THE ORIGINAL

THE RURAL ROUSER

FitFarms, Devon If you want to lose weight so badly that you're willing to get up at 6.15 every morning and subject yourself to a programme of dawn workouts, power walks, life-coaching sessions and nutrition workshops until past 7pm, every night for a week, this is the place. A women-only course, it isn't about strenuous effort for the already healthy, but about serious diet and exercise for those who are struggling to reach a shape they're happy with. After a week here, you should head home informed and inspired for a healthy year.

THE FIGHTING-FIT IRISH

Body and Soul Experience, Ireland This one makes the most of the stunning Donegal countryside to inspire and exhaust pound-shedding guests on weekend or week-long “rejuvenation courses”. You're limited to 1,200 calories a day, and will be expected to tear into long hikes, mountain-bike rides and afternoon yoga sessions. At least the bed you collapse into is comfortable – the camp is hosted by Harvey's Point, a country-house hotel on the shore of Lough Eske that has just been named the Irish AA's Hotel of the Year.

THE WHITE HEAT

Waymark Experience, Norway Nordic skiing uses up the British Nutrition Foundation's estimate for the typical Christmas dinner – 1,400 calories – in just two hours for an average-sized man, or three for a regular-sized woman, and all that gain comes in beautiful winter scenery. Stretch yourself and book a “confident beginner” trip with Exodus, the UK's Nordic expert. The base is Kvitavatn, in the Telemark region of Norway – renowned for the quality of its instructors and the wildness of the country.

THE TOUGH NEW KID

Body and Soul Adventures, Brazil Launched this year in Paraty, not far from Rio de Janeiro, this is a health camp that takes reducing your waist size awfully seriously – and, be warned, that dedication has won it so many fans, the place is booked solid until March 16.

If you can get a slot, you'll do a lot of hiking in the tropical fjordland around Paraty, then sea-kayaking, surfing and hours of yoga. Oh, and your diet will be calorie-counted, caffeine-free and 100% natural. The idea is to provide you with an intense “jump start” to redirect your lifestyle to healthy choices – though expect most of your fellow guests to be trim already.

THE CHILLOUT

Surf Berbere, Morocco There's a reason surfers wear their shorts so low. They have no waistline. For a week of excellent cardiovascular fitness, muscle-toning and a fat-burning chill from the water, you can't beat hitting the waves. Choose Morocco and you'll have the added benefit of spending your evenings sipping virtuous peppermint tea, rather than the carb-loaded devil's drink, beer. Surf Berbere is a new, British-run camp in the laid-back Atlantic town of Taghazout, with quiet waves and help for beginners.

THE STRESS-BUSTER

Holistic Holidays If your Christmas season included not only an excessive calorie count, but a blazing family row, too many trips to the wine box and a spontaneous flood of tears at the Waitrose checkout, this is worth considering. Based in a spacious villa in the quiet interior of Lanzarote, HoHo is an escape hatch for people whose lives, either physically or psychologically, seem to have run off the leash. As well as a personal training regime, aquarobics, healthy food and tons of top-quality yoga instruction, it offers plenty of opportunity for quiet contemplation and conversation.

THE BEAST

Boulder Outdoor Survival School This might just be the most arduous – and consequently slimming – holiday experience you can pay for. A 14-day field course in the badlands of southern Utah, it teaches the art and philosophy of wilderness survival through genuine puddle-drinking, root-eating hardship, with perhaps 15 miles of hiking a day, no modern gadgets allowed and a period of solo survival to negotiate. Guests have been known to shed two stone in one seriously tough fortnight. To get through this holiday, you will have to kill a sheep. Really.