End the Year Right: Lose the Excess Pounds this New Year

It’s very common for people to pack on a few pounds during the festive holiday season. No one really notices it until the New Year arrives and suddenly clothes don’t fit as well anymore.  

Trying to achieve weight loss right after the holidays is tough. Most people feel sluggish at the start of the year after indulging during year-end parties. It’s hard to start a new diet or exercise regimen at the beginning of the year, but it’s more difficult to sustain it, especially after the novelty of a new diet has worn off. It will take a lot of willpower to get back on track, but it’s doable. Here are some tips on how to drop the holiday pounds and keep them off.

• Keep a weight loss diary – One way to jumpstart a diet and exercise routine at the beginning of the year is to write everything down in a diary. This way, you can keep track of your progress and figure out a way to get out of the plateau if and when you reach that point.
• Choose a weight management program that works for you - Not all diets, exercise regimens, and weight management programs work well for everyone. The best thing to do is to choose a program that’s right for you and stick with it. Do some research to see what each program entails and compare different programs until you find one that’s best suited for you.
• Get professional help – Some diets require medical supervision in order for dieters to lose weight safely and efficiently. If you choose such a diet, make sure to consult a nutritionist, a doctor, or a weight management specialist. There are many clinics that offer advice to people who want to lose weight quickly and in a safe manner. It’s best to choose one that specializes in the diet of your choice.
• Find exercise and diet buddies – Losing weight alone is no fun. It also makes it easy to cheat. Enlisting friends and family to go through the journey with you makes going on a diet and exercising everyday bearable. You can also monitor each other’s progress and motivate each other to keep at it and stay on course.
• Learn how to cook – One of the many reasons people have a hard time losing weight and keeping it off because they eat out a lot. Learning how to cook and preparing your own food helps you stick to your diet because you are aware of what goes into each and every meal you prepare for yourself.

Losing weight is never easy. No one ever said it was. People must work hard and make sacrifices for every pound they lose. The start of the New Year is usually the best time to begin a new weight loss regimen. During this time, people don’t only lose the weight they gained over the holidays, they can also start over and live a healthier, happier life.