Fitness: Straight talking can help you slim down.

Byline: By Diane Parkes

SOLIHULL-based motivator Steve Miller has one piece of advice for people whose New Year's resolution is to slim - just get on with it.

The straight-talking life coach keeps his message plain with his new book Get Off Your Arse & Lose Weight. And he makes no apologies for his approach.

"As a nation we are full of excuses," he says.

"But I want to cut through all that and get straight to the point. People who don't like my message won't do it and will stay fat."

Steve does not believe in using euphemisms - fat is fat, over-eating is overeating and lazy is lazy.

"It is a kind of tough love," he says. "It won't work for some people, just as Weight Watchers and Slimming World don't work for some people. But people who follow this book will take back control of their lives.

"And that is what it is all about. I am not writing about diets and recipes full of the latest trendy ingredients, I am talking about taking control of how you eat and how you live."

Steve admits he is writing from personal experience as he piled on the pounds when he first attempted to set up in business.

"I have been in chubby land and I tried conventional diets and they didn't work for me. But I looked in the mirror and I realised I did not like being a big fat victim. And I said to myself that I needed to get off my fat arse and do something about it. That is where the title of the book came from."

Steve, who grew up in Tamworth before moving to Solihull, credits his parents with fostering his no-nonsense approach.

"I grew up in a working class council house in Tamworth, my mum Susan has just retired as a cleaner and my dad David is working at an oil depot in Kingsbury. They were not the type to faff about making excuses for things - they just did it.

"I have shown them my book and they are proud as punch. In fact my mum and my sister Julie are using it to lose some weight!"

And Steve, whose book is published by Headline for pounds 12.99 has a few tips for readers aiming to slim for the New Year:

"One - ditch excuses for 2008. Stop whinging and get on with it.

"Two - Learn to be ashamed of being fat. The reason I say that is that I was in France recently and there people are ashamed of being fat, which means they do something about it.

"Three - Deal with emotional eating and start with a clear head.

"Four - Be a great role model to your children and grandchildren. Make lots of healthy meals, play in the park with them, show what it is like being in control of your lives.

"Five - When it is off, keep it off. This is the hardest thing but you need to take the control back. Remind yourself of why you lost the weight. Find the most horrendous pictures of you when you were fat and stick them on the fridge, the bathroom door, all over the place. And keep a pair of the fat pants which you used to wear and hang them on the wardrobe. You know you don't want to go back to that.

"Six - Come to Borders in Solihull on January 22 where I will be giving a talk on how to lose weight and keep it off."

Book signing

Steve Miller will be talking about and signing copies of his book Get Off Your Arse & Lose Weight at Borders Solihull on Tuesday Jan 22 at 6.30pm. Tickets cost pounds 3 (redeemable against purchase of the book on the night), for more information call 0121 705 4111.

CAPTION(S):

BLUNT... life coach Steve Miller doesn't mince his words.