12 Steps to Sticking to Your New Year's Weight Loss Goal

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The New Year is upon us and many of us are figuring out what our goals will be for 2011. The number one New Year’s resolution each year is to lose weight and get healthy. If these are your goals for 2011, there are several steps that you can take to help you stick to them and stay on track.

1) First, you need to establish your goal and write it down. In my case, I needed to lose close to 200 pounds, so I needed to be realistic on how long it would take me to get there.

2) This leads me to what you need to do next, and that is to establish how long it will take you to get there. You will also want to establish short-term goals to keep you motivated.

3) I don’t know about you, but rewards motivate me! The third step is to figure out what your rewards will be for each milestone. My suggestion is that your reward be non-food related to keep you on track.

4) The next step is to figure out where you will exercise--will it be at home, at a gym, in a park, etc?

5) The fifth step is to get geared up. You want to buy the proper footwear and the equipment you will need for your specific activity. This will also help you get motivated to start.

6) Get a coach to help you stick to your goal. You will need to start establishing who will be your fitness professional such as a trainer or nutritionist to guide you.

7) Get your cheerleaders on board to help keep you on track. You will want to establish a support system of friends and family and let them know about your goal.

8) Eliminate obstacles and limit your time with those who veer you off track. You’ll quickly know who doesn’t support you or will sabotage your goal. Don’t let them do it, but still be polite and kind to them. They just don’t get it yet!

9) Get your house and environment ready. You will want to remove all foods from your house that will sabotage you and make a shopping list of the foods you will need.

10) Write about it and be honest with when you veer off track. Be prepared to keep a food diary and plan your meals the night before. You also want to buy a separate notebook to track your workouts, weight and measurements both before you start and along the way.

11) Buddy up and find a friend or colleague to workout with at least twice a week. Whether it be a workout buddy, fitness coach or trainer, get someone that will hold you accountable.

12) Time to hit the health food section or natural grocery store and stock up! Take out that shopping list and hit the food store for all those healthy, nourishing foods to jumpstart your success!

Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.