A New Year’s Resolution List You Can Stick With: Weight Loss

As the year comes to a close, many people are looking for ways to lose weight. One of the most common items on a New Year’s resolution list involves weight loss.

Unfortunately, a lot of weight loss resolution goals fall by the wayside as the months go by. The good news is that there is a way for everyone to lose weight during the coming year. If you have weight loss on your New Year’s resolution list, take a look at a few of the top ways that you can make your weight loss resolution a success! By losing weight, you will take care of your emotional health, physical health, and mental health during the New Year.

Make a Resolution To Walk 30 Minutes Per Day

If you are looking for a straightforward exercise that can help you lose weight, walking is at the top of the list. This is a convenient and easy way for just about anyone to start exercising without feeling like they need to purchase equipment. All you need to walk successfully is a little bit of motivation and a good set of walking shoes!

There are a lot of benefits that come with walking regularly. In addition to helping you burn calories and lose weight, this is also a relatively low impact exercise. As a result, it’s not going to put a lot of stress on your joints. If you have knee pain, ankle pain, or hip pain, consider walking on a trail instead of the hard pavement. This will make walking even more comfortable for you.

Of course, walking to lose weight is also something that is backed by science. According to a study that took place over 12 weeks, 20 obese individuals walked for about 1 hour, three times per week. During the study, they reduced their total body fat by about 1.5 inches and shrank their waist by more than an inch, according to the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry. Consider what you can do if you resolve to walk 30 minutes per day during the next twelve weeks!

When you are starting something for the first time, remember to start low and go slow. Aim to walk for 30 minutes continuously three or four times per week. It doesn’t matter how fast you walk. Simply try to walk continuously. As you get in better shape, you will realize that you can walk farther and more frequently, helping you burn even more calories. Add walking to your New Year’s resolution list!

Walking is one of the top exercises for weight loss, especially for men and women who are just starting out. Noom suggests starting slow with a few thousand steps a day and working up from there. Tons of helpful lifestyle changes like this are available with the free trial offer available today from Noom. 

Remove the Liquid Calories

If you are looking for a good weight loss resolution, be sure to consider your diet as well. It can be challenging for you to change your diet. Therefore, start with small goals that are not going to make you feel hungry or thirsty. For example, you may want to try removing liquid calories from your diet. Some of the most common sources of liquid calories include:

• Sweet Tea
• Sodas and other soft drinks
• Chocolate milk
• Sports drinks
• Energy drinks
• Fruit juice

Many people are surprised at just how much sugar is present in these beverages. For example, a single bottle of soda could have as much sugar as a single candy bar! Therefore, consider swapping out these sugary beverages for something else.

For example, one research study in Lancet showed that sugar-sweetened beverages dramatically increased the rate at which children gained weight. Because excess calories that children consume should be going toward growth and development, it’s alarming that sugary beverages can cause so much weight gain in children.

Also, liquid calories don’t cause you to feel full. Therefore, you simply end up throwing these calories on top of everything you consume during the day. If you would like to achieve your weight loss resolution, consider drinking water instead.

If you don’t feel like you can make the drastic switch from sugary beverages to water, consider switching to diet drinks. Or, you can find sweet drinks that use something like Stevia instead of actual sugar. The goal is to reduce the calories and sugar you consume. If you can avoid liquid calories as part of your New Year’s resolution list, you’re closer to achieving your weight-loss goals.

Sign Up For (and run) a 5K by the End of the Summer

If you have been thinking about walking to lose weight and feel like pushing yourself, consider aiming to run a 5K by the end of the summer. You certainly don’t have to sprint; however, even if you currently spend your days sitting on the couch, you will run a 5K by the end of the summer with enough motivation!

Running is a great exercise that can be done just about anywhere. Therefore, you should be able to incorporate this easily into your daily routine. You don’t need a gym membership, a set of weights, or even a motor vehicle to incorporate running into your day! Instead, all you need is a place to run safely and a set of solid running shoes.

