by Alexandra Edwards

Now that the holidays are over and the bathroom scale has been put to the test, no doubt many of us wish we didn't have that extra helping of turkey and pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. All of which was so shortly followed by sugar cookies at the office party .. then egg nog and pecan pie on Christmas Day. It all seemed so tempting and harmless at the time when the words "Oh, go on, it's Christmas" seemed like a good enough excuse. The bad news is the bathroom scales tell no lie, those extra pounds are real. The good news is .. that right after the celebrations are over (almost as if God planned it that way) its New Year's Day. A new beginning, just the right time to make one of America's most popular New Year's Resolutions ... to lose weight!

All kinds of weird and wonderful diets will be on the market to try. Liquid diets, no fat-diets, calorie count diets, detox diets, all fruit diets, low carb diets, high protein diets, diet pills, diet gel patches, even junk food diets, you name it we'll try it. Exercise routines and equipment will also be heavily advertised. Fitness centers and gymnasiums will be offering all kinds of work out classes and sales catalogs will be filled with exercise equipment and fitness videos for exercises you can do at home.

The most popular fad diet programs for 2004 seem to be -The Atkins Diet - a low carb diet based on the theory that carbohydrates, particularly foods made with sugar or white flour, are the most fattening element in

the human diet and calls for serious restriction of most types of carbohydrates.  The Cabbage Soup Diet (Mayo clinic diet) - Allows you to eat as much cabbage soup as you want. Basically, this diet calls for strange combinations of food to be eaten each day, such as bananas and milk one day, milk and vegetables the next. It's not totally based on eating cabbage. The problem is that the cabbage soup is so bland tasting that many people can no longer stomach it after the first day or two.

The Zone Diet- is a weight loss program that relies on the presumption that we should eat 40% of our calories from a certain type of carbohydrate, 30% of our calories from protein, and 30% of our calories from fat (it's a 40-30-30 diet). This diet claims that it will burn fat at the fastest rate possible.

The American Heart Association has declared war on fad diets. Their nutrition experts recommend adopting healthy eating habits permanently, rather than impatiently pursuing crash diets in hopes of losing unwanted pounds in a few

days.
Of course, diet and exercise must be taken seriously. Each individual needs to decide which is the right one for them depending on age, health and fitness. Be

aware of "fad" diets that sound too good to be true, they usually are. As many of us have already learned, losing weight is not easy, it takes work, patience, and most of all discipline. However, choosing the right diet and exercise program can become "mind boggling," which is probably why most New Year Resolutions to lose weight are often abandoned before the second week into the new year.

The good news is that losing weight doesn't have to be complicated. There is what can be called "the common sense approach to losing weight."  Where Instead of going on any particular kind of diet, eat what you normally eat but eat less of it. Cut down or better still, eliminate cookies, candies and desserts and replace with a piece of fruit or cup of yogurt. It is said that even taking just one less spoonful of sugar in your coffee, or one less potato on your plate each time will help to lose some weight by the end of the year.

For exercise .. Walk. Walk every day, whenever and wherever the opportunity

arises. Walking is said to be one of the best exercises and is much better than no exercise at all. When the weather is good, what could be nicer than taking a brisk walk across a field, a nature trail at one of the local parks or even the sidewalk on your subdivision. Smell the fresh air, be closer to nature, maybe meet some neighbors on the way. When the weather is too wet or cold, the Mall offers a safe and warm environment. Walking around the Mall several times has become a popular form of exercise for many. Shoppers usually keep out of the way of serious walkers and chances are acquaintances could be made with fellow mall walkers. Other tips advised for shedding those unwanted pounds are: When shopping, park your car at the farthest end of the parking lot, as far away from the entrance as possible. Those extra yards to and from the car can make all the difference and provide valuable exercise.  Climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator when and if you can. Instead of just listening to your favorite music, crank up the volume and dance to it while doing housework. Be aware of using your muscles when lifting and bending. Exercise

does not have to be a chore and can easily be brought into your everyday lifestyle.

Most of us make the same New Year's resolution year after year without success. Whether it be to lose weight, quit smoking or give up drinking. Maybe if we don't set our goals quite so high, achieving less, is still far better than doing nothing.

Wishing you a happier, healthier and slimmer New Year.