Have you ever thought that staying healthy and slim would be easier and simpler if you could afford to see a dietician and have personal guidance from them? Well, to my amazement there is software out there that effectively provides exactly this; personal nutrition advice geared to you and your needs. Whatever your goal, whatever your lifestyle, there are products out there that will adapt and produce personalised, easy to follow meal plans.

I was sceptical that software could relieve me of all my confusion over which diets work and which rules I should follow. The programmes I found presented me with a balanced nutritional plan that left me feeling healthy and helped me to build a positive relationship with food again.

Rather than following a 'one size fits all' diet, which has never worked for me because, let's face it, I don't have the same body or the same nutritional needs as everyone else, this plan was personalised to my needs.

At the same time, though, it is easy to follow. I haven't needed to count calories; it works all that out for you and then tells you, in real terms, what size portions you need to it. Do you know how much chicken you should be eating with your evening meal and what that would look like? No, nor did I!

They personalise your nutritional plan by calculating how to achieve your chosen goals based on the data that you enter.

So, firstly, you can choose your goal. That could be weight loss, weight maintenance or even weight gain! Then you enter your current weight, your goal weight, your height and your gender. The programme recognises how much change is needed and devises a plan. You further customise your plan by entering your food preferences and the sotware works out your entire diet.

It recognises that your needs and your preferences are likely to change as time goes on, so the software allows you to change your meal plans. They explain that variety is one of the keys to losing fat, since as your body changes its calorie needs as it changes size and composition.

The idea is to help us avoid those soul destroying plateaus. So, when the diet stops working and we want to give up, these programmes aim to ensure we keep going.

And when the weight loss phase is over, the software will help you to keep the weight off and maintain the new you.

I'm not there yet, but I am still motivated to keep going and I like the idea that this programme won't leave me in the lurch, alone, to cope with that daunting task of keeping my new weight and shape.

There are experts in nutrition and fitness behind these programmes. That was important for me to learn, as I didn't want to put my trust in people that had no history of success or credibility.

They seem to have many very happy customers that are willing to share their stories of success. I can only tell you what I have found so far and the concept behind this programme.

For me, it has been slow, steady progress. Somehow, though, it feels better than the quick fixes. Perhaps that's because it's not gimmicky; it is a fulfilling and 'normal' meal plan that I can imagine using for the rest of my life. I can see, therefore, why they are able to steer people through the weight maintenance period once we reach our target weight... there would be no radical 'diet' to give up and therefore no reason to swing back up to a high weight.

Genuine nutritional advice can be expensive and hard to come by. I think this online support is ingenious and a healthy approach to food and weight. It has, for a change, given me hope that I can actually end my battle with food and weight.