14 Workable Ways To Make 2016 Your Fittest Year Ever!

New Years is all about new resolutions, optimism and positive energy! So why not add good health to the list too? Here is a list of things you should follow for a fitter year.

1. Start your day with a good breakfast

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To get fit, one thing you should every morning is have a healthy breakfast. A good breakfast will help you to kick-start your day with sufficient energy and help you lose weight. Change your cooking style. Add flavour to your food by using various healthy items like spices, herbs and lemon juices. Instead of deep-frying your food, try grill, bake or steaming method.

2. Start reading labels

Be it food or beauty substances, more and more manufacturers are pumping their products with a shocking number of harmful chemicals and preservatives. Repeated use of such products could eventually lead to a number of health issues, including cancer, infertility, obesity and acne. The easiest way to slash your risk is by educating yourself so that you can make informed decisions about what you put both in and on your body.

3. Detox

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Every day you expose your body to various kinds of food; meats, vegetables, grains, dairy, sugar, alcohol and the list can go on. Have you considered how worked up your body can get digesting and segregating these extensively varied foods inside your system. Therefore it only makes sense that you give your body one day off every week to calm down and heal itself.

4. Be positive

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Shun sadness and negativity from your life. Stop doubting yourself and focus on your life, your ambitions and work towards them.

5. Stop doing exercises that you hate

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The best exercise is any kind that you can be consistent with! If you can't stand running, there's no need to grudgingly pull out those shoes every morning. The only way you are likely to continue working out by the time December 2016 comes along is if you truly enjoy it. Over the next few weeks, try out various workout routines until you find one that you look forward to doing ¡ª results will follow shortly.

6. Set a realistic goal

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The most common mistake one can commit while drawing up a weight loss plan is to set unattainable goals. Once you fail to meet these goals, you will get disappointed and eventually lose interest. Therefore, begin by setting small goals. Once you reach this goal, aim for a slightly higher goal. Keep on increasing it only once you attain the previous one. These goals can be set on the basis of calories per day or weight loss achieved per week.

7. Try a flexible fitness plan

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A rigorous, monotonous fitness plan can get boring and easily turn into a chore instead of something that you look forward to. Don¡¯t limit yourself to the gym or to excessive cardio every day. Pick a day to jog at the beach or at the local park. Try dance workouts as these are very effective and are much more fun than a regular workout. Allow your fitness plan to be flexible and inclusive of various options that can keep you enticed and enthusiastic. As long as you get your body moving to either of these exercise routines every day, you can be assured of calories burnt.

8. Pick the right diet

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Unlike a flexible fitness plan, it is important to choose a healthy eating plan. Choose a diet plan that suits you best and stick to it. Whether you¡¯re trying a vegan diet or the Atkins diet, you must commit yourself wholly to it. Exercise, no doubt has many benefits but a study suggested that it is diet that plays the key role in weight loss and therefore it is important to pick wisely and stick to it.

9. Try the buddy system

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One of the most effective ways to start and stick to a weight loss plan is to get yourself a buddy who shares your plan. Your buddy will not only motivate you, but will also give you a reason to compete and commit yourself to the plan more seriously.

10. Keep a strict track of your progress

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With a plan that focuses on short term goals, it makes it is easier to achieve them. But to truly know how much you¡¯re achieving, you must keep a track of your progress. These small accomplishments will motivate you and help you aim higher. Make a diary or use a smartphone app to record your progress. Don¡¯t hesitate to also record regress, as this will show you where you went wrong. Keeping track will help you calculate and estimate your goal better.

11. Practice portion control

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If you want to control your weight, you need to control your portion sizes. Large portions lead to excess calories and fat. We tend to wolf down large portions of high-fat and high-calorie meals. Eating in smaller plates and bowls is an effective way to curb overeating. If you¡¯re eating at a restaurant, you could share meals, take leftovers home and order appetisers as meals. Serving sizes at restaurants are easily adequate for two people.

12. Sleep more

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Sleep is essential for your physical and mental health. Adequate and regular sleep can help you avert stress and heart disease. Research has established that the more sleep-deprived people are, the worse is their cognitive ability. It also has serious implications on their physical health. A lack of sleep is associated with a greater risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. When you sleep, your whole body and skin repairs itself. Your skin attempts to renew itself by replacing older skin cells with new ones. Make sure you get at least eight hours of sleep every night.

13. Reduce salt consumption

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The modern diet results in a sodium intake that is close to twice the recommended limit, which is 6 grams daily. Not only does high sodium consumption cause water retention, it also raises blood pressure. Avoid processed foods as they contain high amounts of sodium. Low sodium consumption may lower the risk of hypertension and heart disease.

14. Strength training every day

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10 minutes of strength training a day could give you more energy, stronger muscles and bones, and could boost your metabolism. There are strength training exercises that don¡¯t require gym equipment, so you can try them at home.

*With inputs from Huffington Post India