Keep Your Weight-Loss Resolution

Did you resolve to lose weight last year, the year before that and the year before that? Did you quit before the flowers bloomed in the spring? We’ve listed 5 tips to help you achieve your weight-loss goal once and for all.

Build exercise into your schedule. Schedule your workout time as if it were an important doctor’s appointment. Block out a specific time and make exercise part of your weekly routine. Make sure you choose calisthenics that you’ll enjoy. The best exercise is the one you’ll do.

Drink more water. Water is the single most important nutrient for our bodies. It is involved in every function of our bodies. You can live five to seven weeks without food, but the average adult can last no more than five days without water. How much water should you drink? Take your weight in pounds and divide it by two. The result is how many ounces of water you should drink daily.

Avoid skipping meals. It may seem like a good way to shed a few pounds, but it is actually harmful to your body. Your metabolism slows down to preserve the carbohydrates and fats still in your body to survive. It’s important to eat three meals a day to give your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly.

Restore your body with sleep. Every night when you go to sleep, your body shuts down and repairs itself. Your immune system recharges. Your major organs are restored. Old cells are being replaced with new ones. Your mind relaxes and orders its thoughts, creating a healthy mental state. A good night’s sleep is free. A bad night’s sleep is costly, because it takes a toll on your health.

Conquer food cravings. Unhealthy food cravings do require an extra measure of self-control if we are going to conquer them, but be encouraged. Think of healthier alternatives. For instance, instead of a bowl of ice cream, try a scoop of frozen yogurt; instead of potato chips and French onion dip, try baked chips and fresh salsa. While these alternatives might not be ideal, they are a step in the right direction and can help bridge the gap between where you’ve been and where you want to be with your diet.