms Kent answers some basic questions to help you reach your health commitments.The first step is to walk through the door and ask for help. A trainer can then help you identify what you want to do ? is it to lose weight or get fit and tone up or both.

Then we can talk about any health problems you may have and you can book a fitness assessment where we do a body fat testing. You can get together with a trainer to discuss nutrition and the type of plan you want to stick to.

I find the biggest mistake people make in the beginning is setting too big a goal. Don?t overwhelm yourself, set a small goal and build up from there.

If you have a trainer you also have the opportunity to stick to your goal and you get the encouragement and enthusiasm you need.

A trainer can help you get better results more quickly but at the end of the day you are responsible for what you put in your mouth. Trainers are not miracle workers.To stop the confusion you need to see a professional and get a personalised plan worked out of what you should be eating.

But it?s no good dieting without exercising since both compliment one another. Some diets work for some people and others don?t. It?s about finding the diet that?s right for you.If you want to lose ten pounds you need to get yourself on a diet plan and make an appointment with a trainer to discuss what your goals are.

Weight training, aerobics, anything cardiovascular, as well as monitoring calories consumed compared to calories expended will help you keep track of what you are eating and how much exercise you are getting.

A food diary is also a good way to keep track of what you eat since it?s easy to forget how much you are eating on a daily basis. Some people should also consider seeing a nutritionist for additional advice.I think it?s important not to deny yourself. If you have a sugar or chocolate craving, which is common in women, get yourself a little token treat like a Hershey.

Just have one not the whole bag and don?t take it overboard. I find that cravings can also be managed by going for natural sugar. Have a piece of fruit instead of a piece of chocolate cake. Try to choose the healthier option - in the long run you will feel better about it as well.We?re a very sociable Island ? that?s good but there?s a lot of partying going on and eating and drinking which has its health effects. As a population our diet is typically high on fat and carbohydrates and low on vegetables and fruits.

We need to be drinking more water and less soda. Water cleans the toxins out of the body and clears the pores, it plays so many different roles in the health of the body.

As a community we?ve also absorbed too many American eating habits. In the US they eat double the size of food portions. Europeans have healthier habits.

They concentrate on proteins, fruits and veggies and they eat these in different courses in different amounts. They use olive oil in cooking which is healthier for the heart. When I lived in Spain for a year dessert was fruit instead of a piece of chocolate cake.Parents are not making sure they get outside and get enough exercise. There is too much sedentary activity going on and not enough constructive activity.

As a family encourage your children to get outside to learn a sport like tennis or get involved in a constructive after school activity. Too many kids are sitting in front of the TV with a bottle or soda and a bag of chips.

Get out and do something fun, encourage kids to make exercise a part of their daily life.

Claire Kent is a fitness instructor and personal trainer at the Total Fitness Gym on Brunswick Street.

She has been in the industry for 15 years beginning her training in the UK and working in a health club in North London as a personal trainer, stroke lifeguard and instructor.

She manages the Total Fitness gym on Brunswick Street and teaches a number of classes including spinning and seniors spinning every week.