Is it February Yet? The New Year doesn't End on January 31st

As we near February 1st, I am finding the gym is starting to thin out of the huge influx of new attendees that started on January 1st?  Their New Year's resolutions health kicks are fading out into the back of their minds. The motivation and desire to go the gym has dwindled. We've all done it, myself included. We've tricked ourselves into believing that we are going to make those life-changing decisions in our livesbut only to see ourselves fall into same old routine that has sucked us in time and time again as we approach February.

We stop going to the gym, we stop eating better and most of all, we stop keeping ourselves accountable for the promises we made on January 1st.  Zumba classes have more room for you to shake your booty, there are more treadmills to climb up on when you want to do your run and you can take up a section of the free weight section without having a worry about dropping dumbbells on someone's toes. Sad, but true.

A once full Zumba class thins out ever so quickly in February

Maybe we have some influences in our lives that would rather go out for burgers and beers instead of joining in for a walk or heading to a yoga class together. Exercise is not an appealing carrot to dangle in front of a person who simply doesn't do much of it in his or her present life.  I should know, my significant other is one of those people. It's just not who he is, or so he thinks.  They are going to have to want to do it or a health issue has to slap them across the face before they seem to do anything about. Either that or have a spouse blog about his or her laziness to the world with no shame.(Heh!)

The first step to having a healthier life is to make the move and not just talk about it, or procrastinate about it, as that cute little swoosh company says, "JUST DO IT!".

So what do we do to counter the fall back attitude? I do believe it's all based on an individual's list of priorities in his or her life, but there are some pretty simple tricks to keep you on track. They might not seem significant, but I have found they have worked for me since July 2011 to keep me focused on my fitness and nutrition goals.

•  Define Your Goals: Be honest with where your physical fitness and nutrition are and write it down. Have a Short Term Goal of where you want to be for fitness and nutrition in 30 days. Have Mid Term Goal of where you see yourself in six months. Last but not least a Long Term Goal of where you want to be a year from when you started.

A wonderful way to track progress is to journal or blog.

• Journal: Seeing it in writing somehow, helps keeps me on track. Journal your food intake, and your daily activity. Seeing your progress on paper (or smartphone) is an amazing way to see what you have accomplished, and then see how you can redefine your goals as you progressed. 

• Educate Yourself:  Don't be afraid to find resources online, at your local gyms, and ask questions about your fitness and nutrition.  Often times, people tend to think they can do it all on their own. Look to see what the experts are saying and see what works. I hired a personal trainer that also gives me nutritional education so I can better attain my goals and to maintain a better lifestyle.  The worst anyone can say is "No" and if they do, there are another 20 people out there willing to share their knowledge. 
•   Substitution/Addition vs Subtraction: All too often we find ourselves saying we need to 'cut out' certain things in our diets and that we can't have something instead of figuring out what is a great substitute. Want to get more veggies into your meal plans? Incorporate them into a meal you have regularly without any. For example, we add zucchini squash to our red meat sauce over pastas. Throw some mixed greens in your Pad Thai (so good) and enjoy it! Keep it up and soon you find you'd be lost without those additions to your meals. 
• Eat More Often not "More": Eating more throughout the day has many clinical studies show that people will tend to lose more weight when they eat 5-6 smaller meals a day rather than the "three square meals" mentality many of us have grown up with over the years. Keeping your meals around 350calories and snacks around 200calories a day impact your digestive tract. Smaller meals are easier to breakdown and process. Gorging a big dinner while skipping breakfast or lunch could actually hinder progress than help it. 
• H2O: is a hell of a drink. Keeping your intake between 2-3 litres a day does wonders not only for your nutrition but your skin, your energy levels and flushes away many toxins in your body much easier than if you just drank a couple of glasses a day. 
• Variety Is the Spice of Life(style): People complain about the gym because many say it is redundant doing the same tired routine over and over again. I know from experience that changing up workout routines weekly helps keep you interesting in keeping fit. It not only benefits your mental state of change but it actually benefits the body more by changing it up. Routine does get tiring, and if you keep doing one too often, you'll find your body won't respond as well as picking up something new. 
• Schedule Activity in Calendars: The biggest excuse you hear from people is, "I don't have any time to workout". I call crap on that. I have a family, I run a business that works from coast to coast of this country and I still manage to find time for friends and loved ones. More importantly, I take the all important "me" time to get myself healthier.  I schedule daily activity in my Google Calendar and treat it like it was an appointment. You'd be amazed how much that has helped me stay on track since I started doing so. I'm batting well over .900 on that deal. You don't miss important dinners with loved ones, so why miss important dates at the gym, trail run or Zumba class? 

2-3 litres of water a day does wonders for your fitness goals

I may seem a little harsh, but this is the time of year that it's tough for everyone to want to head to the gym and give it their all. I feel that way at times as well, but I always seem to find the benefits of going outweigh the leisures of not.

If all else fails? Maybe you can join me at an Eat Play Love Fitness Vacation. If that doesn't kick your butts in gear, prepare to enjoy all those things you wanted to change to stay the same.

Justine Galo
twitter: @Aviewfromabroad