Long-term success with any fitness plan depends on one key word: accountability. When a trainer, peer group, or competitive event is there to hold you accountable, you will be far more likely to succeed in attaining your goals. Depending on your budget and fitness level, determine which plan below best suits you.

Personal Training

For those with a generous budget or with special needs, working with a personal trainer 1-3 days per week may be just the right thing. One-on-one training provides undivided personal attention, customization, and scheduling flexibility. Look for a trainer with a related college degree, such as kinesiology, physiology, or physical therapy and/or with an internationally recognized certification, such as ACSM, NSCA, or NASM. When choosing a trainer also consider years of experience and whether she/he is a good personality match for you. With the January rush, trainer’s schedules can book up quickly. You will have the best chance of getting the one you want at the time you want when you book before the end of December. At $50-100 per hour, you can be quite sure that you will not miss your workouts.

Small group training

Those looking for a more economical plan, may be surprised to learn that small group-training programs provide access to those same fitness experts for as little as $20 per hour. Look for programs that allow no more than 6-10 participants, are run by an experienced personal trainer, and are aligned with your personal goals. Such programs are often run at specialty studios or gyms. Though you won’t have the exclusive attention of the trainer, you will still benefit from her/his expertise with regard to safety, tips on form, and keeping the workout challenging and fresh. With only 6-10 participants, the trainer can customize exercises for individual needs and push you to do your personal best. Both the trainer and other members of the group will hold you accountable to show up for every workout.  At this price point and with limited spaces, these programs can fill up fast.

Sign up for a race

If you are already a dedicated exerciser and looking to take your fitness to another level, consider signing up for a race. Races are an excellent incentive for people who are self motivated, but need something to challenge them to shake up their routine, break through a plateau, and give some meaning to it all. When choosing an event, pick something that is about 3-4 months out and which will take you approximately that long to train for, based on your current fitness. You can find a list of local trail races at Pacific Coast Trail Runs (pctrailruns.com) and a list of local triathlons at Active.com. With events ranging from 5K walk/run to Half Ironman triathlon, you are bound to find something that is right for you. The important thing is to sign up (races can fill up early), commit, and then formulate a weekly & monthly training plan that starts in January and leads up to the event.

I commend you in advance for taking action and committing yourself to your New Year’s health and fitness resolutions.

Start with a glass of water.

Drinking a glass of water 15-20 min prior to eating a meal helps control hunger and improves digestion.  Often we misinterpret thirst for hunger and end up overeating when really we’re just thirsty. A tall glass of water before a meal helps us get in touch with our true hunger. Water is also essential to establishing an effective mucosa layer in the stomach, the natural shield which protects the tissues from digestive acids when food is broken down; a natural alternative to antacids.

Limit alcohol consumption.

Consuming alcohol often leads to letting down one’s inhibitions. Whereas normally you would exercise restraint and turn down a calorie rich dessert, a nice, warming alcohol buzz can steer you directly to the chocolate cake. As a result, between the alcohol and the additional indulgences you grant yourself, a whole lot of extra calories are consumed.

Order a side of veggies.

If it’s not included with the meal, request a side of steamed, sauteed, or grilled vegetables.  These high fiber, low calorie, nutrient dense super-foods do their part to fill you up and displace other unhealthy foods. It can sometimes seem like a challenge to get a decent serving of vegetables when you eat out, but most restaurants will accommodate requests for veggies as a side.

Avoid appetizers or order two appetizers as your meal.

Appetizers seem like the obvious solution to take the edge off while you wait for your entree, but they almost always contribute to overeating. As discussed above, you can cut calorie consumption and improve digestion (and save money) by opting for a tall glass of water instead. Nevertheless, appetizers are often the most flavor packed items on a menu and can still be enjoyed if you opt for two and skip the entree.

Avoid fried and battered foods.

Fried foods are much higher in calories than foods prepared in other ways such as roasted, sauteed, steamed, grilled, etc. Additionally, when oils are heated beyond their smoking point, as they often are during frying, they become damaged and are believed to contain large amounts of free radicals which contribute to the risk for cancer.

Slow down and chew.

Shoveling food in, barely chewing it (let alone tasting it), and washing it down with a drink will leave you feeling overly-full, bloated, and bogged down. You will eat less and enjoy it more if you slow down. Enhance your dining experience by discovering the aromas, exploring the flavors, and thoroughly chewing and savoring each and every bite.

Antioxidants exist in all plant foods; fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, etc. They neutralize oxidative stress caused by free radicals thereby decreasing the risk for age related degenerative disease and boosting the immune system and metabolism. Though it is beneficial to eat foods that have high concentrations of antioxidants, such as acai and other berries, it is equally important that we get a variety of antioxidants from diverse sources. If we are led to believe that we should seek foods solely for their high ORAC scores, we’d be eating pure ground cloves (the next diet fad?), which according to oracvalues.com, wins a score three times that of freeze dried acai berry.

The question we must ask is: Can the antioxidants in the acai berry maintain their integrity after all that processing? Though I don’t have the answer, I’m pretty confident that I’m better off eating my fresh roasted beets than popping a so-called wonder-pill containing a fruit that has been freeze dried, crushed into powder, traveled thousands of miles, and sat on a shelf for who knows how long. You don’t need to be a scientist to understand how to eat a healthful antioxidant rich diet – simply eat an array of fresh, unprocessed, colorful plant foods to boost the metabolism, promote health and weight loss, and reduce the damaging and aging effects of free radicals.

Fiber is also present in all plant foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, whole grains, etc) and is vital for health and weight loss. Fiber slows the absorption of sugars into the blood thereby stabilizing energy, decreasing sweet cravings, and curbing hunger. Fiber rich foods increase satiety and keep you feeling full longer. Additionally, fiber aids weight loss and supports health by cleansing the colon and promoting detoxification. According to one of my favorite authors, Mark Hyman, M.D., “…fiber is a powerful substance that has the ability to help you lose weight; lower your blood sugar and cholesterol; reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; and reduces inflammation. Fiber [also acts] like a sponge that soaks up fat and sugar in your gut and both slows and prevents some of their absorption” (“Ultra-Metabolism” 51).

Both antioxidants and fiber are, without a doubt, essential components for achieving your health and weight loss goals. However as for the Acai Diet, I recommend that you save your money and do not buy these trendy supplements. Instead, go to the produce section of your local health food store where you will find your “fountain of life”, “miracle pill”, weight loss solution, and dinner all in one.

See my article Picking the Perfect Peach for tips on choosing the best produce.