Stay slim in 2025 by eating 'whatever you want', new research suggests

Do you ever find yourself staring down a piece of chocolate cake, denying yourself unhealthy treats to protect your figure? Well it turns out that allowing yourself the foods you enjoy (in moderation) could help you stay trim.

According to a recent poll by health app, MyFitnessPal , letting yourself indulge on sweet treats and junk food could be the secret to staying in shape. The research revealed that 89 per cent of dieters would describe themselves as overweight, compared to just 43 per cent of non-dieters.

And 31 per cent of people at a healthy weight attribute it to the fact they let themselves eat treats.

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Information from the 2,000 Brits surveyed revealed that the ideal ratio for healthy eating is 69 per cent healthy and 31 per cent treats. Sixty-five per cent of those at their ideal weight said they would never deny themselves birthday cake, while 58 per cent said they would always have fish and chips on the beach if on holiday.

Almost half said they wouldn't say no to chocolate on Easter Sunday or a plate of pasta in Italy.

Thirty-five per cent of slim people would say yes to baguette and butter in France, 34 per cent would have a slice of pizza on holiday and 31 per cent would have chips with their steak.

While slimmer brits are enjoying treats and junk food as they like, almost all (92 per cent) of those in the overweight category said that years of yo-yo dieting has made it more difficult for them to lose weight.

Findings show that overall, 66 per cent of the UK believe that eating a small amount of whatever you want is good for you, with 94 per cent agreeing that life is about allowing yourself to enjoy your favourite foods in moderation, and not to feel like anything is forbidden to eat.

Melissa Jaeger, Head of Nutrition at MyFitnessPal, comments: “The research highlights that making progress should be centred on finding balance within your diet, not the idea of ‘perfection’.

"This New Year, we are encouraging people to let go of the all-or-nothing mindset when it comes to setting and achieving health goals. It’s not about giving up your favourite foods or moments with family and friends, rather it’s about making small, sustainable changes that add up over time.

“Tracking what you eat can help you understand the impact of your dietary choices, encouraging a healthier and more mindful approach to eating. When you allow room for flexibility, like enjoying a side of fries or having a slice of cake at a birthday party, you’re more likely to stay motivated to keep progressing towards your health goals”.

A huge portion of serial dieters (87 per cent) said that depriving themselves of unhealthy treats has, at times, led to binging and overeating, and 79 per cent revealed that restrictive diets have never worked for them.

Over half (57 percent) of the nation say they gain weight over Christmas, putting on an average of 5kg.

Despite 67 percent of us admitting we would like to lose weight in 2025, 38 percent think that ‘Banuary’ - avoiding unhealthy food and drink completely in January - makes facing the start of the year more depressing and difficult.

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