Sticking to New Year's Weight Loss Resolutions

Editor's note: This is the first entry from new Patch blogger Erica Roselius, a personal trainer who works in Lake Forest. Roselius, owner of Driven Fitness, will share tips on getting and staying in shape.

One of the top New Year's Resolutions I hear each year is "I want to lose weight."

If you have ever made this resolution yourself, you probably woke up on January 1 and dragged yourself to the gym, only to find it packed with the rest of the New Year's resolution crowd. 

If you stick with your gym routine, you notice that most of the crowd seems to fade within the first few months of the year. If you have every been one of the many who starts off strong but then loses focus and commitment, this blog is for you! 

This year I challenge you to keep your resolution to lose weight—and I am here to help you do it. This is the first in a series of blog posts with helpful tips for sticking to your resolution so you lose those extra pounds for good.

This Week: Make a Commitment

Don't make a New Year's "resolution." Make a New Year's commitment. 

"Why?" you ask? Well, because people expect you to break a resolution, right? How many people really expect you to keep it?

It seems every year the conversation on New Year's Eve surrounds the failed resolutions from the previous year.  If you choose to make a commitment, however, you might take it more seriously.

Commit to a workout routine with the following strategies:

1. Write it down. Spend a few minutes writing down your goals for the year.  They should be specific, measurable, time-sensitive and realistic. For example: how much weight do you want to lose? How many pounds per week? How will you track your success?
2. Publish it. Email a friend or family member, post it on Facebook or on your fridge. If your loved ones know about your goals they will help provide support and accountability if you get off track.
3. Schedule it. My most successful weight loss clients schedule their workouts like meetings and they don't skip them. Enlist a workout partner for weekly exercise sessions, find a personal trainer or exercise class that will make you accountable. You are much more likely to show up consistently if you have a person or group of people expecting you to participate.

Start with these three easy steps and stick to them for at least two months. See if you can turn your resolution into reality.