If you decide to incorporate running, keep in mind that this can be stressful on your joints. If you are worried about the impact of running on your joints, consider running on a softer surface. There might be trails in a local park that you can use. Or, you can run laps around a soccer field. The grass is significantly softer than the pavement.

If you would rather run indoors because it’s cold outside, consider finding a gym with a treadmill or inside track. A lot of treadmills have cushioning built into them. As a result, this could also be easier on your joints, helping you keep up with your weight loss resolution.

Studies have shown that running is beneficial to your overall health. For example, running regularly can help you quickly and efficiently burn visceral fat, according to the Journal of Applied Physiology, also known as belly fat per Obesity Reviews. When you can burn this fat effectively, you also protect your internal organs from chronic medical conditions.

If you are wondering how to begin running, start with intermittent jogging. As you walk around the neighborhood regularly, try to alternate between walking for 1 minute and running for 1 minute. As you get into better shape, you can run for longer times. This is how you can build yourself up to a 5K by the end of the summer.

Eat Protein with Every Meal

If you are trying to change your diet to help you keep up with your weight loss resolution, consider adding more protein. When people consider protein, they usually think about chicken, beef, and seafood. Many people are concerned because these sources of protein are expensive. The good news is that eating protein doesn’t have to be financially stressful. For example, eggs, beans, and quinoa are also excellent protein sources and don’t cost nearly as much as a nice steak or a whole fish. Furthermore, adding protein can also help you lose weight.

As your body works to digest your meals, it burns calories. Your internal organs require energy to digest your food. Therefore, you burn calories after eating. Your body has to work the hardest to metabolize the protein you need. Studies have shown that a diet high in protein can help you burn up to 100 extra calories per day, as per research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Furthermore, protein is more nutrient-dense than other types of foods. Therefore, you will probably feel fuller if you eat a diet high in protein. Medical studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shown that individuals who eat a high protein diet eat far fewer calories than those who eat diets that are heavy in other nutrient sources, such as carbohydrates.

If you are looking for a specific example of how you can incorporate more protein into your diet, consider eating eggs for breakfast instead of reaching for a granola bar or cold cereal. Then, consider eating a lighter source of protein during lunch. For example, you may want to eat a quinoa salad instead of going out to eat every day. Finally, make sure that you include a solid source of protein with dinner as well. This protein should sit next to a vegetable on your plate to ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals. When you incorporate protein into your diet, you will find that you can keep up with your weight loss resolution.

Cut Out Refined Carbs and Added Sugars

There are other ways that you can improve your diet when you are looking at your New Year’s resolution list. For example, consider cutting out refined carbs and added sugars. Sugar contributes to a wide variety of chronic medical conditions and weight problems. If you can eliminate refined carbs and sugars from your diet, you will have a much easier time losing weight.

Refined carbs are carbohydrates that have had their most important nutrients removed for those who might not know. For example, refined carbs have been stripped of their fiber, vital for your digestive tract. As a result, all that is left is simple carbs that can be digested easily. As a result, medical studies have shown that eating refined carbohydrates make it much more likely for someone to overeat, says research in Nutrition in Clinical Care. It should come as no surprise that refined carbohydrates are closely tied to long-term weight concerns.

Right next to refined carbohydrates are added sugars. Medical studies have linked added sugars to a wide variety of long-term chronic medical conditions, including metabolic concerns and cardiovascular concerns. Sadly, many people in the United States don’t realize that even foods that don’t taste sweet can have a lot of added sugar. For example, dried cranberries, bread, and even a glass of milk contain added sugar. Furthermore, food and beverage companies have gotten very good at concealing added sugar on their ingredients label, making it hard to spot on nutrition facts.

If you are trying to remove refined carbohydrates and added sugars as part of your weight loss resolution, the good news is you don’t have to sacrifice anything at all. You just need to be a bit more mindful when you’re shopping at the grocery store. Be vigilant for food sources that contain refined carbohydrates and added sugars. For example, consider eating whole grain bread instead of white bread. Simple switches can go a long way toward helping you lose weight.

