Happy New Year everyone! I bet you have got your resolution in place, then again, you may have already broken it. It doesn't matter, there is nothing to stop you from starting again.

I'm not one to promote quick fixes, especially when it comes to losing weight and generally improving appearances. They never usually work. However I do have a few tricks of the trade that I would like to share with you to help you on your way this brand new year.

With the tricks I am going to share with you, the key is to just take one or two of them and implement them. Once you have done that successfully, then you can think about taking on more. Eventually you will get to where you want to be and, most importantly, you will not fail.

Right, anyway I am now going to share a few hints/tricks/hacks that I can guarantee will bring you success. How can I guarantee that you ask? I've implemented these not only myself, but also with my clients and we have seen some great results. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain...

Firstly... Drink a bit more water

This is a very easy one for all of us to attack. As a nation we just do not drink enough water throughout the day. We are happy enough to drink coffee and fizzy drinks – why not swap a few of these for water and see how much more energetic you will feel.

We also have a bad habit of confusing rumblings in our stomachs as hunger when in fact they are calls from your body to say that you are dehydrated. If you feel hungry outside of your normal meal times, it's a better idea to reach for the water bottle than that Mars bar. To combat the stomach grumbles simply drink a minimum of 2.5/three litres of water throughout the day.

Increase Your Protein Intake

This does not mean simply add protein shakes your daily eating/drinking routines. If you are feeling hungry throughout the day, you are not getting enough protein. That feeling of content after your meal means that you are eating sufficient quantities of protein. Protein encourages muscle growth and helps you to burn calories throughout the day. Some examples of high protein foods include eggs, steak, chicken, fish.

Please do not be afraid to whip out some cooked chicken for that mid afternoon snack at your desk.

Make those goals public – hold yourself to account

It's pretty simple, but write down your goals and then make them public knowledge. For example, if you want to lose a bit of weight, write down your goal target weight. If you then start broadcasting what you are trying to achieve, then you are forced to act and actually do something because people will be watching what you are doing. You never know, you may inspire others to join in on your journey and you be able to bounce encouragement and support off each other.

You're no alcoholic, right?!?

I like a drink much like the next person (I'm a vodka and diet lemonade kind of guy, maybe with an additional sweet cider alongside)... But over Christmas (let's face it), most people will go hard before going home. We all know that alcohol will not aid any fat loss goals you have. The calories in that pint (or five), the mixers you choose with your spirits, the takeaways you eat on the way home from the club and the garbage you eat all the next day when you're hungover – this (for most) is a classic weekend.

You don't need me to tell you that this doesn't equal that flat stomach you are craving. Why not just get rid of the alcohol for 30-60 days – get your friends involved and make it that bit easier.

Get training 3-4 times per week

You would have noticed that I did not say exercise. When people exercise they do not work hard enough to burn enough calories needed for fat loss. You need to train; pushing yourself harder than you normally would – striving for constant improvements. Don't get drawn into the trap of thinking getting out for a gentle jog three times a week will cut it, you need to increase that intensity. For quicker results, you need to be combining resistance training with some higher intensity cardio work. Nail this and see the results!

Processed food – don't bother!

You don't have to eat celery or carrot sticks to be healthy. You need to just be a bit sensible with your food choices.

Eat foods that are fresh and, more importantly eat foods with ingredients that you can actually pronounce.

Of course you can have treats – your lifestyle needs to be sustainable. The key here is to keep them to minimum, keep them to once or twice a week. Make sure that you also exercising on treat days and that you always eat your treat after you have exercised.

All this stuff is pretty simple to implement.

As I said, take it easy – your goal should be to take on board two of my suggestions above, nail them and then add in the rest.

Then all I can say is enjoy the success.