Fit to Eat by Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD

Happy New Year! For five years I wrote a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution titled "Fit to Eat." As newspapers continue to shrink in size, scope, and importance, I will carry my column forward in this blog. As a nutrition professor and registered dietitian, I will write about food, nutrition, and fitness and hope my newspaper readers will find interest in my writing.

Now that it is 2010, here are my suggestions for the top 5 new year's resolutions that you should not make.

• Lose weight. This may be one of the most popular new year's resolutions but it is also the easiest to break. This year aim for health, not weight loss. You might be surprised that by eating healthfully and making small changes to your activity patterns you might drop some pounds without even trying.


• Join a gym in January. It is depressing to go the gym in January--the place is crowded, you have to wait for a treadmill, and the lines for the weight training machines are nuts. Wait until February when the crowds thin and the new year's resolutions have faded.


• Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Stop carrying around that gallon jug of water; there is nothing magical about drinking 8 glasses of water. All beverages count toward hydration--even caffeine-containing drinks, so stop counting water glasses.


• Eat out less. Nothing wrong with eating out if you make the right choices. Start your meal with a broth-based soup and split an appetizer, salad, or entree to save money and calories.


• Stop comparing your body to the models on the pages of health and fitness magazines--they are bad for your mental health. Every photo has been altered to show an image that is unattainable. Check out the DVD, "America the Beautiful" to get an insider's look to our obession with beauty. This year learn to love your self.