It's a New Year, with New Pounds hanging on, again!  Been there before, and are back again.  So what can we do differently in 2012 and beyond to break this cycle of weight gain?  Don't despair, there are simple changes that can be made to help you loose weight and keep it off.  As in anything, you are in control of what you eat and the quantities.  So know that you are also in control of your future.

One of the easiest things to do to help with weight management or loss, is to Eat Breakfast!  Now that wasn't so bad, was it?  Eating Breakfast gives you the fuel you need for the rest of the day.  Overnight, your body is using your dinner fuel to refresh your body.  While you are sleeping, your body is using that fuel to renew your body.  After a long sleep, you need fuel.  However, some folks think that skipping breakfast will help them loose a few pounds. 

Research shows that the calories that might be skipped at breakfast are more than made up by larger meals and snacks in the rest of the day.  Also, studies have shown that brain function, mood and general energy are better when breakfast is eaten.  So do yourself a favor and eat a good breakfast with a balance of carbs, protein and fiber.  Protein is essential for the repair, growth and maintenance of body tissues as well as keeping your energy up during the day.

Another tip for keeping those pounds off is to eliminate a few calories each day. Research has shown that our meals are increasing in size over the decades so that now we are eating more calories than we did in the 1970's.  That is resulting in about 30% of the population of the US being Obese! 

To eliminate a few calories each day, Skip a cookie or two, eat a smaller piece of cake, eat desert at one meal, not two.  Drink filtered water instead of sweeten beverages such as soda, teas, alcoholic beverages.  Now that is not so hard!  Cutting 100 calories from your daily intake can help you loose about 10 pounds in a year.  Reward!

The Third Tip of weight loss and management is to move around.  Getting a few more steps in each day is easy if you park a little further from the door of the office or store.  Walk around the block with the kids or the dog, or your favorite songs. Take the steps instead of the elevator or escalator.  The idea is to add movement!

Get started now with these small changes. Keep a daily record of your food intake and movement so you can see how these small changes  can made a difference! Stay Well!