First off, Don't feel bad about "giving up".
Most people who resolve to get in better shape fall short time after time.
Throw away any thoughts of failure because in all honesty hardly anyone ever finds success on their first, second or maybe even their tenth try.
In fact, no one has ever succeeded in getting in shape without falling flat on their face from time to time.
The only difference between those who succeed and those who don't is that the successful ones pick themselves back up, which is what you are about to do.
The second thing to do is to take a quick look at your first try and look at both what worked and what didn't work for you.
Again, it isn't about having failed or not having worked hard enough, it's simply about figuring out what worked best for you rather than what you should or should not have done.
The important thing is that every "failure" is a perfect opportunity to learn exactly what works best for you.
Fitness success is never cookie cutter.
What worked for your friend or your coworker will never bring you the same results and the only way you are going to succeed is through figuring out what works best for you and only you.
So get out some paper and write down exactly what you liked and what you felt worked well for you.
It doesn't matter how small the thing was.
It could be as simple as getting new workout clothing or meeting a friend or a walk.
Whatever it was, you want to build on it.
If buying some new workout gear was a highlight then make that something you reward yourself with each month you stick to your program.
Finding out what didn't work for you can also have great opportunities.
Again, it's not about what you should and should not have done.
If you hated giving up chocolate then don't give up chocolate.
if you hated working out in the morning then don't work out in the morning.
Success is like climbing a mountain.
There are many paths that lead to the top and you don't ever have to stick to one path if you don't like it.
All you have to do is figure a way around the things you don't like.
You don't have to give up your favorite sweets, just change how you eat them.
If you want to exercise in the evening go for it.
There are very few, if any fitness rules set in stone.
The next step is to make a new game plan with what you discovered about what worked and what you didn't like.
I always recommend that your new game plan be as simple and basic as possible.
Many new Years resolutions fail because they are all about doing too much too fast.
Instead, keep things so simple you can explain your plan in just 2 or 3 sentences.
An example might be: "I'm walking 3 miles a day and cutting down to 4 sodas a week.
" or "I'm hitting up 3 spinning classes a week with a goal to keep my calorie count below 2000.
I'm also cutting back on my snack chips to once every other day.
" It's simple plans like this that have a far greater chance of success.
Anything too complex or hard simply places you at a disadvantage.
The final step is to change and progress your simple plan each week.
A plan that never changes will always produce a body that never changes regardless of how hard you are working.
In fact, many people give up on their new fitness plan simply because they stopped seeing more results from a lack of progression.
So each weekend, take your plan and tweak it or modify it based on what has been working and what as not been working.
Through constantly weeding out the bad and bringing in the good your progress and enjoyment of your plan will increase.
Also don't ever be afraid of taking a step back.
If you are finding it too difficult to get to the gym 5 times a week cut back a bit.
The key is to keep things manageable and doable.
Even the strongest armies take a step back and retreat every once in a while and still win the war.
It's always better to step back and then charge when you are more ready at a later date to keep the drive alive
Most people who resolve to get in better shape fall short time after time.
Throw away any thoughts of failure because in all honesty hardly anyone ever finds success on their first, second or maybe even their tenth try.
In fact, no one has ever succeeded in getting in shape without falling flat on their face from time to time.
The only difference between those who succeed and those who don't is that the successful ones pick themselves back up, which is what you are about to do.
The second thing to do is to take a quick look at your first try and look at both what worked and what didn't work for you.
Again, it isn't about having failed or not having worked hard enough, it's simply about figuring out what worked best for you rather than what you should or should not have done.
The important thing is that every "failure" is a perfect opportunity to learn exactly what works best for you.
Fitness success is never cookie cutter.
What worked for your friend or your coworker will never bring you the same results and the only way you are going to succeed is through figuring out what works best for you and only you.
So get out some paper and write down exactly what you liked and what you felt worked well for you.
It doesn't matter how small the thing was.
It could be as simple as getting new workout clothing or meeting a friend or a walk.
Whatever it was, you want to build on it.
If buying some new workout gear was a highlight then make that something you reward yourself with each month you stick to your program.
Finding out what didn't work for you can also have great opportunities.
Again, it's not about what you should and should not have done.
If you hated giving up chocolate then don't give up chocolate.
if you hated working out in the morning then don't work out in the morning.
Success is like climbing a mountain.
There are many paths that lead to the top and you don't ever have to stick to one path if you don't like it.
All you have to do is figure a way around the things you don't like.
You don't have to give up your favorite sweets, just change how you eat them.
If you want to exercise in the evening go for it.
There are very few, if any fitness rules set in stone.
The next step is to make a new game plan with what you discovered about what worked and what you didn't like.
I always recommend that your new game plan be as simple and basic as possible.
Many new Years resolutions fail because they are all about doing too much too fast.
Instead, keep things so simple you can explain your plan in just 2 or 3 sentences.
An example might be: "I'm walking 3 miles a day and cutting down to 4 sodas a week.
" or "I'm hitting up 3 spinning classes a week with a goal to keep my calorie count below 2000.
I'm also cutting back on my snack chips to once every other day.
" It's simple plans like this that have a far greater chance of success.
Anything too complex or hard simply places you at a disadvantage.
The final step is to change and progress your simple plan each week.
A plan that never changes will always produce a body that never changes regardless of how hard you are working.
In fact, many people give up on their new fitness plan simply because they stopped seeing more results from a lack of progression.
So each weekend, take your plan and tweak it or modify it based on what has been working and what as not been working.
Through constantly weeding out the bad and bringing in the good your progress and enjoyment of your plan will increase.
Also don't ever be afraid of taking a step back.
If you are finding it too difficult to get to the gym 5 times a week cut back a bit.
The key is to keep things manageable and doable.
Even the strongest armies take a step back and retreat every once in a while and still win the war.
It's always better to step back and then charge when you are more ready at a later date to keep the drive alive