Atlanta Personal Trainer | Ray Grayson

It’s a new year and many people are motivated to make life changes. These changes most often include eating healthier and exercising more. However, these resolutions are the most broken of the bunch.

Did you make health and fitness New Year’s resolutions this year? How well are you doing with them?

We want to help you keep your eye on the prize and meet your goals. Check out these tips to stay on track or get back on track.

1. Avoid Diets – Fad diets often require dramatic changes in your eating pattern and though you may see results, they are usually only temporary. You should focus on healthy choices instead of restricting yourself. Instead of eating less, eat more nutritionally dense food which will keep you full longer. Restricting food makes you feel hungrier and causes your metabolic rate to drop. You should also avoid processed refined carbohydrates.

2. Fiber up – Eating more fiber rich foods will aid in making you to feel fuller longer. Fiber can also increase your ability to burn fat by as much as 30 percent. Studies show that those who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Ideally, you should aim for about 25 grams per day, which is about 3 servings of both fruits and vegetables.

3. Get Active – You should exercise at least 3 days a week. It can be as simple as a 30 minute walk or as intense as a Shut Up and Train session. Just get active! Exercise aids in controlling your weight, boosts your energy, improves your mood and above all it combats health conditions and diseases.

4. Rest – Your body needs a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night. Your body and mind need it to re-energize itself and to work at optimal performance daily.

5. Proteins – Exchanging carbohydrates for protein is another key to weight loss. Protein is needed to maintain lean muscle, which in turn increases your metabolic rate. It is recommended that you eat approximately one gram of protein per pound of your body weight. Make sure to choose healthy lean proteins like fish, chicken or turkey. Also avoid adding extra fat when you cook. For example, frying a 3.5-ounce portion of chicken verses grilling it adds an extra 120 calories to the meal. Over the course of a year, making this change with dinner every night could result in over 12 pounds of weight loss.

6. Eat Breakfast – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It jump starts your metabolism and increases your energy levels all day. Studies show that people who skipped breakfast are more than four times as likely to be obese.

7. Life Juice – You should be drinking half of your weight in ounces of water aka “life juice” daily.

8. Partner Up – Two is better than one, so get a partner or two to join you in reaching a healthier lifestyle. A study, recently published in New England Journal of Medicine, found that people who were held accountable to a weight loss plan, either by family, friends, coaches or web-based support, did better than those who tried to lose weight alone.