When you maximise your metabolism you see automatic fat burning results. Follow Matt O’neills rules in 2011 and make this year your most nutritious and fittest year ever.

1. Eat enough When you eat well below your physiological needs it triggers your body to go into starvation mode. Don’t detox! Don’t do crazy low-energy diets as within 24 hours your metabolic rate falls. You are then more likely to store any excess energy and will find it harder to get lean.

2. Master your appetite You’ve got dozens of appetite hormones and chemicals that get hotwired when you over eat. Sure, you may have indulged at Christmas but with a fresh year it’s time to stay within the feed limit. You’ll get back in sync with your natural hunger chemistry which will tell you when you really need to eat and when you should stop.

3. Switch to nutrient rich Fad diets may cut calories which strips weight off, but going without one or more food groups also starves your body of key nutrients that help you burn more fat. For example, dairy food contains calcium and other chemicals that help fat cells release fat. Nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashews are hard to digest and give your metabolic rate a slight boost. Wholegrain carbohydrates have antioxidants that fight low-level inflammation that can cause weight gain. So, make sure your fat loss menu has vegetables, fruits, dairy, wholefood proteins, wholegrain starches and healthy oils.

4. Move your muscles more By keeping active you keep millions of tiny mitochondria in body cells firing and burning calories every second of every day. Sitting for too long switches off mitochondria, so if you have a desk job, jump up every 30 minutes for a stretch and walk. For regular exercisers, move your effort level up a notch. If you’ve got room to boost your intensity you will be rewarded with great calorie burning and automatic metabolic fitness. If your workouts are “comfortably challenging” move up to “somewhat hard”. If your effort is already “somewhat hard” notch it up to “hard”. For the same time, you’ll see fast results and spark more mitochondria 

5. Outsmart Stress Any biological stress, including emotional pressure, dietary deprivation and excessive exercise triggers the release of the hormone, cortisol. Known as the stress hormone, cortisol can cause abdominal obesity, increased food cravings and inflammation. This is another reason to eat well, avoid over-exercising and try not to become a gym-junky. Set a plan to outsmart stress this year, by taking more opportunities, no matter how small, to refresh. Life is busy, but mini-escapes work wonders to recharge your batteries