Lisa Cuerden helps you commit to your new year's resolutions

The new year is upon us, so… what are you plans for 2014? Have you made your new year’s resolutions?

Let me guess. They include: ‘Getting fitter and losing weight’.

It’s more than likely they are the same resolutions you made last year? If that’s correct, and you failed, then here’s your chance to make 2014 the year you achieve them.

I’ve listed 10 points that I’d like you to read closely. If you follow my advice you will definitely be on the way to a healthier and fitter YOU!

1. Find Your Motivation: What is motivating you to lose weight? Do you want to look better in your clothes, feel more energetic, or simply improve your health? Be clear about what you want, and then use that to inspire you throughout your journey.

2. Have a Plan: You need to plan how you are going to change your lifestyle. Are you going to start exercising? (I hope so.) Where are you going to do this? What type of exercise are you going to do? Look at how you’re going to fit these new plans into your life.

3. Make Goals: You need to make goals to help measure your progress. When making your goals, you need to make SMART goals: l Specific l Measurable l Attainable l Realistic l Timely

4. Write a food diary: If part of your goal is to improve your diet you need to keep an eye on what you’re eating. Start writing a food diary. This will show you how much good food and how much ‘rubbish’ you are putting into your body each day.

5. Cleanse your body: Start the year with a good 14-day cleanse, get rid of all processed food which means cutting out: wheat, gluten, caffeine, alcohol, sugar and dairy products, drink 2-3 litres of water a day to flush out unwanted toxins. If you do this you will quickly feel leaner, cleaner and more energetic.

6. Eat three meals a day: Stick to eating just three meals a day and avoid all the snacking. As long as you are eating the correct foods you shouldn’t be hungry in between meals, eat plenty of good quality proteins and vegetables. No snacking will give your digestive system a rest and help you to burn fat more efficiently.

7. Start the day with a protein rich breakfast: This will not only fill you up for a longer period but it will also increase your energy levels, help you to make healthier choices throughout the day and decrease your fat percentage.

8. Exercise: Start doing some form of exercise, even if it’s just walking four to five times a week. Try a new exercise class, take up a new sporting hobby, start doing some High Intensity Interval training workouts. Remember, just 10 minutes a day can get you fantastic results.

9. Sleep eight hours a night: Ideally, you need to focus on getting eight hours sleep a night. This will make a huge difference to your life, your energy levels will be up, your stress levels will be down and your body fat percentage will decrease. We need sleep to recover!

10. Be Prepared for Lapses: A lapse is when you temporarily “fall off the wagon.” This is a normal part of the process – nobody is perfect. It is important for you to take a moment to recognize that you got sidetracked, but don’t use it as an excuse to throw in the towel. Every day is a new chance to start over, so return to your healthy lifestyle immediately.