As 2014 approaches, some of us hang our heads in shame for having the same new year resolutions every year! But never be ashamed of what you haven’t accomplished yet. There is always time to accomplish your goals. That’s the whole point of celebrating the new year right? The chance for new beginnings. If you want to lose weight the least complicated way; without counting calories or doing P90X style workouts, here are five (5) tips from me to you:

1. Cut Your Meals in Half – The amounts you’ve been eating are keeping you overweight, or maintaining your weight. If you cut that amount in half, you will also be cutting your calories in half.
2. Eat Every Three (3) Hours – Eating every three hours prevents you from getting hungry, thus prevents you from overeating. It also helps boost your metabolism.
3. Drink Plenty of Water – This is a tip celebrities love to dish out, mainly because it works. In between eating every three hours, drink lots of water. Not only does it help you stay full, and help with digestion, it helps clear up your skin too.
4. Move Around – I specifically avoided using the “E” word (exercise) because sometimes that word can deter you from feeling like doing anything. But you need to make extra movement throughout the day, especially if you have a sedentary desk job. Thirty minutes of any type of activity in addition to the rest of these five tips will get your body burning fat at a consistent pace.
5. Get a Hobby and Socialize – Sitting around watching Netflix is the absolute worst thing you could be spending your time doing. Whether you get involved in the community, get involved with your children’s extracurricular activities, take skating or bowling lessons, get a beauty hobby like painting your nails, doing your hair, or even volunteering to do yard work for the elderly…anything beats sitting and watching the television. Sitting and being entertained automatically insists that you have a snack to go along with it. And the last type of snack you will want is a few almonds or an apple. Some chocolate covered peanuts and a candy apple would be more like it. You won’t want anything healthy in small portions. Get a hobby to keep your mind pre- and to be sociable which can keep you motivated. Being sociable keeps you mindful of your size, and keeps you out of wearing jogging pants and an oversized t-shirt all the time. Get dressed, and put on something nice so you can get motivated. Don’t spend tons of time alone because that’s probably when you are at your worst.

I hope these tips will help you in the New Year. These tips came to me in an epiphany over the weekend after feeling depressed about why I haven’t reached my own goals yet. I know the reason is that I’ve been concentrating too hard to lose weight, instead of doing what I know I need to do on a daily basis. I know what works because I’ve done it before and got results. Now if I can stop forcing myself to be something I am not, and do things the simple way, maybe the weight will come off and stay off.

Happy Holidays to you All, and see you in 2014!!!