Tempted to lose a few pounds after the excesses of Christmas?

You're definitely not alone - year after year, 'losing weight' tops New Year resolution lists, and it's also one of the pledges we're highly likely to fail.

That's usually not because we're incapable of losing weight, but because of our approach. Although we know that slow and steady wins the weight loss race, and the 'everything in moderation' rule, along with regular exercise, is the sensible way to go about it, time and time again we're just too tempted by celeb-endorsed fads and the promise of a quick-fix.

But this could mean denting your health along the way, not to mention your bank balance.

While the New Year brings an array of blogs, diet books and celebrity-endorsed fitness DVDs on the market, Bolton health chiefs are encouraging people to lose weight by eating a healthy balanced diet while exercising regularly.

Dr Wirin Bhatiani, chair of NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: "The best and safest way to lose weight is to eat a healthy balanced diet, avoiding foods that are high in sugar and fat, as well as exercising regularly.

"Drastic fad diets and exercise regimes that result in rapid weight loss are unlikely to work for long. It is better to choose diet and physical activity changes that you can make a part of your daily routine, and stick to for life. This is an important message for us all in 2016 – not only those who are overweight.

"Anyone who is worried about their weight, or needs to lose weight, can get help from their GP practice."

The NHS has its own 12 week weight loss plan which is based on the principle of doing things gradually and making lasting changes.

The plan promotes safe and sustainable weight loss, allows people to learn to make healthier food choices, offers online support, supplies a weekly progress chart and exercise plans to help you lose weight, and offers advice on how to prevent weight regain

The plan is designed to help you lose weight at a safe rate of 1lb to 2lb each week by sticking to a daily calorie allowance. For most men, this means sticking to a calorie limit of no more than 1,900 calories a day, or 1,400 for women.

The guide, which is available on the NHS Choices website (nhs.uk/Livewell/weight-loss-guide/Pages/losing-weight-getting-started.aspx), is delivered through 12 weekly information packs full of diet, healthy eating and physical activity advice, including weekly challenges.

It is intended for use by healthy adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 and over. It is not suitable for children or pregnant women. If you have any medical condition you should consult your GP before starting.

Here are some 'celeb diets' that the British Dietetic Association (BDA) have advised people to avoid in 2016...

NO SUGAR DIET

:: Celebrity Link: Tom Hanks and Alec Baldwin have reportedly followed this 'diet'.

:: What's it all about? The Sugar-Free Diet is when you exclude all types of sugar (and often carbohydrates) from your diet.

ALL-KALE AND CHEWING GUM DIET

:: Celebrity Link: Jake Gyllenhaal reportedly followed this 'diet' to shed weight for a film role.

:: What's it all about? All you can eat is kale salad and chewing gum making it extreme, socially isolating, unbalanced, hard to sustain and potentially harmful, according to the BDA.

BULLETPROOF DIET

:: Celebrity Link: Harry Styles and Shailene Woodley have reportedly followed this 'diet'.

:: What's it all about? This quirky diet includes a daily 'bulletproof coffee', which is essentially a black coffee with two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of MCT oil added, totting up to around 400 calories per cup. Foods are classified as 'bulletproof', 'suspect' or 'kryptonite', with rules on timings of meals.

THE SUPER ELIXIR

:: Celebrity Link: Elle Macpherson is the co-founder.

:: What's it all about? 'The Super Elixir' is a food supplement aiming to change body tissue from an acidic to an alkaline state. It's a green powder containing just over 45 ingredients, including a number of powdered fruits and vegetables, sweeteners, several Chinese herbs and some digestive enzymes. The recommended dose is two teaspoons (or 10g) per day, meaning a month's supply could cost from £62.50 for 300g.

TRIM SECRETS

:: Celebrity Link: Baroness Michelle Mone, founder of lingerie brand Ultimo, established Trim Secrets with a naturopath. Former Big Brother star Chanelle Hayes has reportedly followed this 'diet'.

:: What's it all about? Trim Secrets is a pill which claims to suppress appetite while boosting the metabolism, allegedly aiding both men and women to lose weight, when combined with the Trim Secrets 5 Step Slimming Plan. The plan includes a balanced diet of 1,500 calories per day, along with a Trim Secrets capsule taken three times a day before each meal, 1.5L of water, regular exercise and avoiding stress.