Easy Ways To Make Your Weight Loss Resolution Stick

We've all compiled that list of things we want to change during the New Year, but like past years, they'll probably get lost in the shuffle, right? WRONG! This year will be different, and is already different, because this time we're getting serious. Not serious like "I'll be committed to working out and eating healthier...until I start to fall off the bandwagon in a month," but serious like "All right, that's enough, I will not let myself go up another pants size, and I refuse to be a couch potato any longer."

1. Commit to your weight loss goal daily.
Make weight loss a habit, and it will very quickly become just that (and finally you'll have a habit that people aren't urging you to break).

2. Avoid crystal balls.
Don't try to look three, six or 12 months into the future to try to figure out if you'll be that size six for your high school reunion (like you really, really want to be). It's great if you want to weigh 135 pounds by June, but being too focused on that ideal can cause you to lose focus and get overwhelmed. Focus on what you can do today to burn a few extra calories, or to fit in all of your vegetables, and you'll see results in no time.

3. Get stuck in a rut.
Yes, we want you to get stuck in a rut—not in terms of what you eat, but in terms of when you eat. Do whatever it takes to establish a pattern of eating that fits into your lifestyle. One of the many benefits of this program is that you're constantly eating throughout the day, so even though you are practicing portion control you are rarely left hungry, and are less likely to overeat at the end of the day.

4. Worship the portion size.
Always think about how much you are eating as well as what you are eating. With the monster meal sizes prevalent today, many of us have no clue what a proper portion size really looks like.

5. Do it, even when you don't want to.
At least once a week, do something that you don't want to do, or that you think you just don't have the energy for. Starting down the slippery slope with comments like, "I'll just take tonight off," or "I'll skip my afternoon workout," can lead to things like, "Oh, I'll just take one more day off," or "I'll start up again next Monday," so suck it up and stay on track. The difference between success and failure can simply be a matter of walking because you should, or eating that salad because you should.

6. Barrel past bumps in the road.
While a piece of decadent cake might not look like those big yellow speed bumps that clog up mall parking lots, they do have a few things in common. They're annoying, they slow you down, and they are quickly forgotten about as soon as you make the right turn back toward the proverbial diet highway. Don't let one slip-up or speed bump ruin everything you've worked for; just jump right back on the bandwagon. After all, the only person who can take you off your diet is you. Start fresh right away.

7. Make it about more than just weight.
A good morning on the scale can be just the boost you need, and a bad morning can be the thing that makes 72 other things go wrong in your day. That's why you need to find some other motivations to keep your resolution going strong. Remember the number of inches you dropped and just how much farther you walked today, and it will ultimately show on the scales. Exercising, and feeling energized and confident can be just as addicting as carbohydrates, chocolates and French fries—we promise!

So set that weight loss goal, get serious, and get set for success with a Slim and Tone total fitness program!