Strength training should be part of your core exercise and health and wellness routine. Going to the gym and throwing large weights around is unnecessary. Bodyweight and simple resistance exercises are all you need.

‘Before and After’ photos are a great way to show your progress in your fitness journey. But just having the ‘Before’ picture while you work towards the eventual ‘After’ is a great way to keep you motivated, as you can see just how much progress you have made ‘Now.’

Simplify your eating habits by setting a schedule of themed menus for specific nights. Try things like Meatless Monday, Chicken Taco Tuesday, or Baked Fish Friday. Get creative with your themes and make your healthy meals more fun in the process.

Eating less is easier when your brain sees a full plate, but you have switched to a smaller plate.

Check the fluids you intake periodically. See what extra calories you are mindlessly ingesting, and occasionally substitute for 'cleaner' liquids to wash down your meals or just for simple hydration.

Saturday Morning Cartoons may not be a thing anymore, but now is a perfect time to reestablish reading the box! Going through the packaging of your favorite foods and learning the truth about serving sizes and ingredients will mean the difference in calories needed to burn off extra pounds.

Start measuring your food portions when you prepare your meals to understand how much you should eat to maintain a healthy weight. Like magic, you will begin to see accurate portion sizes everywhere, even in overly sized plates at your favorite restaurants.

If you are a parent who picks off your children's plates or a social eater who reaches for the appetizer bowl with reckless abandon, you may find solace (and easier weight control) in eating more meals in solitude.

Apples are rich in essential nutrients and are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols, a group of antioxidants known to combat free radicals in the body. And you can always enjoy the variety of apples to add to your kitchen table fruit bowl.

Processed foods are usually high in calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats. Limit your consumption of processed foods while focusing on consuming whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.