Hey Chubby, I'm Talking to You!

Each new year so many of us make that same resolution to lose weight and get in better shape. I do it too and by January 15th I'm right back into my old habits. It is frustrating and depressing, but there really are simple changes you can make to your lifestyle that can make a big difference.

I know when I am going to the gym on a regular basis and eating healthier I feel so much better. There are a million fad ways out there that all claim to peel the weight off, but a consistently healthy lifestyle is what it takes.

Here are a few tips to get you on the right track:

Get more sleep. You should try to hit the 8 hour mark as often as you can and get to bed before midnight. Every hour of rest before 12 a.m. is twice as valuable as the hours after midnight: Our cortisol levels are lowest before midnight therefore our recovery is the highest.

Eat fewer refined and processed foods. Avoid fast and fried food and try to consume as many real foods as you can. It's also super important to get enough fiber; fruits and veggies are a great way to fill up.

Avoid soda and other sugary drinks and reach for more water. Water is great for so many things like digestion, eliminating toxins in the body, and transporting important nutrients to our cells which need energy to burn calories. Americans drink 20% of their calories, so be careful of that pitfall.

Learn to cook at home. Preparing delicious and nutrition meals is fun and rewarding. People eat out far too much. Think about how your favorite restaurant meals are being prepared; there is often much more fat added than you would use at home. There is a greater opportunity to control what is in your food if you cook it yourself.

Eat Slowly. When you do sit down to a meal, don't hurry through it. Our culture encourages eating while driving or sitting at our desks. The only time we seem to sit down and enjoy our food is at Thanksgiving. If you eat more slowly you give your body a chance to recognize that it is full before you have the chance to over indulge.

Breathe deeply. In the morning, mid-afternoon, and at the end of the day take a 10 conscious, belly-deep breaths. Close your eyes, pull that air deep into your stomach through your nose and let it out through your mouth. Whether it's a stressful day, or you just want to start and end your day on the right foot, breathing is important.

Don't starve yourself. Oddly enough some of you may not be eating enough, and the lack of calories is putting your body into save mode. Our bodies are so well designed, and if they aren't getting enough food, your metabolism will tell your body to store each and every calorie it receives or to make energy from whatever muscle tissue you have. Obviously you don't want to force your body to do this. Eat your breakfast. People who skip breakfast are over 4 times more likely to be overweight.

Do more than exercise. Even if you are working out, you can't eat and drink whatever you want.

I know how frustrating and time consume counting calories can be so here are some tips to help you let the calories go and trust yourself. Munch on healthy food to become a weight loss success.

Pick up produce. Have at least one fruit and veggie at every meal. Toss berries or peaches into your nonfat yogurt and sprinkle it with granola. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which staves off hunger. Shoot for nine servings daily. It sounds like a lot, but it is achievable. Eat a salad at lunch or dinner, and you're there.

Snack smart. Add protein (such as a stick of lowfat string cheese or Parmesan) to your between-meal snacks. Research suggests protein may enhance the effect of leptin, a hormone that controls appetite. Protein is also filling and can help curb cravings for sweets.

Drink more water. Dieters who swapped sugary drinks for water lose weight, but those who drank the most water lost the most weight, according to a study at the meeting of Obesity Society in Boston. If you hate drinking water, try the flavored kind but check the label for sugar content (it should be below 8 grams per serving).

Plan your meals. A little attention to portions can help you eat less and still stay satisfied. Start by using a salad dish (8 inches in diameter) and divide it into quarters to help keep helpings healthy. Half the plate should get veggies, top another quarter with lean protein (3 to 6 ounces of fish, or chicken) and the last quarter with whole grains (1/2 to 1 cup of brown rice, sweet potatoes or whole wheat pasta).

Don't skip meals. When you wait longer than five hours between bites, your body may release extra cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite.

Since everyone really wants a flat belly here are some quick tips for giving your exercise routing a kick start:

To better work the entire abdominal region, vary your exercises: crunches work the upper abdomen; leg raises work the lower abdomen; side bends work the love handles.

It is better to aim at burning fat altogether since it is impossible to spot train. And sure, you can do 100 daily crunches. But if you've got a layer of fat covering up your ab work, then what's the point? You need to burn the stomach fat to see the changes.

Consider some form of anaerobic exercise, as well. Some simple resistance training, or light weight lifting, will not only help you burn fat more efficiently, but tone up the rest of your body as well.

Raising your metabolic rate is crucial. The higher your metabolic rate, the more energy and fat you'll burn even when you aren't doing anything.

To increase your metabolic rate, increase the frequency of your meals to 6 times a day. Every 2 to 3 hours ingest a small meal. This increased frequency, will put
your metabolism into overdrive. Remember I said small meals only! For greatest effect only eat carbohydrates before 2pm, from then on, only proteins.

Do a lot of cardio

Eat at least two hours before your sleep fat wont burn well while asleep

Good luck and hang in there. The only one holding you back is you.