New Year, New You - 5 of the Best Diet Tips

After an extremely stodgy December, laden with cakes, roast dinners, booze and more chocolate than you can shake a stick at, it's little surprise that millions of us decide to go on a diet in January. We want to lose the weight that we put on over Christmas, and even more besides - and because it feels like everyone else is on a mission to shed the pounds, we want to keep up. We all get a little competitive and because we're so competitive, it can mean that we wind up on some silly diet or weird eating plan. We want to help you lose weight without resorting to drastic measures, so read on for 5 of our favorite dieting tips ever and embrace the New You this New Year.

Make Slow, Steady Changes

Remember that old saying "slow and steady wins the race"? Who won the race? The tortoise or the hare? The hare did, of course! Making slow, steady changes is the key to weight loss, whichever approach you choose to take. Don't challenge yourself to lose something stupid like 50lb in 50 days - and don't try to change everything about your diet in just one day or one week. You want to add more fiber to your diet, as it improves your digestion. You also want to add more protein, as it helps you build and maintain muscle - and muscle helps you burn more calories. You should also try to increase your fruit and veggie intake, reduce the amount of fat you eat and eat more low fat dairy. But by now, you probably know all of that. 

Read More: 4 Ways To Stick To Your Diet This Holidays

Add More Color to Your Diet

That doesn't mean choose the purple-covered candy bar rather than the red-covered candy bar. Nope, it means add more variety to your diet in the form of lots of fruits and veggies in all of the colors of the rainbow. Raspberries and berries, oranges, sharon fruits, bananas, plenty of leafy green veggies, aubergines, red cabbage and much, much more. Make an effort to put lots of different colors into your trolley when you're shopping. Fruits and veggies are nutritious, filling, low in fat and calories and they make an excellent addition to your meals. They're also a great snack. Don't be afraid to choose different meat colors, too. Although that might sound a little strange, we mean that you should try things like game meats, plenty of lean protein, and more unusual meats like duck and venison. Not only are they delicious but also lower in fat and calories than more "conventional" meats like beef, pork and chicken. Give them a try - you might just be surprised! And remember - always choose cuts that have been trimmed of fat. Cooking the meat then draining the fat afterwards gets rid of some fat, but not enough.

Water Is Your Friend

Water is cheap, free and calorie free - and it's absolutely your best friend when you're trying to lose weight. Drink a glass of water before you get up in the morning and you'll already have a headstart on your water intake for the day. The general guide is that you should drink two liters, which equals about eight cups, everyday- your teas, coffees and low sugar soft drinks do count towards this total but in general, you'll be better off drinking lots of water. If you do drink tea, opt for green teas and fruit teas as they are known to boost weight loss in some people. 

And if you're not sure whether you're hungry or thirsty? Or if you're trying to stave off that craving for chocolate cake? Drink a glass of water.

Make Things Easier For Yourself

Losing weight is much, much easier if you're actively trying to make it easier for yourself. Don't give yourself obstacles and let nothing stand in the way of you and your goal. You'll soon get there! Our tips for making things easier for yourself include:

• Setting your gym kit out on the floor by your bed at night before you go to sleep. You can just jump right into it first thing in the morning without giving yourself time to talk yourself out of exercise!
• Leave the temptation at the grocery store. If you know that you love ice cream and that if you have a tub in the freezer you will eat the entire tub don't buy it! The same goes for cheese, dips, biscuits, fries and everything else that you know you can't resist. Or, buy smaller or lower calorie versions of your favorite treats so that if you do find it difficult to resist temptation, you won't do too much damage.

Read More: Try The Mediterranean Diet For A Healthy Life

Nip Mindless Eating in the Bud

Mindless eating can cause weight gain. When you don't think about what you're eating, you eat more. It's a fairly simple concept but it can add up to a hefty weight gain. Sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of chips? You might eat 20% more because you're watching television - which is a huge amount of calories. And if you're struggling with your cravings? Brush your teeth or snack on sugar-free mints. Keep your hands busy - if you're used to snacking on foods because you just want something to do with your hands, take up knitting or even just clear the table! Have a glass of tea instead. It's also important that you take notice of every single piece of food you put into your mouth - pay attention to the food that you eat and enjoy every mouthful and try to make sure that you don't eat something unless you actually want it!

You can lose weight this New Year - just follow our dieting tips and you'll soon see the pounds dropping off.