Resolve to Stick With Your Resolution

With the arrival of the New Year, I'm sure you're like most everyone else on the planet, you probably made a resolution or two. More than likely one of those resolutions had something to do with losing weight and getting into better shape.

Maybe you read about this Ankeny, Iowa science teacher named John Cisna who was in the news for running an experiment where he only ate McDonald's for 90 days, but limited his calorie intake to just 2,000 each day. When he analyzed his results at the end of the experiment, he actually ended up losing 37 pounds and his cholesterol level had also dropped.

As you know, there are numerous ways a person can go about shedding unwanted pounds. Most have to do with counting calories, coupled with some form of exercise plan. The problem most people seem to have is staying motivated and disciplined enough to stick with whatever plan they elect to try.

If you've found yourself already starting to slack off on your New Year's resolutions, maybe it's time you try these five tips that "Time Magazine" came up with to help you stay on track:

• One of the keys to losing weight is eating healthy. They recommend subscribing to a fruit delivery service. There are many great tasting fruits that a person can work into their diet plan that will help ensure you are eating healthy. The nice thing, you can mix and match different types as you go along and you won't let them go to waste.

• Set up your bank account so that someone you trust can withdraw money from the account every time you fall off your diet. (Build in a penalty to help you stay on point. Nothing motivates someone more like the thought of losing money.)

• To make sure you save money, start an automatic deposit from your checking account into your savings at regular intervals.

• Instead of forcing yourself to go to the gym, set up recurring workout appointments with friends who also want to lose weight. You'll be a lot less likely to bail on each other that way.

• Finally, try getting a dog. Once you make the commitment of getting a dog, you instantly have a built in walking partner every day for the next decade.

If those tips don't do the trick, you can always try tracking down John Cisna from Iowa for his Mickey D’s plan. Hey, he’s loving it!