The more sugar added to a food or drink, the higher the calorie density. Learning how to replace high-calorie density foods with lower calorie-dense foods is one of the amazing changes you’ll make on Noom. When you eat foods that are low sugar and low-calorie density, you feel full, but you’re mostly consuming water. Learn weight-loss tactics like this with the Noom free trial offer today!

Get an Annual Health Screening This Year

This is a simple item that you can add to your New Year’s resolution list if you are looking for ways to lose weight. Everyone is supposed to go to the healthcare provider at least once per year. Those who experience chronic medical conditions are supposed to go more often. Going to the healthcare provider once per year is to catch medical problems that might not yet show symptoms. That way, issues can be diagnosed earlier, leading to an improved prognosis.

When you go to the healthcare provider, this can help you lose weight in multiple ways. For example, the healthcare provider will probably take a blood sample and a urine sample to look at your metabolic profile. Then, your provider can advise you on changes you need to make to lose weight effectively. Your healthcare provider can also recommend specific exercises to perform safely to help you lose weight.

Finally, you should also look at your provider as your cheerleader. They want you to be healthy, so they might encourage you to come back regularly to track your progress. As you make strides in your diet and exercise routine, your healthcare provider can make additional recommendations to help you achieve your weight loss resolution goals.

They might even repeat your blood draws to show you objective evidence that your health is improving. For example, your triglycerides, cholesterol, and even vitamin and mineral counts might improve. In addition to catching chronic medical conditions that might have gone unnoticed, getting an annual physical this year can help you lose weight. Incorporate this into your weight loss resolutions.

Lift Weights Three Days Per Week

When people consider weight training, they often and envision bodybuilders looking for ways to bulk up. Lifting weights regularly can indeed help you build muscle mass. On the other hand, lifting weight can also help you lose weight and burn fat. As you increase your strength through weight training, you will also promote muscle growth. When you add muscle tissue, your resting metabolic rate increases, meaning that your body will burn more calories at rest.

If you are looking to add weight training as a weight loss resolution, know that the exercise is backed by medical science. For example, one study that took place over six months showed that doing just over 10 minutes of strength-based exercises three days per week resulted in an increase in the resting metabolic rate of more than 7 percent, according to Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. For those consuming an average of 2000 calories per day, this equates to burning an additional 125 calories.

This is not the only study that showed weight training could help people burn more calories and lose weight. Another study that took place over 24 weeks showed that weight training led to an increase in the resting metabolic rate of close to 10 percent in men. This equates to burning an additional 140 calories per day.

Even though cardiac activity may help you burn more calories during the exercise, your body must repair muscle fibers and build more lean muscle mass after weight training. Therefore, according to the European Journal of Applied Physiology, your body may continue to burn calories many hours after you have finished lifting weights.

If you would like to incorporate weight training on your New Year’s resolution list, remember to start low and go slow. If you have never lifted weights before, it might help sign up for a class to make sure you are doing so safely. If you push your body too hard too quickly, you may end up getting hurt.

The good news is that your local gym probably will allow you to take a class for free. That way, you can learn how to lift weights safely. It will then be up to you as far as whether you want to continue with your weight training class or use what you have learned on your own. Regardless, if you can lift weights regularly and safely, you will burn more calories and lose weight.

Consider Drinking Unsweetened Green Tea

If you stop at the coffee shop on your way to work in the morning, the good news is that black coffee will help you lose weight. On the other hand, many of the coffee beverages served by local shops are packed with sugar, cream, and syrup that turns your morning coffee into a dessert. If you are looking for a different morning pick me up that may help you lose weight without the extra calories, consider going with unsweetened green tea instead.

A medical study showed that drinking green tea regularly can help you burn more fat. Another in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that green tea would also help you consume more energy (which means burn more calories) and may even target belly fat specifically.

Finally, green tea is also loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants will scavenge free radicals throughout your body that are usually generated as a side effect of numerous metabolic processes. The antioxidants in green tea may be able to help you prevent the development of chronic medical conditions.

Therefore, consider looking for green tea and matcha green tea and drinking them as a replacement for morning coffees, particularly if they are loaded with cream and sugar. If you add green tea to your New Year’s resolution list, you may be more successful in your weight loss goals during the coming year.

