I got so caught up in this year's fitness goals that I completely forgot about something that I usually brace myself for this time of year. But no sooner had I stepped into my gym a week or two ago than I was sharply reminded of it. Reminded of what?, you may ask. The New Year's Resolution crowd. They come every year like snowbirds to Florida; they're so predictable, that I can literally set my watch by them at the stroke of midnight each New Year's Eve. And they're so easy to tell from everyone else, too. They show up in January in flocks and droves so thick that there is literally a line in front of every piece of equipment at the gym. Then around mid to late March they start disappearing one by one like game birds being picked off by hunters. By April, they're pretty much all gone. These seasonal "birds" are the joke of the gym every hunting season. The question is, will YOU be one of them? Because you certainly don't have to be. Everyone who's in shape now was once someone who was just getting started or getting back on the horse after "letting themselves go" a bit. So getting a fresh start is nothing to be ashamed about. In fact, it should be applauded. Getting started new and fresh means that you have stepped up to the plate to do something that so many people at home just are not willing to do for themselves. The trick is not to let it all end just as quickly as it started. I'll give you the secret to being the last man or woman standing when everyone else has "flown back north" because they couldn't hack it. Set your weight loss and fitness goals NOW. Make them as specific as possible. The dress or waist size you want, your perfect weight, the outfit you want to wear, the reaction you want to get. Write it all out. Studies have shown that written goals are more than twice as likely to become reality than those that are not. Then when you go in the gym, forget about everybody else. You heard me right---EVERYBODY. Don't pay any attention to those toned physiques that look like they must have taken years to put together. Pay no mind to the show-off in the corner doing some fancy upside-down exercise with chains, ropes, and 2 machines. They aren't your concern. Its all about you. Your body. Your goals. Your workout. Your results. Go ahead and take that "before" picture. Look at it everyday as you work away from the old and toward the new you. If you can just make it through the first few months you've greatly increased your chances of being around for the long haul. Don't cheat yourself by being on of this year's gym casulties. ...And if you can't make it to a gym, that's all the better. Do the YourBestBodyNOW 15 Minute Workout at home and find a place close to home to get in your cardio. The only thing that can keep you away from your goals is you. Don't allow that to happen. Start this year strong and dig as deep as you can to make sure that you keep it up until you get exactly what you want. You can do it, I know you can. To YourBestBody, Lawrence Cole
Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach