Last year around this time I came to the realization that I was at my highest weight ever. I knew I was overweight, but when I checked my BMI I was shocked to realize that I had actually tipped into the "obese" category. My BMI was 30.8 and anything over 30 is considered obese. It was at that moment that I decided I needed to make a drastic lifestyle change.

This is the time of year that many of us are setting goals in hopes of achieving success with our New Year's resolutions. And setting realistic goals can be what makes or breaks a good resolution. Have you set your goals yet? There are many theories about how to set realistic and achievable goals. But it's not always as cut and dry as all that. As with everything in life, something that works for one of us may not work for all of us. Here are some ideas that may help you find success.

A great way to get your fresh vegetables - Pre-cut and cleaned. Do you find yourself wanting to eat healthier, but cleaning, cutting and preparing fresh vegetables isn't working out for you? I love vegetables but when I buy them fresh they often go bad before I even get a chance to eat them. For that reason, I tend to buy most of my vegetables frozen. But after my post on raw food diets, I really wanted to try and start eating some raw vegetables occasionally - and frozen really doesn't cut it.

The idea of a raw food diet has never been very appealing to me. It conjures up images of sushi and steak tartar. But recently I've come across some vegetable only raw food recipes, and they don't look too bad. Benefits of a raw food diet...

I just happened to come across some great dieting and weight loss tools at the Prevention website. I've already talked about the importance of keeping a journal of the foods you eat each day - You Are What You Eat. Here is a tool specifically for keeping track of your meals and calorie intake...

Papaya helps promote digestive health with natural enzymes. And a body with strong digestion has a stronger immunity because of its ability to remove built up waste from the body. Did you know that strong digestion increases your metabolism? It's true...And an increased metabolism can help promote weight loss. Papaya is also great for the immune system. The vitamin C and A in papaya are both needed for proper function of a healthy immune system, making it helpful in the prevention of colds and flu.

Did you know that spicy meals could help you lose weight? It's true. If you're like me and love spicy foods, this is great news. It seems preparing your meals with garlic, pepper and other zero-calorie spices may prevent overeating. Benefits of Spicy Foods...

You don't have to gain weight just because it's the holiday season. And Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to be so fattening. Try making a few changes to your basic Thanksgiving recipes, and see how you can reduce calories and fat, for a healthier dinner. 1. Avoid buying a "self-basting" turkey, most of these are injected with fat and sodium, making them much less healthy. Instead, baste your turkey using it's own juices or broth. 2. Prepare your stuffing outside of the turkey; stuffing cooked inside the turkey will absorb a lot of unwanted fat.

I love soup, especially in the winter. So, if there is a way I can eat soup and lose a couple of pounds too...Count me in. With the cold weather upon us, having a bowl of soup can be a real treat. But could it also help you lose weight? Apparently it can. Health experts have discovered that adding low-calorie vegetable broth to the start of a meal can actually help to lose weight. Because you tend to feel full sooner, you eat less of your main course.

Any recipe you have can be made a bit healthier. Let's use my World Famous Fettuccine Alfredo recipe as an example of how easy it can be. If I'm not mistaken, Fettuccine Alfredo is one of the worst foods you can eat for good health...But it's also yummy. How do you make the most unhealthy recipe healthy? Start by replacing a few ingredients with lower calorie and lower fat ingredients... • Replace mozzarella cheese with part-skim mozzarella.

Are you addicted to soda? I'm not, but I know many people who are. I know one person who can only get through work if she has a 2-liter bottle of cola on her desk. That's a lot of empty calories. My advice...take it slow. If you're addicted to "x" number of sodas a day, try to reduce that number slowly. Especially, if they are caffeinated sodas. Caffeine and sugar are both addicting, and stopping cold turkey will most likely result in headaches and other unpleasant symptoms. But gradually reducing your intake, will increase your chances of success.

When it comes to eating healthy, not all foods are created equal. In fact, much of the fresh vegetables in your supermarket are grown using pesticides, while the milk and meat is filled with hormones and antibiotics. So what can you do? How can you make healthier and greener food choices? Whenever possible, buy local, this saves on energy that is otherwise wasted on transportation. From Woman Tribune... Here is a list of the top 10 produce you should most definitely be buying organic, every time.