Stretch Before and After Every Workout

If you are looking for ways to get more out of your workout, consider stretching before and after. Even if you are simply going for a run around the neighborhood, you need to stretch before this activity. If you end up getting hurt during your exercise routines, you will have a hard time losing weight because you will be unable to exercise effectively. Therefore, you need to make sure that you stretch.

There are a few specific stretches you should complete depending on the exercise you are performing. For example, if you are going for a run, make sure that you stretch out your hip flexors, calf muscles, and hamstrings before you start. These are the muscles that work the hardest during your run. Therefore, they need to be ready for this exertion.

On the other hand, if you will be focusing on the upper body when you go to the gym, you need to stretch out your back, biceps, and triceps. Even stretching for 5 minutes before and after you work out will help you prevent injuries and expedite the recovery process.

When you exercise, you generate lactic acid as a side effect of anaerobic metabolism. When you start huffing and puffing at the gym or during your run, your body will have to use something else for energy because you don’t have enough oxygen. As a result, lactic acid will build up in your muscles, causing you to feel sore. Stretching regularly will help this lactic acid dissipate. That way, you will not feel as sore the next day. This allows you to get more out of your workouts, helping you build lean muscle mass and burn calories. Add stretching to your weight loss resolutions.

Resolve to Eat Meals Together as a Family

If you are looking for easy dietary changes that you can make, one item on your New Year’s resolution list may not involve changing what you eat or drink at all. Instead, consider eating meals together as a family. The goal of eating meals together is to facilitate a conversation to slow your eating speed.

One medical study showed that individuals who eat quickly are more likely to suffer from long-term weight problems than individuals who eat slowly. The thought process behind this is if you eat slowly, you give your stomach a chance to sense how much food is present. Then, your brain will realize you are full. As a result, you eat less if you spend more time talking than eating. On the other hand, if you are focused on eating, you don’t give your body a chance to feel full. As a result, you consume more food at every meal, increase the number of calories you consume, and have a hard time meeting your weight loss resolution.

In the end, if you are looking for ways to lose weight this year, resolve to eat meals together as a family because, as Noom teaches all users, the mind has a significant role to play in weight loss and great relationships are critical to mental and physical health. Check out the free trial offer of Noom available for a limited time!

Go Swimming Regularly

If you are looking for an exercise that will help you burn calories quickly with a low risk of injury, swimming is the answer. Swimming is a fun, exciting way not only to lose weight but also to get in shape.

How you swim is going to impact the rate at which you burn calories. For example, if you jump in the pool and tread water, you will still burn a fair number of calories; however, if you can perform butterfly during your workout, you will burn even more calories.

Because swimming works just about every muscle in your body simultaneously, you are going to burn calories rapidly. On the other hand, swimming does require you to find a pool and invest in a suit and goggles. If you are willing to go through the effort of driving to the pool every day, medical studies have shown that swimming will help you lose weight.

For example, one study took place over 12 weeks and looked at two dozen people. The study, published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation found that swimming for 60 minutes continuously, three times per week, led to a significant reduction in body fat while improving the flexibility of the participants overall. Furthermore, the study also showed that metabolic panels, such as cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels, also improved. When these levels improve, this protects your cardiovascular system and prevents the development of metabolic problems down the road.

Because swimming is a zero-impact sport, this is much easier on your joints. If you regularly suffer from joint pains, such as knee pain, back pain, or hip pain, then swimming may be the answer. If you don’t want to swim laps, you can always sign up for water aerobic classes. There is a good chance you’ll take one class for free as a trial offer before you decide to sign up for the entire thing.

Ultimately, one of the most effective exercises you can perform to lose weight is swimming. Therefore, consider incorporating this weight loss resolution on your New Year’s resolution list.

Resolve to Get Enough Sleep This Year

You can lose weight by sleeping more. The average adult is supposed to get about 8 hours of sleep per night. Teenagers and children are supposed to get even more sleep than that. Unfortunately, many people in this country are sleep-deprived. When you don’t get enough sleep, you have difficulty meeting your weight loss resolutions and goals in general.

