Most of us know how easy it can be to get motivated to workout and get in shape… we also know how quickly that motivation can disappear. No matter how good of a fitness exercise program you’ve got, or how cool your new workout shoes are or how cute you think your personal trainer is, the truth is that after the first few weeks it can be tough to stay motivated to work out.

For the most part, people find it pretty easy to stay motivated once they start to see some results. If you can just stick with your fitness exercise program for a few weeks or months until you can really see some changes, you’ll be much more likely to continue your workouts for the long haul. The tough part is putting in the time and the work for the first few weeks when you can’t really see any progress. That is the point at which many people just give up and quit.

Here are a few tactics you can use that may help you get over this exercise ‘hump’. Remember, if you can just stick with your workouts long enough to see some progress you’ll be much less likely to quit.

1. One of the biggest mistakes so many people make is that they start a workout routine for the wrong reasons or with unrealistic expectations. For example, if you have a class reunion coming up in three weeks you shouldn’t expect to lose 30 pounds by then. It’s not likely you’ll achieve your goal and when you don’t it’s very likely that you’ll get discouraged and just give up.

Instead set a more realistic goal. Instead of 30 pounds in three weeks how about 30 pounds in 3 months. You won’t be the weight you’d like to be in time for your class reunion, you wouldn’t have been able to do that anyway, but you’ll have a realistic longer term goal and you won’t be so likely to not reach your goal and give up.

2. Try to find someone who you can workout with. Having someone who you exercise with is a good way to stay motivated. You can help each other and encourage each other to stick with your fitness routine. When you know your workout buddy is relying on you to meet them, you’ll be much less likely to not go. This bit of peer pressure can help you both accomplish your goals.

3. Instead of only concentrating on all the weight you need to lose, break your progress up into smaller segments. If you need to lose 50 pounds don’t concentrate on that number since it can be overwhelming. Instead divide your overall goal up into smaller, easier to accomplish goals. So instead of thinking about the 50 pounds you want to lose, just plan on losing 10 lbs. in 30 days. That way you’ll have a lot of small successes along the way which should help you stay motivated.

Don’t make fitness tougher than it has to be. Find a great fitness exercise program and use these tips to help keep yourself motivated and moving forward. Once you start to see some results it should be a lot easier for you to stay motivated all on your own!

You can get in shape this time. It’s easy once you have the right tools, use these tips to find the right.