Jillian Michaels’ 5 tips to keep your fitness new year’s resolutions

It’s that time again, the inevitable 1/1 – the foremost catalyzing date on the calendar.  And while I believe every day is another opportunity for change, it’s undeniable that there is a power to the “New Year New You” concept that simply can’t be negated.

That said, so many start their resolutions with the best intentions, but often end up losing their motivation and getting off track.  The reason for this is not because those people are lazy or incapable.  99.9% of the time it’s because they aren’t starting with the right information or the proper tools and therefore, the actions they take don’t yield the results they need to maintain their motivation.  Let’s face it, accomplishing anything worth having in life is work, but if the work is worth it you have purpose.  If the work yields no results we get discouraged and it just feels punishing, causing us to give up and slide off course.

Knowledge is power.  While cliché, most clichés are cliché because they are universally true for the most part.  People know that bringing action to their intentions is critical, BUT what most people don’t realize is that misinformed action is like taking a wrecking ball to your life.  Think about it: you start a business without all the info… you’re inevitably going out of business.  The same goes for health. You start a fitness regimen without knowledge on form, technique, when to implement varying fitness strategies, when to recover, when to progress etc., you will get injured and won’t be able to work out for awhile.  You start a diet, but don’t fully understand nutrition and end up falling victim to a fad diet it’s very likely you will lose in the beginning, find the diet unsustainable, fall off the wagon and put all your weight back on and then some.  Hence the term “yo-yo dieting” because many of these fad diets actually mess up your metabolism.  So, we know information is power and the key to results.   The next question is how do you determine what information is legit and what isn’t as there is so much conflicting and confusing info out there.   The answer is pretty straightforward:

First, trust your gut.  If it sounds too good to be true it is.  Tempting as it may be you know when something is bologna.

Second, look for sources of information that have already proven results.  We know that Suze Orman knows how to make money.  We know that Curtis Stone knows how to cook.  We know that I know how to help people lose weight.   Make sure your information is coming from a credible proven person.

Third, make sure the information your source is sharing is compatible to your personality and lifestyle.   There is more than one way to skin a cat (gross analogy, but true).  For example, if one dietician tells you to eat 1200 calories a day and another tells you to eat 1600, both strategies will help you lose weight if that’s your goal.  However, some will do better on 1200 a day because they will get faster results and it will help with their motivation. Others will do better on 1600 a day because the 1200 calorie a day diet will make them feel deprived and miserable.  So make sure to pick information that gives you an action plan you can access, afford, and tolerate.

Fourth, do what you love.  This speaks a bit to the last tip.  If you have a great running coach, but you hate running you likely won’t do it.  Conversely, if you love yoga then find a great yoga coach and get your down dog on!

Fifth, find solutions that help solve all these components in one.  For example, FitFusion is subscription fitness channel that does all the above.  It provides a variety of fitness options so you have expert advice to help you get great results.  Plus, it’s super affordable and accessible so you can workout anywhere at anytime.  And it offers a variety of different workouts from bootcamp to pilates, yoga to kickboxing so you can mix and match the workouts you love.