It’s winter. You’ve enjoyed the holidays; your waistline is proof of that! If losing weight is one of your New Year’s goals, you may want to listen to advice we garnered from a personal trainer at the Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics Center in Huntersville, North Carolina and check out this limited time offer to get a free weight loss consultation with a wellness coach.

The following are some tips for realizing your weight loss goals:

1. Set small goals. The key to getting fit and staying fit is to break your long-term goals into attainable short-term goals.  Celebrate each victory and set new goals as you build on your success.
2. Write down everything you eat. Buy yourself a tiny notebook and record tyour eating habits.  Reinforce good choices with a smiley face.  Try to determine why you made poor choices and resolve to do better.
3. Make a realistic commitment to exercise. The personal trainer we interviewed old us “Too many people come into the fitness club and tell me they’re going to work out here every day, but for most people that’s not a realistic plan.”  Instead, personal trainers suggest you commit to vigorous exercise however many times it truly works with your schedule, then build off that base by making the most of what he terms as “real life activity.”  By “real life activity” HFFA’s personal trainer means everyday actions converted into exercise – like jogging with your baby in the running stroller, walking your dog, or choosing to hike with a friend instead of meeting for coffee.
4. Get help from a professional. How many times have you resolved to lose weight, but failed? If you don’t have the money to hire a personal trainer, consider a free consultation from a wellness counselor to find out what you’re doing wrong and to make a realistic plan for your situation.  If you’d like a free consultation now, click here and simply fill out the short form.
5. Find a form of exercise you genuinely enjoy. Personal trainers suggest you try “anything that gets you moving.  Whatever you enjoy doing, get out there and do it.  Kayaking?  Swimming?  Rock climbing?  It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you get your blood pumping.”
6. Replace one unhealthy food choice a day. Small exchanges add up to significant calorie savings.  Just by switching from sugar soda to diet soda, for example, you can cut hundreds of calories from your diet every day.
7. Remember, only you can make your fitness goals happen. Personal trainers emphasize the value of determination. Write a list of reasons why you value physical fitness and post it where you can remind yourself of your commitment.  If you’re a visually-motivated person and you’ve been in better shape in the past, create a collage of photos of yourself at your most fit time of your life to remind yourself that you’ve prioritized fitness before.  Keep your spirits up and your morale strong.  You can do it!

To give your weight loss efforts a boost, we recommend taking action by getting your free consultation with a wellness coach before the offer expires.