The 7 New Year Resolutions You Should Have Made (Part 1)

So here we find ourselves in 2008. You may wonder like I do, how did this happen? And how did I find myself once again making the same resolution I did last year? That was-to never make another resolution about losing weight EVER again. Well, that didn’t work out and I know exactly why. I almost could have made it actually…I was so close to my goal weight and to having very healthy eating habits only a few months ago. BUT, there are just too many great food events at the end of the year; it is hard to arrive at a New Year’s party in anything other than a dress a size bigger than you wanted it to be. Halloween, Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas cookie-making, Christmas, after Christmas leftovers, screw-it I’ve already eaten everything anyway, rainy days, and New Year’s Eve…and then here we are 10 pounds bigger with the same resolution as last year-to lose those last 10 pounds.

So here are some helpful tips on the first 7 ways to get back down to business and reclaim the waistline that we just loved (and we weren’t the only ones)!

Personal Trainer Placentia says

Get out the Planner. You have to plan to lose weight if you actually want to lose weight. Make a list of the proper nutritional items and shop ahead once a week so that you leave no room for drive-thru meals and last minute unhealthy snacks. When shopping, try to focus on buying fresh foods from the outside aisles of the market. This is where the lean meats and produce are kept. When you go into the inner abyss of the supermarket, don’t stray for too long, go in for items like tofu, nuts and whole grains, not twinkies and corndogs.

Personal Trainer Studio City says

Keep Your Focus. So now you have your staples of fresh fruit, veggies, lean meats, and whole grains at home, but don’t forget that is not the only place where temptation resides. As soon as you leave you are faced with the dangers of the outside world of snacks. If you have planned properly, you have a few handfuls of delicious snacks you can take with you to work or on the go like raw almonds of nonfat yogurt.

Personal Trainer Brea says

Nosh in the AM. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is not just something people say. Eating when you wake up kick starts the metabolism and helps you keep your hunger in check for the rest of the day.

Personal Trainer Laguna Niguel says

Flip Your Priorities. We were always taught that when you plan a meal that you chose the meat as the “main” course, which generally meant the biggest portion of the meal and then everything else was a side made up traditionally of a starch and a vegetable. Well, for weight loss and nutrition, this old model has changed. Fill up ¾ of your meal with whole grains and frsh fruits and vegetables and ¼ with lean protein. By filling up with lower calorie more fibrous foods, you feel satisfied and cut your caloric intake.

Personal Trainer Westminster says

Soup’s On. You may have read that it is a great practice to drink a glass or two of water before each meal to curb hunger. This will also work by using soup as an appetizer. By eating a broth-based soup before your main meal, you will actually eat fewer calories because you will feel full sooner.

Don’t Fear the Scale. I have said it myself too. The scale just gives me a number and who cares about a number. It is how I feel right? Well, true but, that number actually helps keep you honest and can be used as a mark of progress. I am not suggesting that you find out how much Heidi Klum weighs and starve yourself until you weigh that much. Just set a reasonable and attainable (and healthy) goal weight for yourself and weigh yourself at the same time (preferably morning for your truest weight) every day. A slip up in dieting and hence weight can be easily reversed by showing up quickly on the scale numbers as opposed to being hidden until your pants don’t fit.

Don’t Booze it Up. Cocktails actually can slow your metabolism, have a lot of empty calories, and impair judgment which can lead to overeating if the alcohol is consumed before a meal. Limit yourself to one drink a night preferably WITH the meal not before. To up the supposed “nutritional” value, go with a red wine or a vodka cocktail mixed with pomegranate juice for antioxidants.

So that’s it for the first 7…Stay tuned for the next 7 New Year Resolutions You Should Have Made…