For example, one medical study specifically showed that individuals who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to suffer from weight problems. Children who don’t get enough sleep are even more likely to suffer from weight problems down the road as adults. If you don’t get enough sleep, you may experience issues with the hormones that regulate your appetite. If your appetite is not regulated appropriately, then you could end up having a hard time controlling your weight.

If you are someone who has a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep at night, there are a few ways that you can improve the quality of your sleep. These include:

• Try to avoid drinking caffeine in the afternoon, as it may still be in effect when you try to go to sleep in the evening.
• Even though it’s important to exercise regularly, try not to exercise right before bed, as the adrenaline released during your workout may keep you awake.
• Try to avoid screens before bed; the blue light will stimulate your brain, making it hard for you to fall asleep at night.
• Train your body that you should only be in bed when you are going to sleep, meaning that you should avoid reading or watching TV.
• Make every effort to go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day, including on the weekends, to reinforce your circadian rhythm.

If you take these simple steps to improve your sleep hygiene, you may get more sleep at night. This could help you lose weight. Add sleep to your New Year’s resolution list.

Increase Your Fiber Intake

Another easy dietary switch is to eat more fiber. Foods rich in fiber can help you lose weight. Medical studies have shown that fiber may delay the emptying of your stomach. Therefore, your stomach may continue to expand, causing the release of hormones that make you feel full. This will make you eat less naturally without even having to consider it.

Fiber is also important for taking care of the healthy bacteria that live in your gut. If you eat fiber regularly, you promote the growth of healthy intestinal gut flora, as per Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. This will help improve digestive tract health, helping you meet your weight loss resolution.

Like other dietary changes, you need to start low and go slow if you are trying to incorporate more fiber into your diet. If you try to increase your fiber intake too quickly, this could lead to abdominal discomfort. You may notice bloating, diarrhea, and cramps. Therefore, increase your dietary fiber intake gradually. One easy way to do so is to start eating your fruit’s skin instead of peeling them. Just make sure the skin of your fruits is safe for human consumption!

Give Yoga a Try

If you are looking for a new exercise to add to your workout routine to help you lose weight, consider giving yoga a try. In addition to helping you lose weight, yoga is also outstanding for stress relief. Even though yoga may not commonly be thought of as a workout specifically designed for weight loss, it will burn a fair amount of calories. Furthermore, yoga will also provide you with a wide variety of other health benefits that could be important for helping you meet the weight loss goals on your New Year’s resolution list.

For example, you can use yoga to help you improve your mindfulness. As a result, you may be able to control your diet by:

• Resisting the urge to eat unhealthy foods.
• Improving your ability to control your portions.
• Considering what you are eating.
• Resisting impulse buys at the grocery store.

As one specific example, a medical study that took place over 12 weeks found that 60 women who participated in two yoga sessions weekly lasting 90 minutes each achieved greater reductions in their overall waist circumference than those who did not perform yoga.

Even though you can probably sign up for yoga at your local gym, you can practice yoga just about anywhere. For example, you can even sign up for yoga classes online. If you are looking for a new exercise to add to your New Year’s resolution list, consider going with yoga. This is a great activity that will improve your flexibility, helping you prevent injuries from taking place. That way, if you have other exercises you are performing during your workout, you can perform them safely, allowing you to get even more out of every trip to the gym.

Target These Tips for Your New Year’s Resolution List

If you are looking for ideas for your weight loss resolutions, consider giving these ideas a try. Even though it’s notoriously difficult for people to lose weight, you can do it with the right mindset and a firm plan. Notice that many of the tips on this list don’t involve drastic lifestyle changes. If you can gradually make these changes, you place yourself in a position to succeed during the New Year. Use these tips to lose weight and resolve to be a healthier version of yourself during the coming year.

Get all the support you need from the most advanced weight-loss program available today, Noom. Each user is partnered with a personal coach and group coach for individualized help along the way. Small lessons transform into lifestyle changes that help you lose weight for life. Check out the free trial offer today!