3 Tips for a Healthy New Year of Successful Weight Loss

This is the year you are going to be successful! You just need to rethink a few of your ideas regarding healthy eating. To be successful with your healthy eating and weight loss plan you need to keep it simple.

Here are three tips to get you started on the right path this year:

1. Focus on nutrient dense foods.

Select nutrient dense foods to promote your overall health and weight loss. The nutrient density of a food is measured by the amount of nutrients a food contains versus the number of calories. For example, fruit is very nutrient dense while potato chips would be consider to have a low nutrient density.

2. Lose the diet mentality.

Diets typically backfire. If you lose weight by following a diet, it's very likely you will gain the weight back. Studies even show you will gain back more weight than you lost. Following a diet can lead you to start obsessing about food and eventual binge-eating patterns. Instead of "going on a diet", focus on healthy new eating habits.

3. Eat well-balanced small meals.

Keep your metabolism high by eating five to six small, well-balanced meals everyday, instead of the standard three large meals with no snacks. This allows your body to burn calories more efficiently versus storing extra energy as fat. Shoot for a small meal or snack every three to four hours.

Implement these three tips to get on the right track to long term, successful weight loss this year!