How to succeed with your New Year's Resolution in 2015.

     Have you ever hosted Thanksgiving dinner? All the thinking that has to go into it. How many  are you feeding? What are their dietary restrictions or favorite dishes? What goes in the oven when and for how long? How early do you get up to start the cooking? And my favorite, what desserts and drinks will be available and can you get them made the day before?

     Be honest, is this something you could pull off without having written down a few things at least? Answering these questions is NOT something you could, or should do, on Thanksgiving morning and many of these need at least a week to prepare for.

     So, why do we wait until January 1st to prepare for our New Years Resolution? On of the main reasons most people do not succeed with their resolutions is that they have not PLANNED it out. Here are some questions you can start asking TODAY to prepare for 2015 and make it the best year ever!

1. What fitness routine should I do?

The answer here is an easy one, the only exercise that is fit for you, is the one you will do. So think about when you have had success in the past and actually enjoyed it, and go back to that. If you hate going to the gym because the weights bore you, then don't go to the gym. If you took a class a few years back and really enjoyed it, go back and see if that class is available. Set yourself up for success and plan your fitness around what you know you will enjoy doing.

2. When should I plan to workout?

It may sound silly but I want you to write this on your calendar, like a dentist appointment. I don't care if you have an electronic calendar or a paper one, but pick a time that you know you can stick to, and write it down. If you know you will never do it at night because you are too tired, then schedule it in the morning. If you know you will stop at the gym on your way home, then write it down.

3. What should I eat?

This is a big one. Food is 80% of weight loss and fitness is only 20%. So while I strongly suggest you do something for 30 minutes each day, your workouts will be useless if you are not also watching what you eat. There are a million and one different books and you tube videos on how to change your diet so I suggest you do some research. I would suggest finding a protein shake like Shakeology to fuel your workouts and make sure you don't have sugar crashes afterwards that can ruin your efforts. If you can find a plan like the 21 Day Fix that helps you with portion control without giving up any of your favorites then you are good to go. But if you prefer something a little bit less structured and calorie counting of portion control are not your thing, then look towards something like the Whole 30 where you can eat all you want, but only certain foods can be consumed.

These are just three things you should ask yourself, there are so many more that should be considered but you need to start somewhere. Get a calendar and write down what workout you will do when, and what you will eat each day. Leave nothing to chance and you will succeed!