Google ‘holiday season and weight gain’ and you’ll be presented with almost 52,600,000 different results!

In other words, that’s 52,600,000 reasons to stop being a lazy bastard in the new year!

I am sure that off the top of your head you can think of a couple hundred reasons that you have known for years why weight loss is going to lead to an improved overall quality of life for you, but I digress.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day the average American will gain just over 1 ½ pounds.

Be it from snacking, drinking or general ‘holiday’ laziness, obesity related diseases are now killing roughly 374,239 of us a year.

Not only is it an epidemic, it’s the second most preventable cause of disease in the U.S behind smoking tobacco!

Let’s face it, nobody wants to be obese!

Nobody wants to get diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer or other obesity related diseases.

That being said, it’s time to stop lying to yourself and face the facts.

We all have choices – don’t be an idiot and make obesity your choice.

It is not worth it whether it is because you want to live a long life or you want to look the best that you possibly can, living healthier is a better option.

Ready to wave goodbye to your pudgy belly and make the right choice?

Check out our list of ten ways you can improve your lifestyle, shed pounds, and promote health and longevity throughout the New Year!

1. Exercise!

Yeah, OK – so that might sound pretty obvious to you, but just 30 minutes exercise a day will reduce your risk of a stroke, speed up your metabolism, and help you drop that holiday gut.

Not only that, but it will cut your risk of developing cancer and improve your mood!

So you’ll work toward being a happy, healthy bastard, instead of a fat one!

Only 47.8% of Americans exercise on a regular basis!

C’mon guys, what are the rest of you doing?

2. Improve Your Diet!

Cut out the crap! Stop snacking!

Everyone has the ability to exercise their willpower.

That extra pound or two from the ‘holiday season’ can disappear as quickly as it arrived.

Failure to improve your diet will only increase your weight and the stress on your overall physical and mental health. Swap the potato chips for fruit, the beer for water and the fries for salad, and you’re halfway there!

Oh yeah, and substituting a diet coke instead of regular coke in your 2,000 calorie value meal is not going to get you in shape…

3. Pump Iron!

Don’t be afraid to weight-train.

Resistance training is a great way to turn your body into a fat burning machine.

A perfect balance between weight training and cardio will reduce fat while improving the natural shape of your body.

Weight training promotes lean muscle growth and will improve your mood and cardiovascular system.

Speak to a personal trainer if you want to find a suitable regimen for your age, gender and body type.

4. Take An Interest In Yourself

Don’t be afraid to read about ways to better your physical and mental well being!

Keep a food diary; join a gym or a running club, take up a new hobby.

Making exercise and nutrition a part of your life’s interests will help it to become habitual rather than forced.

Let’s face it – Rome wasn’t built in a day.. but a little self-improvement each day will help you to obtain your long term goals and could quickly improve your day-to-day life tenfold.

5. Set Realistic Goals

The holidays are over now, the paunch is showing and you feel drained.

Set some realistic goals for what you want to achieve in the New Year.

Once these goals are set, consider rewarding yourself for your achievements.

Things like quitting smoking,cutting down on drinking and putting all that cash you would have wasted destroying your body into a well-deserved holiday can sweeten the deal.

Whatever you do, don’t set ridiculous, unachievable goals.

Remember: you’ve only got yourself to let down!

6. Get More Rest

You’re not in high school anymore, so stop staying up all night and laying around on the couch all day. Make sure you get your recommended 8 hours sleep and quit trying to recoup lost shuteye by lying in bed all day.

Getting up earlier means eating earlier, which in turn means switching on your metabolism earlier, exercising earlier and really kick-starting your day.

It might be hard at first, but your health and lifestyle will improve the longer that you keep up with the early rising pattern!

Morning people are more proactive, happier, and more energetic throughout the day.

It’s also a fact that they’re better sleepers!

7. Ditch Processed Food

This should really be a no-brainer.

Processed foods offer a lower nutritional value than whole foods – and they tend to be much higher in calorie.

Additionally, many processed foods are riddled with toxins.

Processed meats can be full or hormones and antibiotics, thus lowering your body’s natural defences and making you more susceptible to certain cancers and other diseases.

Plus natural food/supplements often taste better and will genuinely benefit your overall health. Documentaries such as (Forks Before Knives and ‘Food Matters) will give more insight into this for those who are interested.

8. Drink More Water

Yeah, seems like another no-brainer but two thirds of Americans don’t drink enough water every day.

Eight glasses is the recommended daily intake, and the health benefits are staggering!

Water is good for your joints, muscle building, weight loss, youthful appearance and it can improve your cognitive performance by up to 30%.

So let’s turn that no-brainer into a grow brainer!

9. Eat More Nuts

Snacking on nuts rather than junk food can positively improve your overall well being.

Just a handful of nuts a day will introduce a host of vitamins, minerals antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids to your body, This, compared to the MSG, saturated fat, chemicals and general crap that’s found in modern day junky snacks, is a reason why you really should ‘go nuts’.

10. Use Supplements

Well, you didn’t expect us to leave this one out did you?

Use our website to find out the best supplements that will work for you and help you achieve your goals.

Whether you want to burn fat, gain lean mass, lose weight or increase energy, we have a catalog of supplements with countless reviews from readers and health professionals.

Even vitamin supplements can be a useful start to give your body the nutrients and vitamins that are needed for survival on a daily basis but often lacking in day to day diets.

So there you have it!

Just employing several of the points above will increase your general health and well-being into 2014. Do you have any other suggestions on how to improve your health and lifestyle into the ‘New Year’?

If so, feel free to comment below.

After All: There can never be enough reasons to ‘stop being a lazy fat bastard’!

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Author: Rob Miller

Rob Miller founded SupplementCritique.com over 7 years ago, and has been the chief editor ever since. He has a diploma in Advanced Dietary Supplements Advisor, and worked at GNC for 3 years. He KNOWS supplements, both inside and out. Rob currently resides in Jupiter, FL, with his wife of 4 years.  Learn more about him in his Bio here. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook, LinkedIn, or find him on Google +. View all posts by Rob Miller