Start Small, Start Now

Losing weight is one of the most common New Year's Resolutions, and one that many people give up on within a few weeks. Every January, gyms fill up with well-intentioned new members ready to change their lives. By February, most of those people have given up.

Part of the problem is that people are jumping into a program before they have the fundamental habit. It takes six to eight weeks to form a habit--and that can be a very long time if you're trying to work out for 2 hours a day only to wake up sore and miserable.

I suggest building the habit first. If you don't work out at all, try this routine:

Walk up and down the stairs until you feel your heart beating faster. Say the alphabet out loud. If you can speak without gasping, you're doing great. If it's hard to speak, slow down and walk around the room until your heart rate slows. Do five push-ups, five crunches and five squats. If that's too hard, back it off and just do one. If it's too easy, add a little more, but not too much. The objective is to condition your brain, right now. Conditioning your body will follow.

Do this every single day, without fail. Don't allow the thought of skipping it to enter your mind. Think of it like brushing your teeth--it should be automatic. After six to eight weeks, start to add a little time to each workout until you work up to 30 minutes a day. Then, if you want to join a gym, not only will you actually get your money's worth, but all the machines that were crowded in January will be all yours. 

To make positive changes, start small and start right now.