As we begin a New Year, most all of us have some things that we would like to improve upon or not repeat this year. The most popular New Year’s resolutions include achieving a stronger, healthier more youthful body through diet and exercise.

This year do something different as you sit down to write your New Year’s resolutions and goals for 2010…"This year I am going to focus on just one or two goals and make those my New Year’s resolutions." If you can do that and one of those is to lose weight or tone up your body for a new and healthier you…consider setting up a home gym or adding to your existing home gym using affordable but effective fitness products. Make sure that the exercise equipment that you use targets the areas of your body that you wish to improve.

Let’s face it…"It’s easier said than done!" But that should not discourage us if we set out a plan to succeed and not a plan to fail. The basics are to incorporate a proper nutritious diet and exercise plan into your lifestyle!

But sometimes diet and exercise can be routine and boring! So you may ask yourself: "How do I stick with this New Year’s resolution and make it work?" First focus on changing your attitude and write down the positives of why you need to include diet and exercise in your life. Note: These attitude changes should be written out and visual so that you refer to them often. Such as: "I am working out to do something good for me! "Working out is time well spent on improving my overall health!" "Getting physical, helps me reduce stress and puts my mind at rest", well you get the idea. Do your homework to identify a well balanced, work out plan that fits your schedule and write it out so that you follow it each day and check it off when completed or use a fitness diary. These are available online or at your local library.

Second, change your routine! Since we are all creatures of habit, change your lifestyle: Find something physical that you enjoy doing and switch it up each day so that you get a variety of exercise by combining various fitness products with aerobic exercise. This may include walking in a mall or along a scenic waterway or through a park if time is available or if the weather is poor for walking that day use your home gym aerobic exercise equipment such as an elliptical machine or a treadmill. Include some weight training every other day working out with light weights at first and working different muscle groups to achieve optimum fitness. (Remember building muscles will burn fat and calories.)

Next follow a healthy eating plan, not a diet but a healthier fueling of your body and concentrate on portion control by using the suggested serving sizes. Search out books on food and nutrition as there is a science to combining foods that will burn more efficiently in your body. There are many of these plans on line for free or at your local library. In your diet plan, include recipes, some energy foods and various filler foods that are not fattening like vegetables and some low fat proteins.

In summary in order to achieve your New Year’s resolutions for a healthier you, make it fun and part of a lifestyle that works for you by changing your attitudes about healthy eating and exercise. If you can accomplish this by the time you sit down to write out your New Year’s resolutions for 2011…Look in a mirror and say I did it! A balanced diet and exercise program is now part of your new healthy lifestyle! Congratulations!

Before starting any weight loss or fitness program, please consult with your physician