I bet many of you are already thinking it…it seems to be the time of year when you move past making wish lists for your loved ones and start scratching up a wish list for yourself in the New Year.  With the blur of glitter, tinsel and candle light fading fast you find the time to evaluate yourself and your life over the past year.  Do you remember what you vowed to do last year?  Well?  Dare I ask?  There is no shame in not being able to achieve all your fitness or weight loss goals all by yourself.  There IS shame in knowing you need guidance and the proper tools to succeed but do nothing to seek out a solution.

Health and a great body are not as ridiculously expensive or out of reach as the media would have you believe.  You do not need personal chefs, a trainer 7 days a week for two workouts per day and a closet full of ipod-ready, climate proof training apparel dangling neatly over a slew of top of the line fitness shoes and those lame booty lifter sandals in every shade available.  Would it help?  Probably not even.  Because everyone’s results start upstairs.  No, I’m not talking about the level 2 cardio deck at your local gym. You’re results start in your mind-your attitude, motivation, effort to seek out quality knowledge and strategies that will once and for all help you achieve that elusive fit body.

So step 1. Resolve to STOP crash dieting and overtraining for a month before you feel like crap and quit.  If that cliche’ worked, everyone in the world would be fit and fabulous by spring.  So why not try something new? Something that has potential to change your life and leave your resolutions for something more profound than losing weight.

Step 2. Write down your goals and collect your measurement tools.  For example, if you want to fit into your size 5 jeans comfortably enough to not have to do squats to stretch them out before a night on the town then pull those jeans out of the drawer and keep them accessible to gauge your progress.  You can also pull out a favorite bathing suit and take pictures-front back and side.  NOBODY wants to but its motivating and you’ll be glad you have them to compare to new ones later.  Lastly, notice I didn’t say lose 40 pounds.  Forget the scale and go for the “look” you’ve always wanted, not some random number.

Step 3. Clean up your diet.  Ditch meals in wrappers or boxes like snack bars, cereals, frozen meals and other processed foods.  Opt for natural sources of food like lean proteins, veggies, fruits and nuts.  Sound too simple?  Well, if your hooked on junk food it can be a challenge but it’s only hard if you make it hard.  What do I mean by that?  Calling your boyfriend is easy, calling him when you want to dump him? Seems hard.  But its still just a phone call.  It’s all in how you perceive it.  So when you go to grab a snickers or bagel with cream cheese and you remember you should be eating natural foods… you decide either stick to your goals and find something healthy you like, or you eat it anyway.  Not a hard choice.  Just a choice.

I know that this can be YOUR YEAR.  Because I’ve seen many finally have “their year” and make it happen for themselves.  It’s doable.  But first things first, don’t do what you did last year and start on step one!