If you’re like millions of Americans, you not only made resolutions for a better 2009, you pledged to lose weight before the year comes to an end. If so, good for you!

As many have come to find out, however, keeping that resolution isn’t always so easy. Here are a few tips that will help you stick to the resolution and have you in shape by the time your neighborhood pools open this spring!

Set Attainable Goals

It certainly won’t do anything for your confidence if you are aiming for unreachable goals, because you will inevitably fail and quit trying. The easiest solution? Set ambitious goals that you know are possible. Sure, it would be great to shed 40 pounds by mid-February, but results like that are extremely rare and, if not carefully monitored by a physician, can be dangerous.

Set Benchmarks

Since the biggest goal in your weight loss is often months away, figure out ways to measure your success as you go. It’s easy to lose motivation when the results are so far away, because the goal seems abstract. It is much easier, however, to challenge yourself to a certain number of exercise sessions each week, or see how many days each week you can stick to a low-calorie diet. Another great way is to set goals for weight loss every couple weeks or by month. Breaking the bigger goal into smaller ones helps you actualize the efforts you must take each day and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment each time you meet them, further reinforcing your positive behavior.

Reward Yourself

Find non-food rewards to indulge in, and don’t allow yourself to stray from them only once you’ve met a benchmark goal. Some examples may be a shopping trip, new book, or massage only when you’ve exercised 5 times in the week.

Tell Everyone You Know

Telling friends and family about your goals creates a sense of accountability that will help motivate you to accomplish it. It’s much harder to fail several people’s expectations than just your own, and you may even get an extended support network to help you out along the way.

You’ve probably heard a lot about Hoodia, one of the active ingredients in Amfedrine™, but what is Hoodia?

In nature, it is a spiny plant that looks and acts a lot like a little cactus. It grows mainly in desert climates and can reach about three feet tall.

Recent studies show, however, that this otherwise unremarkable plant has some incredibly dramatic effects on the human appetite. It should come as no surprise since African natives have been using it for thousands of years, but western medicine just recently learned of Hoodia and its power to suppress appetites.

But while Hoodia is found all over the world, there is only one type of Hoodia plant, called Hoodia Gordonii, that actually works with the brain to tell it to stop eating. This species of Hoodia is only found in the deserts of Southwest Africa, in the countries of Namibia and South Africa.

While other diet pills and weight loss supplements claim to contain Hoodia, most are using different species of the plant, found outside Africa in places like Mexico or China, or are just making false claims about their product. Amfedrine is proud to have certified Hoodia Gordonii from Southwest Africa.

Amfedrine does not contain any stem, flowers, or any other part of the Hoodia Gordonii plant that does not contain the active ingredient that suppresses the appetite. When you take Amfedrine, you can rest assured knowing that you are getting the full benefit of this amazing new discovery.

As you probably already know, aerobic, or “cardio” workouts are an essential tool for any weight loss program. Recent studies, however, indicate that incorporating anaerobic workouts, like lifting weights, can help you reach your weight loss goals as well.

Every muscle in the human body requires energy to move, and when you work out, you lose weight by using more energy to move more muscles. Weight training helps burn more calories by building muscle mass, so the tissue being exercised by lifting weights becomes bigger and stronger.

Larger muscles require more energy to move. Therefore, when you workout with increased muscle mass, you are actually burning more calories during your workout than you would with smaller muscles.

Incorporate weight training into your cardio workout by carrying a set of dumbbells, or use a “circuit training” method that alternates aerobic and anaerobic exercises for the maximum fat-burning effect. An example of a circuit training workout might include five-minute sprints between pushups, abdominal crunches, and weight lifting exercises.

By maximizing your workout, you can spend less time achieving the body you want. An additional bonus of weight training for weight loss is that your everyday movements like going to work, preparing dinner, and the rest will also be burning more calories per hour as your increased muscle mass requires a few extra calories as well. So be sure to incorporate weight training as a part of your workout plan to achieve weight loss results a little faster.

Exercise doesn’t have to cost a lot. Here are some easy ways you can get your daily exercise without busting open the piggybank:

Jumping Rope

You can usually find one of these handy workout aides/childhood toys for just a few bucks, yet the quality of the exercise is hard to beat. You’ll be sweating in no time with this intense, beneficial cardio workout that you can do in your living room.

Resistance Tubing

These are essentially large rubber bands with large workout upside. You can usually find them for less than $10, or spring for a set for less than $20. There are countless videos (or internet resources or cable shows, for even cheaper) that will teach you how to use them. You’ll get a great anaerobic workout and increase your flexibility as well. Added bonus: they’re low-impact workouts; so if you have knee, ankle, or other joint problems, this is an excellent option.

Dumbbells

Another $10 or so fix from your local retail store, dumbbells can provide a great anaerobic workout or increase the efficiency of your walk or run. Their versatility makes them excellent low-cost, high-value choices.

Walking

Sounds simple, sure, but leave the house once a day and go for a walk. Not only will you be working off a few extra calories that your couch can’t burn, but many find daily walks to help relieve stress as well, further helping you lose weight.

There are lots of ways to cut calories out of your diet, but the two easiest ways are portion control and controlling what you use to make each meal. The following is a list of easy substitutes you can use everyday. Each one of these tips will save you 40 to 400 calories, and you will be amazed when you realize you can’t even tell the difference!

• Use two egg whites instead of one egg
• Substitute 1 percent or skim milk for cream or half and half, in equal parts
• Use evaporated skim milk instead of cream for baking or cooking
• Use olive oil instead of butter, or use a half-margarine, half-olive oil mixture
• Substitute plain, non-fat yogurt for sour cream
• Use whole wheat flour for all or half of the flour in a recipe
• Low-fat cream cheese is a perfect substitute for cream cheese
• Use slightly more herbs and spices, and cut out the salt
• Use whole-grain carbohydrates, like bread, crackers, croutons, buns, rolls, pasta, etc.
• Use non-stick pans instead of oil sprays
• Roast, bake or grill instead of frying, pan-searing, stir-frying, or poaching in cream
• Use stronger cheeses and reduce the amount you use. For example, use sharp cheddar instead of mild cheddar, but use 25 percent less. You can use shredded Romano instead of grated parmesan in the same manner. Aged cheeses tend to offer much more flavor in much smaller quantities
• Trim all visible fat on any meat before cooking it. Choose cuts of meat that are typically lean (chicken, pork tenderloin, filet, sirloin, etc.)
• Substitute cooked, pureed cauliflower for mashed potatoes (you really won’t be able to tell the difference!)
• Saute with wine or water instead of oil. Vegetable or chicken stock also works well, but tends to be high in sodium

Following these simple substitutions will allow you to make almost any recipe while cutting out a great deal of calories, so enjoy your favorites, guilt-free!