I read an article recently about fitness and New Year’s Resolutions. According to a survey done by Franklin Covey, over 100,000,000 Americans made losing weight or getting in shape one of their major resolutions for 2009. This number is expected to grow even more this year. Although it is encouraging to see so many people setting goals and getting serious about fitness, I think it is even more important to know how to reach those goals. Many people still assume that they need to eat drastically less and exercise 6-7 days per week so that they can reach that goal as fast as possible. This works, of course, but can have a nasty lash back. Extreme changes usually make your results dissipate as suddenly as they are brought on. Here are my personal recommendations for everyone as to how you can achieve a healthy weight while living a healthy lifestyle and without having to follow any strict rules or deprivations.

1. Try to live in balance: The roller coaster ride of weight loss and weight gain is unhealthy in both directions. Keep your calorie intake under control, eat a variety of foods with high nutritional value, exercise regularly and get sufficient rest. Don’t over eat, over starve or over exercise and you’ll see lasting results.

2. Mix up your exercise regimen: I like to refer to exercise programs as regimens rather than routines. Routines are never fun. Routines mean repetition, boredom and burnout. Keep things fresh by finding a variety of physical activities that keep your heart rate up for 45-75 minutes that you can enjoy day in and day out.

3. Eat healthily: Don’t diet, just change the way you think about food. Food is fuel used to make energy so our bodies move the way we want them to. Food isn’t for pleasure or to cure a bout of depression. Think of food functionally and you’ll have no argument for eating fast food, junk foods, sugary foods, high fat foods, etc. unless you are packing calories for an Everest climb or marathon run.

4. Cheat once a week: Make sure you make one meal per week your cheat meal so that you will mentally stay in the zone. This will give you a reason to look forward to and be good all week long as well as keeping your cravings at bay. Also, it is important to eat your cheat meal on a day you exercise so the effects of the extra calories are not too drastic.

5. Be realistic: Nothing happens over night. If you are following your plan, you will reach your goals. Find ways to measure your progress so that you do not get discouraged. Don’t just judge your progress by using the bathroom scale. Check your BMI monthly. Monitor how many miles per week you run and in what time. Keep a record of your weight training and how much you lift. Some may find that sometimes the weight doesn’t come off like you had hoped but you begin to lean out and get stronger much faster.

6. Get rest: Try not to get too crazy with resolutions and the new workout routine. Most people consider themselves extremely busy already and then if you add the stress of a new eating style and the time needed to exercise, you might find yourself overwhelmed. Make sure to start slow and steady and if you can, get at least 6 hours of sleep every 24 hours.

Happy New Years to all and I look forward to everyone’s newly found fitness success in 2010!