I simply want to feel and look fit!

I AM so happy, I cannot tell you. After two years of piling on the pounds and sporting one of the biggest bellies in Bahrain - 45 inches - one-inch off that measurement may not be a miracle but it's a healthy start.

Well, that's one less inch to pinch. Not that there was much to pinch, instead of having a six-pack I modelled the party-can version of the stomach and it was pretty much rock solid.

Wearing a T-shirt made me look pregnant which is why I challenged Suhail Algosaibi, the founder of the Dream Body Centre, to put his weight loss advertising boasts to the test.

He claimed he could help anyone lose weight and transform their body in just 23-minutes and we agreed on this series of articles on the condition I concluded the initial course before publication.

The business entrepreneur and martial arts expert is scathing about diets, labelling them lies. He reckons diet pills, potions and weight-loss drugs are secret killers and his thoughts about the risk of surgery is the stuff of nightmares.

However, he warns that if your definition of a dream body is to be muscle-bound like a body builder than you should look elsewhere. To be honest, muscles were the last thing on my mind. I simply wanted to feel and look fitter and slimmer and wear the shirts and suits I had brought to Bahrain with me from the UK in comfort once more.

The biggest challenge was setting aside 23-minutes from the demands and pleasures of work and family.

That was the toughest part. I know it's pathetic, but it is very easy to make a valid excuse to miss a session.

But I was determined that I wasn't going to falter - this was a story and a news investigation to settle the score concerning my work worries and, on the home front, if I was going to live to see my wonderful children grow up I needed to invest time in me.

I have also started to build up a personal relationship with the variety of machines which greet me three times a week at the centre.

There are some I love and some, I truly think, I hate.

It's amazing how long 30 seconds can feel when you're lifting your arms when they don't want to be lifted or you are sitting down and standing up when you'd much rather be laying down on a comfortable sofa.

I will introduce you to some of these new found friends in next week's column. I've made a few casual acquaintances of the human kind too.

We're all in the same boat for various reasons. There's one Bahraini newly-wed who tells me that his lovely wife makes sure he is well fed but his mother's concerned and pops in daily with a big dish to ensure her beloved son is not missing out.

The poor man doesn't know how to say no, and the women in his life fail to realise they're killing him with love and affection.

Thankfully, he's found a way to work off the excess weight with me on the circuit. And, our inspiration is a middle-aged Frenchman who can now power round the equipment, looking the picture of health, who insists he was bigger than both of us put together six months ago.

It's a sweat and I'm starting to enjoy it. But next month is Ramadan, the centre's opening hours will temporarily change and my diary is already full of invitations to Iftar feasts and glorious Ghabgas. Even some of my Muslim friends put on weight at this time ... and they're fasting! It's going to be a tough assignment.

Find out how Stan gets on in next week's issue. The tape measure will tell all.

It's all in the state of mind

"Exercise itself isn't rocket science," says Pete Cohen, a health and wellbeing coach trained in human psychology and behaviour. "It's getting people to enjoy it and stick with it in the long term that's the real challenge."

Mr Cohen believes many of us set ourselves up to fail when we attempt to get fit. "From the very moment you think to yourself 'I've tried this before and it didn't work - why should this time be any different?' you can bet your bottom dollar it won't be," he says. "To make a difference, you need to reinvent yourself as someone who no longer hates exercise and is unfit."

Behaviour modification techniques such as "self-talk", which encourages the belief that you're already living a healthy life rather than being on the way to one, have long been used in other areas of behaviour counselling, including smoking cessation and sports performance, but they're only now finding their way into the training market.

"People are much better informed about exercise these days, but what they struggle with is how to incorporate healthy living into their daily routine in the long term," Jeff Archer, director of lifestyle and well- being consultancy The Tonic, believes.

That doesn't mean trying to terrify them into it. In fact, research from the UK's Sheffield University found that using scare tactics was the least effective strategy in instigating health behaviour changes. So what did work? Setting goals, using self-talk, behavioural contracts and regular monitoring.

So what makes a good goal? "One that's challenging but achievable," says mental performance and lifestyle coach Midgie Thompson. Once you've determined your ultimate goal, you need to work backwards from there, setting mini goals along the way, which will boost morale and keep you on track.

Putting your goals in writing is widely recommended. "It creates accountability - a powerful incentive," explains Mr Thompson. But be careful what you write. "The language you use to state your goal is important. I encourage clients to set 'towards', not 'away from' goals. For example, rather than saying 'I want to lose weight', I'll get them to say 'I want to reach my ideal weight.' The unconscious mind doesn't like 'losing' anything - so the way you frame your goal needs to be positive."

Unfortunately, most of us feel anything but positive about physical activity. In many ways, exercise is seen as punitive; as soon as you start telling yourself you "have to" lose weight, it's all about negative emotions.

Stephen Kraus, a US-based scientist who runs a service called Psychology for Fitness Professionals, recommends "root cause analysis"; in other words, you ask the question "why?". Why do you want to lose weight? So I'll have more energy. Why do you want to have more energy? So I can play with my children. "This technique helps to clarify motivation and purpose, and makes it much easier for you to keep on track when the going gets tough," he says.

How to find the athlete within - Steps to mental fitness.

What are your reasons for exercise? Write them down, in as much detail as possible.

Set challenging but achievable goals. Establish your ultimate goal, then work back to the present, putting in nearer-term goals to achieve along the way. Put your goals into a time-scale and have them in writing.

Learn to self-talk. Everyone has times when they don't want to exercise, but the ones who do it anyway are those who have learned to counter negative self-talk with positive, persuasive arguments.

Try to stay "in the moment" during your work-outs, rather than switching off completely, or thinking about other things. Feel the breeze on your face when you're out running, or tune into your breathing, rather than focusing entirely on the numbers on your heart rate or pace monitor.

Don't get stuck in a rut. "Have a sense of discovery and fun about exercise," says Cohen. "You've got to enjoy the journey, not just the destination."

Use visualisation: picture yourself on the machine. Post-workout, take a moment to congratulate yourself - and reflect on what you've achieved.