New Year's Resolutions

Have you made a resolution this New Year to get in shape? If you're determined to make this the year that you keep those resolutions, we're here to help you every step of the way. To help you get started, just follow these top ten health and fitness tips!

1. Find 3 reasons why you want to lose weight
This is the first and most important step. If you don't know why you want something, it won't be as important for you to get it. Be positive with your goals. Don't write down things like 'I don't want to be this size' or something equally as negative. This is telling yourself what you don't want. Don't write meaningless things; write positive goals like, 'I want to look great in my little black number on Valentine's Day'. This tells yourself exactly what you want.

2. Believe in yourself
How often have you admired someone and their achievements and then instantly thought 'I would love to be able to do that, but I just couldn't'? We're all human and we all think like this on occasions. But don't limit your achievements by your thoughts. You can do whatever you want to do.

3. Identify reasons and occasions when you over-eat
If you think about the places, times, people you are with when you eat, the occasions and reasons why you over-eat will become glaringly obvious. Think about it; is it at work, at home, at the weekends, at night, when you're with certain people, when you are alone? Think and ask because the answers are in the questions.

4. Make gradual but permanent behaviour changes
Not an instant step, but a very necessary and very possible one. Gradually change the contents of your fridge to healthier products, steadily increase fruit/veg portions, phase out biscuits/treats and make smart choices a part of your everyday life. Healthy eating will become a healthy habit!

5. Reduce your portion sizes
It is a fact that if we weigh too much we are eating too much. Sometimes we eat healthy foods, but too much of them. It is vital to be aware of how much we are eating and that we reduce it. Use a smaller plate, weigh food on kitchen scales initially so you know the weight of every day food items, use the same size of plate for meals so you know how much food to put on it. Get used to controlling portion sizes and hence the amount of food you eat.

6. Drink water
Dehydration, often mistaken for hunger, leads to fatigue, slow metabolism, poor concentration and short-term memory. Drinking at least 1.5 litres of water each day helps fill you up, eases joint pain, help organs such as the kidney and liver work more efficiently and improves skin condition.

7. Always eat breakfast
Skipping breakfast sends a message to your body that you're 'starving' because you haven't had food in a number of hours. As a protective mechanism, your metabolism slows to conserve energy - exactly the opposite of what you want to happen! Breakfast also gives your body the fuel it needs to exercise effectively.

8. Make exercise a regular habit
Exercise is the secret weapon in successful, permanent weight loss. There is nothing with greater body benefits than exercise. Start gently and build up gradually - a short walk is a fantastic way to begin - or choose some other activity which you enjoy such as swimming, aerobics or playing tennis.

9. Tone your muscles with weight training
Toned muscles boost your metabolism and cause your body to burn calories faster, even while you're sleeping!

10. Look for situations to be active
Park away from the shopping centre rather than looking for the closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the lift/escalator, do more jobs around the house yourself (washing windows/car). Look for the 'difficult' way to do things - the way that requires the most effort!

When you start putting these ten easy steps into place, you will start on the road to healthy weight loss this New Year...