Lose Weight in 2009

Weight loss is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. As we sip champagne at midnight, we all promise ourselves that this is the year we will stick with our diets and lose the 10 or 20 pounds that have been bothering us. We promise to atone for all our over-indulgences during the holidays and stick the low fat options this year.

Of course, it is never as easy as we promise ourselves. It is much simpler to fall back onto old habits, and promise ourselves that we will start dieting the next day. To help keep us all on track, I have put together some helpful tips for sustained weight loss.

Keep a food diary. It is easy to cheat and take a bite of something sinful while convincing yourself that it "doesn't count." If you commit to writing down every bite you eat each day, you will find yourself less willing to have that bite of chocolate cake or that handful of chips.

Get a diet buddy. We all need encouragement, and it is much easier to get through the day if there is someone you can talk to who understands what you are going through. Have a friend or family member join you on your new diet and the two of you can keep each other on the right track. It is harder to cheat when you know someone else is paying attention.

Don't drink your calories. A latte in the morning, a soda at lunch, and a margarita with dinner may seem innocuous, but those calories add up to a lot more than you may think. Try to stick with tea and water instead of sugary drinks and you will already make a pretty big dent in your daily calories.

Exercise for 20 minutes at least twice a week. Even if it is just jogging around the block, it will help to speed up your metabolism. If you don't have 20 minutes to spare, use 5 minutes and do some jumping jacks to get your heart racing.

Allow yourself to indulge. If you don't let yourself have treats every now and then, you will likely become frustrated and give up. Going on a diet does not have to be a miserable experience .I like to keep small squares of dark chocolate around for when I need a sugar fix. I find that if I have a small piece when I get that craving, I am much less likely to have a big bowl of ice cream later.

Always keep healthy snacks on hand. I like to keep fresh fruit, veggies with hummus, low-fat yogurt, and bags of mixed nuts in my house for when I get the munchies. I keep trail mix in my purse so that I won't resort to buying chips and candy from vending machines when I get hungry.

Don't skip breakfast. My mother always told me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and she was right. If you skip breakfast, you are much more likely to binge later in the day. A good healthy breakfast like oatmeal, or yogurt and granola, will help start your metabolism for the day.

Eat out less. It is much harder to eat healthy in most restaurants. Eating at home saves both your wallet and your waistline. If you do eat out, go for salads and lean protein. Some restaurants mark the low calorie dishes with a particular icon, so look carefully at the menu. Portion sizes are almost always too big in restaurants. When you order, ask them to wrap half your meal to go.

Do not weigh yourself every day. Staring at the scale every day will only discourage you. Real, sustained weight loss takes time. Designate one day a week to check your progress and put your scale away for the remaining days. It will make your progressive that much more exciting.

Weight loss is all about creating new habits. If you stick with your plan and promise yourself to create healthier habits, next year you made not need to make that resolution.