Achieve your goal this year!

No matter what your goal is - weight loss, building lean muscle, building cardio-respiratory endurance ... its time to start planning or else next year you will be right where you are now, planning for the following year. What is in the way of you reaching your goal this year?

Why do people fail to reach their goals. Because they stop trying.
Its hard to lose weight and get fit. People start the new year motiviated. By March they are bored, not seeing enough results, too tempted by old habits, too tired or stressed to maintain an exercise routine. In April they start to think about putting on a bathing suit and get serious until maybe July where they figure why bother. September is a time to get back in a routine and things go well until Nov-Dec holiday time blows all progress. The net result is no results.

How To Reach Your Goal:

(1) Commit to following through on your plan for 6 months.

(2) Start an exercise journal to log what you do and when. Log in what you do and when each day. Commit to 2 to 3 days of strength training and at least 3 days of cardio. Some people reach their goals with 3 intense days of cardio, some do well with 5 or 6 days of more moderate cardio activities. You have to find what works for you and gives you the results you are expecting. Not getting results? Don't scale down in protest, who benefits when you do that? Increase activity.

(3) Start a food journal. Avoid anything you can't eat in moderation. If you don't buy it (or drive through it) you can't eat it. Know your calories, get a food scale if you need one and keep writing for at least 6 months (see #1).

(4) Stay around motivating people, stick with your gym or trainer or walking partner. Quitting is not an option. Buy and serve what you need to eat to stay on track. Your family will live without pizza and french fries, everyone can benefit, don't use your family as an excuse to blow your plan.

(5) Exercise when you don't want to, have one drink instead of three, skip or share dessert, have a plan and follow through.

The reason why people fail to reach their fitness goals is because its easier not to!