Have you ever enthusiastically started a fitness program with a real determination to continue doing it until some goal was achieved? You probably went as far as to schedule the days you were going to work out and for how many minutes each day. Then somewhere around the second or third week you got off track and realize that you are not adhering to your workout schedule anymore. Furthermore, for some reason, you just cannot get yourself motivated to get it going again.

If this has happened to you, you should not feel too bad because you have lots of company. There are several reasons why so many people find it very difficult to stay focused on their fitness. For one thing, unlike so many other things in life where the ramifications of doing or not doing something is close to immediate, when we put our health and fitness on the back burner, the adverse consequences usually don't come to fruition until sometime in the distant future. In fact, many people don't realize how bad they have let themselves get out of shape until they receive a negative report from their doctor.

Another reason people end up stopping their fitness program is because the enthusiasm they had when they started led them to do too much too soon, which caused them to burn themselves out. This reason dovetails with setting to lofty goals which is another key reason some don't make it pass week 3 in their program.

I could list other reasons, but I will not. Instead, here are a couple of things that will actually help you stay focused on your fitness: 1.) Use something to help you plan and monitor your workouts, to help you with remembering your training days and to help with accountability. Grade your ability to adhere to your schedule at the end of the week. 2.) Having a clear understanding that fitness is not so much about how you look, but more about being healthy. Too often people start fitness programs for an upcoming event (e.g. wedding, cruise, etc.) only to go back to their old ways after the event has passed. Needless to say, this is not the best reason for starting a workout program.

Getting fit and staying fit requires one to make a change in their lifestyle that incorporate regular workouts throughout the week and eating a nutritional diet that is low in carbohydrates and fats. Working out for 30 minutes per day,4 days a week consistently for the rest of your life is much better than working out 1.5 hours a day 5 days a week for 2.5 weeks.