Time to Get Started on New Year's Resolution

Among the most common New Year’s resolutions are exercising more often, losing weight, quitting smoking, and living life to the fullest. All are achievable by committing to an action plan and never losing your resolve. Weight loss resolutions often include intense workouts, complicated cleansings, less than exciting meals, and open-ended statements about lifestyle changes. Avoid being overwhelmed and set a goal to lose one pound a week in January. Avoid gimmicks, fad diets, and over-the-counter weight loss products. There is very little evidence any of these result in permanent weight loss. Plan your journey and celebrate your successes along the way. The reality of it all is that the weight loss process doesn’t happen in a month or two. It takes time for your body to make permanent changes to support a new lifestyle and healthier eating habits. Most dieters never achieve either and their resolve ends up squashed.

• Identify Culprits for Overeating - Emotional overeating due to stress is essentially a form of binge eating and often triggered by anger, loneliness, or sadness.
• Avoid Foods with Added Sugars - Added sugar is obvious in candy and soft drinks, but it is often hidden processed meats, pre-packaged foods, ready-to-eat foods, and baked goods. If eating prepared foods check the Nutrition Facts Label.
• Include Extra Protein in Diet - Eating more protein during the day can lead to major reductions in cravings and the desire to snack late at night without restricting caloric intake, portion sizes, or consumption of fat.
• Eat More Fiber to Feel Full - While most carbohydrates break down into sugar, fiber isn’t digested and stays intact as it passes through your digestive system helping you stay full longer.
• Include Good Fats - Fat is a vital nutrient and dietary fat furnishes essential fatty acids that support regulation of important bodily functions and protects vital organs.
• Limit Liquid Sugar Intake - If you normally drink sodas and are craving bubbles, opt for a seltzer water or club soda. Both are caffeine and calorie free options that support healthy weight loss.

Setting a target weight is a common first step in planning for a weight loss journey. Nonetheless, setting your sights on achieving short-term goals can help fuel your motivation. Never get discouraged if you are not seeing the results on the scale as quickly as you had hoped. Since goals need to be attainable, your resolution may need to be tweaked a little bit to change things that aren’t working well for you. It will always help if you have an idea of how much food your body requires to lose or maintain your existing weight. This will provide a good starting point for making healthy food choices every day. If you focus your attention on making healthy choices every day and give your efforts enough time, you should see progress on the scale and in how your clothes fit. Being mindful of what you eat and why you need to exercise is key to success.