Tips for Making and Keeping Fitness Goals

Holidays can mean delicious deserts, tasty drinks, and elaborate meals. The holidays are also a time where most have no time at all! No time leads to fitness goals being tossed aside. To combat the time crunches for these upcoming holidays, read on for tips and suggestions for making and keeping your fitness goals.
1. Sit down and ask yourself why you want to accomplish these fitness goals. Whether it be to keep the holiday calories at bay, stay healthy, or lose weight, establish your reasons for your fitness goals beforehand. Once you have done that, put up a picture in a spot that you see every day that motivates you. It may be picture of you at your ideal weight, a picture of your family, or a something from a magazine; whatever works for you.
2. When making a fitness goal, be sure to keep your reasons in mind. Evaluate the time you have, your current fitness level, and what you enjoy. For example: if someone hates running, but forces themselves to pound down the treadmill every day, it won't be something they are going to look forward to. Find an activity you enjoy and that your body can handle. A great way to start out is by walking.
3. Find a buddy or someone close to you to keep you accountable. Based on my own non-motivational experience, it is much easier to take that trip to the gym if someone is meeting you there. Having someone to keep you accountable to your fitness goals, works wonders for your fitness commitments.
4. If you go to a gym - invest some money in a personal trainer. Although this may not be an option for some people due to costs, for others it helps them keep commitments. If this is out of your cost range, tell other around you of your goals. Ask them to check in with you and your progress.
5. Make an appointment with yourself! Mark down 20 to 30 minutes on your calendar a few days a week just for you and keeping your fitness goals. This way, you are able to schedule other appointments and shopping around your 'you' time.
6. Realize that fitness can include the family. Snowball fights, snowman rolling contests, ice skating and sledding are all activities that the whole family can enjoy. Lucky for you, they also blast calories and raise your heart rate.
7. Don't forget to eat right! Be sure to fuel your body for workouts; try a bowl of oatmeal, bananas or pasta. Remember to drink plenty of water (6 to 8 glasses) a day, and add fruit, vegetables, whole grains and non-processed foods to your diet. Eating right will help you feel less sluggish and more motivated to complete whatever you started.
Even during the rest of the year, fitness goals are very challenging. Don't give up! Just think...when the time for New Year's Resolutions rolls around, you will be way ahead of everyone else, you can do it!