Top 10 Diet and Nutrition Resolutions

The best ways to lose weight and eat healthfully in the new year

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MDTo draw up a list of the absolute best diet and nutrition resolutions, I consulted weight loss experts around the country. Here are their suggestions for some tried-and-true -- and very doable -- behavior changes that will help you lose weight.  It's resolution time again, and first on your list is to lose weight and eat more healthfully. But how exactly do you go about doing that -- and how do you keep yourself from becoming a resolution dropout once Feb. 1 rolls around?

To draw up a list of the absolute best diet and nutrition resolutions, I consulted weight loss experts around the country. Here are their suggestions for some tried-and-true -- and very doable -- behavior changes that will help you lose weight.

1. Stack the odds in your favor. We all have our own particular strengths and weaknesses. Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, advises playing up your strengths and making a plan to avoid getting sidetracked by your weaknesses. Don't simply wish you could do better this time -- take concrete steps to ensure that you do, says Tallmadge, author of Diet Simple. For example:

• If you reach for high-calorie foods because they're convenient, make sure you have healthy alternatives available. Go grocery shopping at least weekly to stock up on wholesome foods. Keep a list so you have enough for the week.
• If you're a social eater, plan non-food events with your friends. Take walks, go sightseeing, go to a movie or take a hike.

2. Get the rest you need. Susan Moores, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant from St. Paul, Minn., is excited about recent research on the hormonal effects that sleep deprivation can have on appetite. Hers is a resolution you don't see often -- and one most people will welcome hearing.

3. Give yourself permission to be human. Anne Fletcher, MS, RD, author of theThin for Life books, suggests a resolution that allows you to slip up without going into a slide. People who lose weight and keep it off know how to pick themselves up after they slip. Gained some weight on vacation? No problem. Just get right back into healthy eating and exercise to lose the extra pounds.

See the full list at WebMD