Stick To Your Resolutions This Year

It's a new year, and there's a pretty good chance that many of you reading this have resolved to increase your level of fitness and lose weight. There's also a great probability that you have made this resolution in previous years and did not manage to live up to it.

While there are certainly no set of secrets that will work for everyone, there is some advice from fitness and nutrition experts that can be of use to you as you attempt to meet these vital goals. Let me share some of it with you.

One of the primary recommendations that fitness experts make when it comes to resolutions is to solidify them. Too many people say, "I want to lose weight," but this is far too vague. It would be better to say, "I want to be 20 pounds lighter by Patty's wedding in June," or, "I want to lose four inches off my waist in two months," or maybe, "I want to be able to add 25 pounds to my bench press."

This gives you something measurable so you can track your progress. You may want to make a series of short-term goals. For example, you may want to say that you'll lose five pounds by Valentine's Day, and then proceed to add and modify goals throughout the year. Working with a personal trainer and sharing these goals with them can not only boost your ability to target problem areas, it will also make you accountable to someone.

We have all heard endlessly about portion control, but it doesn't just apply to mealtimes. Many of us have gotten into the bad habit of snacking mindlessly, particularly in front of the television. If you need to tide yourself over between meals, then prepare a portion and dish it up. Studies on eating show that you will consume fewer calories this way.

To cut calories, you don't have to kick all your favorites to the curb. Instead, make simple modifications along the way. I love having non-dairy creamer in my tea, but the sugar content is pretty high, so I exchanged my typical creamer for one that has no added sugar. I save more than twenty calories per serving, and while that might not seem like much, it's a great start.

Many people turn up their noses at most health food, but it is certainly worthwhile to investigate the possibilities. There are so many exotic fruits and vegetables out there that there is sure to be a few that tickle your fancy. If you aren't satisfied with the selection at the grocery store, then visit a market that specializes in ethnic foods.

You should, of course, keep a wide variety of foods in your diet in order to get all the nutrition you need. But you do want to make your resolution as fun as possible so your goals will be easier to stick to.