In the Spirit of New Year's Resolutions

Although, I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions, I do always go into the new year with some fresh hopes. The number one New Year's resolution people seem to make is to lose weight. Personally, my goal is to continue cooking at home. Although, I'm not saying I want to "lose weight," I do believe cooking at home is indirectly resolving for a healthy lifestyle.

In the spirit of the number one resolution, I thought I would share an article I found yesterday. The article is titled "Dr. Oz's Top 5 Mistakes Dieters Make." I wouldn't consider myself a fan of Dr. Oz, nor have I seen his show, but these five things are definitely 5 rules that I live by... or, at least, try to avoid.

To summarize the list, here are the "Top 5 Mistakes Dieters Make":

1) You crash diet - I've always been against crash dieting. Becoming healthy is all about lifestyle changes. Obviously, crash diets are not made to be followed forever. As soon as you stop the diet all the weight comes back, and usually more.

2) You skip breakfast - I understand that people do this because they "aren't hungry" or they think, hey, I'm cutting calories, but research doesn't lie. So get up, have some breakfast and get that metabolism working!

3) You drink extra calories - Beware of those high-calorie beverages! I'm talking to you, Starbuck goers! If you are a coffee drinker, like myself, opt for plain coffee or (my new favorite) an Americano. Those Peppermint Mochas with whip add a lot of calories to your day. And the thing about drinking calories is that they don't make you full, like eating them would.

4) You don't snack - It's all about healthy snacking. Putting your body into starvation mode makes your inhibitions go out the window, prompting you to make poorer choices later. Keep healthy snacks near you or in your car (my glove compartment often holds my snacks safely).

5) You don't drink enough water - I discuss this one a lot. I have to really work hard at this one. For some reason, my brain will just go hours without asking for water, but I know that drinking more water helps me to feel better. And research shows, those who drink more water, eat less. Plan and simple.

A very interesting point brought up in the article is a safe and healthy way to lose weight. Dr. Oz suggests tracking what you eat in a food diary and then figuring out a way to cut out just 100 calories daily. Think about it, 100 calories is nothing. Your body won't even register that you are on a diet! I'm sure I could do this easily with just the slightest change to my portions. 100 calories seems so doable, right?!

I'm sure I've done a fantastic job of summarizing this article ;)..... but if you'd like to read it for yourself, click HERE

Oh, and in case you are wondering, 4 more pounds to go!