Millions of people are gearing up right now to start off the New Year on a new foot. They all have goals of losing weight, toning up, and finally accomplishing fitting into the clothes at the back of the closet.

The sad thing is that come February and over 40% of those people will have given up and returned to their normal habits. By June and less than 25% of people are still focusing on their resolutions, everyone else has returned to their previous habits.

Motivation is the number one reason why people fail to hit their Weight Loss goals. It is simply too easy to throw in the towel and walk away. It’s much harder to say “Sorry, I can’t go with you tonight, I need to workout.” That’s why only 5% of people lose the weight they want and keep it off.

But here are my top 5 tricks to stay motivated so that you don’t end up tossing in the your towel and turning your back on your resolution.

1. Don’t look at it as a New Year’s Resolution. Think of it as a goal, and set a date. If you want to lose twenty pounds, be realistic and say that you want to drop 20 pounds by Easter… having a set date will give you something to work towards.
2. Start tracking. Track your workouts, your personal progress, and even your diet. It all helps to keep you accountable and also allows you to see how much you’ve accomplished. With personal progress track your weight, body fat (if able) and body measurements. Write down your workouts, how much weight you used and the details. And the same goes for nutrition, the time you eat and what goes into your mouth. It’s actually fun!
3. Set a schedule. If working out is brand new to you then it can be easy to find reasons not to workout. But the trick is to treat it like any other appointment. Look at your day and write in when you plan to workout. If it’s in the morning then have everything set out the night before to help.
4. Tell people. Make sure to tell those around you what you’re goals are. If you keep it inside you’re much more likely to give up. Plus telling your significant other will help them be able to keep you on track and help support your plans.
5. Don’t beat yourself up. This is perhaps the most important thing! If you slip on your diet or miss a workout, that’s not an excuse to give up on your program out of guilt. Everyone slips from time to time, it’s human. Just shake it off, and get back on track asap. No fowl done, you are still in a position to accomplish a lot!

Following these 5 New Year Goal tips will help you be one of the few people who really does succeed with their weight loss and fitness plans! Best of luck and Happy 2012!