Many of us spend the New Year period taking stock: often making resolutions to do better with our diets, to stick to our healthy eating, to take up exercise, and perhaps also to achieve particular goals in personal or career projects.

What we don’t always consider is what we might need to cut out of our lives. Somehow, we end up forgetting that we only have 24 hours in a day – and that we have a limited amount of energy and attention.

If you’re going to see real dieting success next year, what do you need to cut out of your life?

People

Now, I’m certainly not going to suggest that you disown Great Aunt Maud (even if the prospect seems ever-more tempting each Christmas) … but there are other people who you don’t necessarily have to remain close to.

If you have a group of colleagues or friends who always encourage you to eat and drink too much, is it time to move on?Obviously, there are some friendships you won’t want to lose – and some people who you simply can’t avoid – but you can always bow out of social events.

Look at how those around you are affecting your diet. Focus on the supportive, encouraging people in your life, and gradually lose your ties with others. It’s usually best not to burn bridges (though, sometimes, you might need to make a clean break).

Activities

This is the big area where many of us need to cut down. We’re often doing too much: whether that’s taking on commitments that we don’t want, or spending a lot of time chasing distractions and diversions.

Society tells us a lot of damaging lies – and one of those is that we should be constantly busy and achieving. Perhaps you’ve ended up eating for emotional reasons in the past, because you feel as though you’re struggling to achieve everything which you want, or because you’re under a lot of stress and pressure.

To have time to eat well (and to enjoy our food) and time to exercise, we often need to give up something else that we’re doing. You might have some idea about this already – perhaps it’s one of these:

• Commitments which you got pressured into taking on
• Hobbies which don’t hold your interest any more
• Time-wasting activities which are just an escape from other problems
• Doing too much for family or friends
• Working in a job that isn’t right for you (even if it looks like a “good” job)

If you were going to find an extra half-hour a day to exercise, what could you give up?

If you want to have time to sit and eat breakfast in a relaxed way in the morning – rather than grabbing a granola bar on the run – how could you get that extra time?

Foods

Some dieters find that cutting out certain foods (almost) completely works best for them. Perhaps you have certain foods which you just can’t eat in moderation: chocolate, cheese, nuts, and chips are popular examples!

Has a particular food been your dieting downfall this year? Perhaps cutting it out next year could boost your dieting. You don’t necessarily have to ban it completely – but do limit how often you’ll eat it. If chocolate is your particular nemesis, how about only having it on Saturdays? (No matter how good that birthday cake in the office looks.)

Although there’s really no such thing as a “bad” or “good” food, it can sometimes help you stick to a diet if you’re willing to be strict with yourself on the foods which are particularly likely to make you give up on your diet.

What else could you cut out of your life next year? What people or activities do you need to let go? Which foods aren’t helping you?