Article By: John Fontana

Some of the most popular New Years Resolutions are to lose weight, start a diet and get on an exercise routine, usually they all go hand in hand.  With Shadow Fit being a company focusing on providing personalized workouts, you might think we would be pushing the exercise part of it in your face.  We’re not.  The truth is, without your diet being in line, you are going to have a tough time accomplishing your resolution.  Exercise is a very integral part of it all, but the foods you put in your mouth each day will ultimately be responsible for your outcome.  Make sure you follow these few rules before you get started with that resolution.

Get Sustainable

This first rule to live by really has two different definitions.  The first is to go for foods that are sustainable for you.  If you currently have a diet that consists of nothing for breakfast, McDonalds for lunch and take out for dinner don’t expect to be able to get all health freak on us over night. You have to realize what is a sustainable diet for you and start with that.  Ask yourself “can I really eat like this everyday” if the answer is no than start to rethink it.

The second part of that is to go with as many sustainable foods as you can throughout the day.  These are natural, organic products that aren’t processed or modified. If you shoot for sustainable foods, you will likely be cutting calories drastically and be getting healthier. Remember that just being thin and skinny doesn’t mean you are necessarily healthy. But being very healthy likely has a positive side effect of being lean.

Cut The Fat

Don’t take this the wrong way, because I am a huge proponent of healthy fats.  What I mean is to cut out all the unnecessary foods you eat throughout the day.  Usually this has a lot to do with extra calorie drinks, condiments and dressings.  If you find yourself eating just because you are bored than this is likely on of the “cut the fat” times.

Cut It In Half

Whatever your eating right now, I want you to cut it in half.  Not to say that I want you to cut your entire days food in half, but start to cut meals in half. Start to cut your meals (especially dinner) in half and eat portion now and then a portion a few hours later. We for some reason decide that we need to eat these huge meals and consistently end up overeating. If you separate you meals this is less likely to happen because you will realize that you’re not quite as hungry as you thought.  Also, this will keep your body working to digest the food and will ultimately speed up your metabolism.

Don’t Eat, Snack

This tip is really just about changing your mindset than anything else.  Start to think that you will only eat snacks throughout the day. By going into each meal with a “snack mindset” you again will avoid the chance of overeating.  You will also be eating more times throughout the day, which will help boost your metabolism.

Know Yourself

Write down a list of the foods that you love frequently and frequently crave.  Realize that those foods are not necessarily your enemy but need to be controlled.  If you are a chocolate freak, you can’t expect yourself to cut out all chocolate.  If I thought that I could eliminate peanut butter from my diet I would be mistaken because I am in love with it.  Recognize those foods and instead of cutting them out completely, make them a reward.  If you have had a few great days of diet and exercise, indulge with a little of your favorite treat. Staying in a positive mindset will ultimately determine whether you succeed or fail at your New Years Resolution

Creating that list of your favorite foods will also help you cut out some foods that are no good for you.  If you realized that you eat a lot of gummy bears each week but mainly do so out of boredom, it will be easier to let those go.  Also, pay attention to the amount of carbs your eat compared to fats.  A key to losing weight is learning to limit the consumption of one of those categories.  Don’t try to cut the carbs out if you love bread, pasta and cereal it will never happen.  If that’s the case, look to lower your fat consumption a little instead and you will be able to reduce calories without getting cravings.  Being able to eat your favorite foods will help you keep your mind.

I know that none of this information was ground breaking new stuff that you have never heard but it works. Losing weight is not about joining some crazy diet; it is about making long lasting sustainable changes. If you follow each of these rules, I guarantee you will cut out a few hundred calories per day.  Those calories will add up and eventually equal a few thousand calories and then a few pounds.

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