The New Year is here and it’s resolution time!  Here’s a few tips from me on how to do it right.

#1 Lose a Realistic Amount of Weight

Losing weight is always a new year’s goal and throughout the month of January, I’ll be writing a lot about it.  But losing weight is also the most dropped new year’s resolution there is!

By february, most people have completely abandoned their New Year’s resolution, especially if that resolution was to lose weight.

There’s a lot of reasons for this including unrealistic expectations and burnout, but if you are thinking of losing weight, don’t worry, it CAN be done!

I’ve written many articles on weight loss including these: A Functional Nutritionist’s Top Tips for Weight Loss, 7 Reasons Why You Aren’t Losing Weight, 4 Things That Matter More Than Macros for Weight Loss

But my best tips for starting a new year’s weight loss goal are to be realistic, and plan ahead. 

What’s a realistic weight loss goal?

No matter where you are at physically, most people can safely count on a pound a week of weight loss as long as they plan ahead and are diligent.  2 pounds a week is often possible if you have a lot to lose, but you’re better off setting a more realistic goal and then being pleasantly surprised if you lose more!

Look out for another article on how exactly to lose that 1 pound a week!

Planning ahead is such an important part of this process.

You’ve got to have a specific goal (1 lb a week) and then you have to have your method of accomplishing it.

Set a schedule for yourself with exactly what meals you will eat, how many calories you’ll consume, and how often you’ll exercise.  Be sure to build in room for extras like parties and nights out so that you will still be at the right deficit to meet those goals and not feel too deprived!

(It also makes a lot of sense to start working with a professional to hold you accountable.  If you’re interested in learning about working with me, contact me here)

#2 Take Your Supplements Every Day

One of the major things I hear from my clients all year is that they struggle to take their supplements.

There are so many benefits that can come from taking quality supplements, especially in our nutrient deficient world, that I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to say: take your supplements!

If you’re working on resolutions for the year, make a reminder on your phone each day to take your supplements.  

Unless you have a health condition, there’s no need to take more than a couple of basic but important supplements:

A good quality probiotic like this one

A quality Vitamin D3 product (if you’re an office worker or spend lots of time indoors) 

A good multivitamin with methylated B vitamins (like this one)

There are many others that would be a good idea like a fish oil, a good fiber supplement if you have sluggish bowel movements and quality digestive enzymes if you struggle with digesting certain foods, and gall bladder support if you don’t have a gall bladder, but this post isn’t about all that.

Whatever supplements you do take, get a large daily pill pack (I like this one) and separate the supplements you will need each day and make a point to take them at a convenient time each day.  It’s as good a time as any to start a new habit!

#3 Get Fit

A realistic workout program will help you meet your weight loss and health goals even faster.  The most important things to remember with this are: find something you like enough to do it often, build muscle, and be realistic. 

Don’t go into the new year saying you’ll work out 5 days a week unless that is something simple, like walking.

Instead, be determined to get at least two to three days a week of muscle building activity since this is THE most important thing for weight loss and overall health. 

Beyond that, add in cardio sparingly as you like.  Intense cardio shouldn’t be done more than a couple times a week.  Light cardio is fine every day if you enjoy it, but don’t stress yourself if you don’t feel like working out 6 days a week.

The most important thing to do is muscle building and walking, if that’s all you can manage, that is just fine!

Don’t use your calories burned in exercise as an excuse to eat more, either.  You’ll be much more successful if you try to stick to the same calorie count no matter what activity you’ve done. 

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Be looking out for more weight loss and new year’s tips throughout the month and don’t forget to listen to my podcast: An Amber a Day- The Functional Nutrition podcast!