How to Keep a New Year's Resolution to Lose Weight Naturally

Demitri Adarmes, M.D., a practicing physician in Olympia, WA and Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has given me several natural ways to keep your New Year's Resolution to lose weight and I'd like to share them with you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get 8 hours of sleep. "Not getting 8 hours of sleep at night can lead to gaining a couple of extra pounds," says Adarmes. "When we sleep, our brain releases certain hormones that help our body repair itself. One such hormone is called human growth hormone (HGH). But most of it is released between the 6th and 8th hours of sleep."

2. Snack on organic food every few hours to avoid binge eating.

3. Limit the amount of calories you eat and to exercise. (We've heard it before, but here it is again.) Though, "Keeping track and logging the caloric content of all items that are ingested is key," says Adarmes, "including all snacks, drinks, and meals."

4. "Find a medical doctor who is trained and experienced in weight loss treatments. The doctor will be an invaluable asset as a coach," says Adarmes. She says that everyone needs a comprehensive body composition and metabolic analysis done to find out if you are overweight and how much weight you NEED to lose.