6 tips to new year fitness success

With the New Year comes the opportunity for a fresh start. For many people, this means leading a healthier lifestyle and getting in shape. If this is your goal, follow these easy tips to keep yourself on track.

1. Find Your Motivation

What is motivating you to lose weight? Do you want to look better in your clothes, feel more energetic, or simply improve your health? Get clear about what you want, and then use that to inspire you throughout your journey.

2. Have a Plan

You can't change everything and expect success. Outline the changes you want to implement and decide how you'll fit them into your schedule. Keep in mind that it may be best to take small steps to lead you to your end goal.

3. Jot Down Goals

Goals help measure progress. If you don't know where you want to end up, you won't really know how to get there. When making your goals, you need to make SMART goals:

For example, a SMART goal would be something like, "I will walk for 30 minutes 3 days per week." Or "I will commit to 3 group classes at my gym this week."

4. Track What You Eat

Looking closely at what you eat is often an eye-opening experience. Use an app to keep track of everything you put into your body. You don't have to do it for the rest of your life, but it is a great habit to start. Tracking will help you tweak your diet so that you can still enjoy foods you love without sabotaging your weight loss or healthy eating efforts.

5. Use Reliable Resources

It may be tempting to try a fad diet, but these are usually unrealistic, difficult to maintain, and sometimes even dangerous. Instead, find a reliable source of information to help you understand nutrition. You can consult a registered dietitian in your area that can give you tips and tricks to help you achieve your specific goals.

6. Eat Breakfast Every Day

You definitely heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eat a big healthy breakfast as early as possible. It will give you more energy, lead you to make healthier choices during the day, and keep you feeling full so you eat less later on.