by: Joel Thuna

As we rang in another new year many of us made the obligatory resolution to be healthier and happier, which usually includes losing weight. This year see your resolution through to its conclusion, make this your thinner, happier and healthier year!

Approximately one-half of North Americans are overweight, one-quarter are obese and three-quarters feel they are above their ideal weight. Clearly the battle of the bulge is an ever expanding epidemic.

To effectively lose weight and, more importantly, keep it off we need to understand the chemical reasons why people gain. Gaining weight occurs when we consume more calories than we use. The body efficiently stores these excess calories as fat.

Consequently, weight can be lost by decreasing the calories we consume and by increasing the amount we burn. While lifestyle changes are easier said than done, the most effective dieters combine these strategies for lifelong success.

As long as the body is using less calories than it takes in, a person will get "fatter". Modern science has not yet developed a magic pill to change this fact. However, there are substances that can help reduce your calorie intake or increase the amount you burn.

No substance is magical. If you eat everything in sight and live an exercise-free lifestyle you will be FAT and unhealthy. While there are no quick answers for successful weight loss and long term weight maintenance, establishing a few common-sense habits will help you reach your ideal weight.

First and foremost, follow a sensible diet that is both satisfying and nourishing. This builds a solid foundation for any weight-loss program. Consider supplements to bolster your nutritional intake. The vast majority of North Americans do not get enough nutrients from the foods they eat. Adding vitamins, minerals and herbs to your daily routine may reduce these deficiencies and bolster your health.

No health program is complete without the addition of regular exercise. You don't have to join a gym or buy a fancy machine, just start moving! WALK- take the stairs, stroll around the block at lunch or to the corner store, anything. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of constant exercise a day, 3 times a week.

Set realistic and attainable goals. Rapid weight-loss, while tempting, is not desirable. As a rule, the faster you lose weight the more likely you are to gain it back! A healthy weight-loss plan should be targeted toward slow, steady weight-loss, unless directed otherwise by your doctor. Don't be discouraged by a downward trend in the amount you lose. Expect to only lose about a pound a week after the first week or two. With many calorie-restricted diets there is a rapid initial weight loss, but this is largely fluid. This initial rapid loss of fluid is quickly regained when you return to a normal calorie diet. Thus, reasonable short-term goals for weight lost must be set.

A successful program should include plans for maintaining your new weight after the loss phase is over. There is little, if any, benefit in losing a large amount of weight when it is only regained. Weight maintenance is the most difficult part of controlling weight and is often an afterthought. The program you select should include help to permanently change your dietary habits and level of physical activity, thereby altering a lifestyle that likely contributed to weight gain in the past.

Simple Weight Loss Helpers
There are some quick and easy ways to help you slim down. These little changes add up - to losing weight and a healthier you!

Kick Sugar
According to Dr. Robert Atkins, sugar is the "quintessential anti-nutrient". It contains no vitamins or minerals. Rather, it is 100% carbohydrate, so it must be immediately metabolized. When sugar is metabolized it depletes our bodies of vital nutrients.

There are healthier solutions available. Stevia, and glycerine extracts of Garcinia cambogia (Lose-It) are both very sweet weight loss aides. Unlike sugar, these natural alternatives are not empty calories, and both also act as appetite suppressants to help curb your calorie cravings.

Accelerate Exercise
Enjoy a cup or capsule of green tea 1/2 hour before you exercise. The natural caffeine it contains frees fatty acids, allowing you to burn fat more easily. Green tea also has antioxidant compounds that appear to work with caffeine to increase your calorie burn.

Take chromium before exercising. An essential trace mineral, your body needs chromium to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Nearly 90% of North Americans are chromium deficient

Chromium enhances the calorie burning results of exercise to make weight loss easier. When you work out it increases your chromium excretion, which makes supplementation even more important.

Drink, drink & drink more
Dehydration can significantly slow down your metabolism. Be sure you drink enough healthy liquids (water, fruit juice, herbal teas) to keep your body happy. Avoid "bad" drinks such as soda, sugary drinks and coffee as they aid the dehydration process. In general, you should drink 1/2 ounce (14.5 ml) per pound of body weight daily, just to keep from being dehydrated. Thus, a person weighing 150 pounds would need at least 2.175L of water daily. This number increases dramatically if you are dieting or exercising.

Give your water an added boost by adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of liquid chlorophyll to each liter (quart) of water.

A common fallacy is to drink when you are thirsty. Unfortunately, when exercising you are already dehydrated by the time you become thirsty. A schedule to prevent dehydration begins 2 hours before exercising by drinking at least 500ml. Then 1 hour before, drink 250ml more, and at least 250ml every 15 minutes during exercise. Finally, drink another 500ml within ½ hour of finishing your exercise routine.

Measure Measure Measure
When cooking or baking measure out all ingredients, especially fats (butter, margarine, oils) and sweeteners (molasses, sugar, honey, stevia). Many people estimate these ingredients and, more often than not, they estimate too high thereby adding unnecessary calories.

Spice Up Your Life
Try adding spices to food instead of fat. Both add flavour, but spices also aid digestion. Give "dull" foods a spicy zip and add variety without adding fat by varying the spices you use.

Sprinkle Your Cereal
Incorporate high fiber flax into your food. Not only is it packed with a healthy and flavourful oil, its' high fiber content can help you feel full and eat less. Try adding flax to cereals, breads, muffins, and yogurt.

Become a Dipper
Pass on the butter. Instead, try dipping your bread in flavoured extra virgin olive oils (my favorite is rosemary, garlic & chili). Research has shown extra virgin olive oil to be exceptionally healthy, and "dippers" eat fewer calories than those who buttered their bread.

Skip Rope, Not Meals
Studies show restricting foods and skipping meals slows the metabolism -- and can lead to overeating. When you miss a meal or eat too little, your brain initiates a famine response which alerts the body to conserve calories. Your body assumes food is in short supply and goes into a calorie-saving mode, storing fat to keep you from starving to death. Instead of skipping, eat well-balanced healthy meals.

Take Time for You
Take some time every day to do something you enjoy, other than eating. Routinely doing something you enjoy not only makes you feel good about yourself, but provides the emotional support you may be seeking from food.

Playing is not just for kids. Run, jump, swim, have fun! You can get lots of physical activity "playing." Get out and have a game of tag with your kids or challenge someone to a full-court basketball game. Ride your bike, dance, go hiking. If you can enjoy enough additional activity everyday to burn 300 calories extra, you'll lose 2.5 pounds of fat per month -- and tone your muscles. You will love the new you, and so will your kids!

The combined effects of these simple little steps is to turn your body into an efficient calorie burning machine. Take the steps to a happy healthy new you.