A good start to finding a middle ground is treating certain meals like rewards.

Okay, so if you’re one of those people who is planning a Fitness- related New Year resolution, remember to start preparing NOW. You cannot make a drastic lifestyle change when the clock strikes 12! Here are some tips from experts:

1. Count those calories

It is simple: Eat fewer calories than you burn each day. Know how many calories you are eating and how many you are losing, on a daily basis. Use a fitness tracker and a calorie-counting app.

2. Think it through

It takes a lot of persistence to follow through on your fitness goals. “The problem that most people run into is that they don’t think through what they’re getting into,” says Dean Gavindane, a Certified Personal Trainer and CEO of a sports performance company. Understanding that your new diet and workout routine won’t achieve results overnight is the first step to shedding pounds and toning up.

3. Jot down daily

Jen Hazzard, cross country coach and adjunct chemistry and physics professor at Fulton-Montgomery Community College, has her clients keep a food diary where they record what they eat on a daily basis, using each day as a benchmark for the next. She says the diary is a way to be honest with yourself and to change the way you think about your nutrition changes. “I avoid the term diet,” says Hazzard. “It suggests giving up things you love for things you don’t like. You should never make fitness about denial, but about finding a middle ground. A good start to finding that middle ground is treating certain meals like rewards,” he adds. Here’s another tip: Cut down on processed and junk food from your diet.

4. Commitment of 66

Hazzard has also worked as a consultant for a wellness program called Commit to 66, which is based on a 2009 study that showed the average length of time it took participants to form a new habit was 66 days. It’s important to remember that 66 days was the study’s average, so it may take you more or lesser time. What’s important is setting a long-term goal. So, set a long-term goal to help you curb your impulses and don’t get discouraged.

5. Try New things

Don’t get into a monotony at the gym. Be open to trying out new things. “Simple yet effective exercises and workouts can be done in several different ways depending upon the time allowed and equipment provided,” says Tiffany Tatlock, a certified personal trainer, meal planner, and competitive bodybuilder.

6. Work out at home

If you don’t have access to a gym or you don’t want to leave the comfort of your home, you can still get a great workout. Try squats, jumps, push ups, crunches, skipping, kicks, planks, lunges, and more. Whatever fitness regime you follow, make sure you take an expert’s advice. Stay fit, stay healthy.

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