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On the turn of the New Year, many people begin to write down their Healthy New Year Resolutions. The most popular New Year resolutions are commonly about losing weight, getting fit and acquiring healthier eating habits.

All these goals are intrinsically linked to one another. A basic part of losing weight is starting to exercise more (get fitter) and learning to eat healthier, more nutritious foods which provide you with the energy, nutrients and minerals required to correctly fuel your body to be more active, without piling on more kilos.

Let’s take a look at some helpful tips and hints.

OK, weight loss should be a pretty straightforward combination; more exercise, and eating a healthier and more balanced diet. The best way to start is to set yourself goals. If you know that your diet is not ideal, but you can’t pin point exactly where you are going wrong, it’s a great idea to start a food diary. There are many websites, apps, books and fitness magazines to help you. Most websites are so simple and easy to use. You can create your own profile, log your food and drinks intake and exercise for the day and it will show you calories, protein, carbs, fat and other essential nutritional information. This will quickly highlight where you are going wrong. Not only is it a good idea to track your food intake and exercise, it’s also useful to determine your “ideal weight” and “your recommended daily intake” using online calculators. These helpful calculations are available on most fitness related websites and are simple to work out.

Be sure to you log down everything that you eat and drink during these two weeks and a note of when you eat too, so that at the end of the day you will have a picture of your eating habits in the morning, afternoon and evening. Many people have a habit of eat too much in the evening after a busy and stressful day.

Here are some other helpful hints:

EXERCISE

1. Catch the running bug. You’ll continue to burn fat after your jog: People who run for at least four hours a week melt more calories than non-runners, even when they’re not running, a Yale University School of Medicine study reports.

2. Crank it up early. Working out harder during the first half of your workout and taking it easier during the second burns up to 23% more fat than doing the opposite, according to a study from The College of New Jersey.

3 & 4. Go hard — and make it quick. Staying at 80 percent of your max heart rate for 40 minutes can amp your metabolism for 19 hours afterward, research published in Obesity notes. And doing a shorter workout at 75 percent of your max aerobic capacity will give you a greater metabolic boost than sweating longer at 50 percent, a Colorado State University reveals.

5 to 7. Lift dumbbells … slowly. More muscle equals mega metabolism boost. Strength training can help you trim major fat, research reveals — and doing super-slow (versus normal speed) reps increases strength by 50 percent.

8. Speed up, slow down. Alternating bouts of high-intensity and low-intensity cardio has been shown to torch pounds.
9. Keep it up. As few as 80 minutes a week of aerobic or weight training helps keep you from regaining belly fat after losing weight, according to several researchers.

10. Try aromatherapy. Exercisers who inhaled strawberry and buttered-popcorn scents torched more calories than those who sniffed neutral odors, according to research from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

11. Make it fun - Box yourself in. Wii boxing knocks out nearly twice as many calories as some other games, like Wii golf.
12. Stay in shape. Fit people have more fat-burning metabolites in their blood than couch potatoes do, scientists say.

IN THE KITCHEN

13. Get more protein. Eating a protein-packed breakfast and lunch helps you burn more post-meal fat than if you eat lower-protein meals, according to Australian research.

14. Guzzle green tea — or coffee. Downing five 5-ounce cups of green tea a day boosts metabolism, burns fat and enables you to exercise longer! Two cups of coffee will also do the trick, one study shows.

15. Have an omelette. Eating two eggs or incorporating protein in your meal for breakfast while dieting will help you trim more weight and body fat than if you ate the same amount of calories noshing on a bagel.

16. Stay above 1,200 calories… ”The average person’s body goes into starvation mode if they eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day,” says Eric Berg, author of “The 7 Principles of Fat Burning.” “That’s stress, and stress creates more belly fat.”

17. Cut calories gradually. If you diet, don’t trim more than 250 calories a day. Cutting calories too quickly can slow down your metabolism. You want to speed it up!

18. Munch on these. Almonds, cherries, yogurt, grapefruit, whole grains, beans, flaxseeds, natural yoghurt, vegetables, and spicy foods have all been shown to torch fat. But watch your portions!

19. Think before you drink. Don’t drink all your calories, unless it’s healthy. A regular coke is around 280 calories. Water is the key!

20. Graze. Many who go without eating for long periods are more likely to have higher body-fat percentages than those who snack more regularly, according to studies.

21. Dine like a Greek. Eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fat (think olive oil, avocados, nuts and natural peanut butter) can help trim both weight, and fat. Yes some fats are actually good for you! Just watch your portion sizes.

22. Stop gorging. Your body can only handle so much food at a time, so stick to 600 calories or less per meal to maximize fat-burning.

23. Skip juice. Reaching for an apple instead of apple juice is not only better calorie-wise, but it’ll also do a better job of boosting your metabolism.

24. Eat only when you’re hungry. Avoid eating out of boredom, stress or other emotions. If you plan on snacking while watching TV, serve yourself a portion of popcorn or pretzels in a bowl, rather than eating out of the bag. It’s easy to lose track of how much you’re eating when you’re eating out of a large package or container.

25. Add lots of fiber to your diet. Fiber bulks up your meals and fills you up but has the advantage of containing few calories. Leafy green vegetables are especially high in fiber, but all vegetables and fruits are a good source.

26. Don’t overdo it. If you give in to a craving and have a piece of chocolate cake, it doesn’t mean that your diet is ruined and you should eat everything you want for the rest of the day. Finish your cake, but choose healthy food choices for the rest of the day.

27. Go Organic. Better taste, better nutrition, safer for you, the environment and your family, and is healthier for you.

28. Learn about healthy foods!

GENERAL

29. Get C and D. Vitamin C can help you burn more fat, and D may help you lose fat, research notes. Aim for 400 to 500 mg of C and 800 mg of D a day.

30. Add fish oil (And work out). Taking 6 grams of fish oil per day and hitting the gym three times a week can help nix body fat, a study reveals.

31. Eat a smaller dinner. Your body may not digest food — and burn fat — as efficiently if you down a huge meal right before bedtime, especially because your metabolism is slower while you sleep.

32. Jump-start your morning. Wake up your metabolism — and get fat-burning started — by doing some sort of exercise within the first few hours of being awake.

Make sure your goals are SMART.
Specific – You want to lose weight or get fit.
Measurable – Define how much weight you want to lose, or how much fitter you need to be. Eg: I want to lose 10kgs in 3months or I want to be able to run 4kms in 20minutes.
Action – Define exactly what you will do. What exercise, and diet you will incorporate into your lifestyle.
Realistic – Set goals that you will be able meet, don’t try to lose too much too soon.
Time-limited – Set a time limit and assess your achievements at the end.

We wish you all the best of luck in attaining your New Years Resolutions.