Now that you’re a few days into 2012, it is important that you stick with your resolutions.

Here are a few tips we employ (and we teach our clients to do too!), to make sure we stay on track:

1. Make your goals/resolutions achievable! If you’ve never run a marathon, you’re not going to be ready to run your first one, just 3 months into the year. If you’re just starting out, aim for a 5 or 10K, which is much more manageable, but still difficult for the novice runner. Want to lose 10 lbs? It’s unrealistic to think it will happen in a week, so pick a date in the not so distant future (1-2 lbs/week is healthy), and get started!
2. Don’t go to extremes! If you’re looking to lose a few pounds and keep the weight off, fasts and crazy restrictions will not make you successful. While you may initially drop the weight, it tends to creep back on very quickly, because it is impossible (AND UNHEALTHY!!) to maintain that strict eating regimen for a long time Try eating a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains and lean protein to lose the weight.
3. If you can’t read it, don’t eat it! These days, additives are put in our food for a whole host of reasons, but, the bottom line is, you’re better off without them. Foods like saccharin, artificial colors and high fructose corn syrup may be good for your taste buds or make your food look pretty, but they aren’t good for your body! Stick to natural, whole foods.
4. Join a gym that you’re going to use. Make sure it has the classes you want (spin, kickboxing, yoga, etc.) so if you get bored, you can switch it up. Some even offer amenities like childcare (this is crucial for Tammy—if her gym didn’t have this she frequently would have to pass up her exercise sessions), TVs on cardio machines, and free towels that make your experience more enjoyable. Most importantly, make sure it’s convenient! If it’s far away from where you live or work, you won’t go.
5. Pencil it in! Your exercise should fit in your schedule just like any other appointment. The same way you put a doctor’s appointment, or lunch date in your calendar, put exercise in there too! Once you have time, you can’t make up an excuse.