Happy New Year! If you have set your resolution to lose weight a study from the University of Hong Kong may provide some added incentive.  They report that just 12 weeks of high-intensity resistance training with weights can reverse 12 years of muscle deterioration associated with natural aging.  Pound for pound, muscle will burn more calories than fat.  And if that isn’t enough, Dr. David Williams states in his September newsletter that increased physical activity was associated with an average 4 year weight change of negative 1.76 pounds in all groups in a New England Journal of Medicine study.  For maximum weight loss the best foods to avoid are potato chips, French fries, and soda.  Unfortunately 85 % of new years’ resolutions are abandoned by the third week in January.  So I hope that you are in the minority 15% and have an effective targeted plan to achieve your new year’s resolutions.