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Ask A Minnesota Expert: How To Keep Your New Year's Weight Loss Resolution

The New Year brings new beginnings, and sometimes an excitement to get healthy. But many people go too big, too soon and by February they have already fallen off the wagon. For tips to stay on track throughout the rest of the year, we've tapped into local fitness and nutrition resource Molly Keeler. As an in-home personal trainer, she knows what it takes to stay motivated to accomplish your goals.

Molly Keeler
LookSeeDo Fitness
Minneapolis, MN
mollyktraining@gmail.com
www.lookseedofitness.com

Keeler is a certified personal trainer and Barre instructor, and owner of LookSeeDo Fitness, an in-home personal training company that works with everyone from teenagers and first-time exercisers to physically challenged individuals and experienced athletes. She provides a positive and empowering atmosphere to help you learn the skills needed to keep weight off. Keeler finds that health equals balance and that there's no need to throw in the towel if you've had an off day or ate dessert. "You'll be OK," she says. "Life is to be enjoyed and we deserve to feel good in our own skin. Keep moving forward. Looking back is wasted energy." Below are some of Keeler's top tips for keeping your weight loss resolutions.

Gym Generic
(credit: CBS)

Start Small

Whether you're new to fitness or are getting back on the wagon, it's important to start small. "Too much too soon equals injury and/or burnout," Keeler says. "Do not start with a crazy intense infomercial video if you are new to working out. You can simply begin waking your body up by walking 30 minutes three times a week, and then work up to five days." Other easy ideas to increase calorie burn and cardiovascular health include taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking at the far end of parking lots.

Have A Game Plan

"Become educated about the general rules of working out, eating properly and being healthy," suggests Keeler. "Hiring an in-home personal trainer is a good option, even if it's only to get you started in the right direction to take things into your own hands. A reputable trainer will sit down to discuss your personal goals, your abilities, take your available time into consideration, bring some insight as to what has possibly held you back in the past, and how to make being healthy a way of life, not just a drive-by solution. They can provide you with the tools and information to set you up with a successful game plan."

Treadmill
(credit: Jupiter Images)

Be Held Accountable

Let others know the journey you are embarking on. Telling friends, family, co-workers or putting it out there on social media can hold you accountable and give you a push. Keeler suggests, "Signing up for events or walks that raise money so you want to follow through, like races for breast cancer, Alzheimer's or AIDS."  She also likes apps or sites like CharityMiles.org, which give money courtesy of corporate sponsors to a charity based on the amount of miles you bike, walk or run. Joining a fitness class where you feel a sense of community can also motivate you to show up and accomplish your goals, as can hiring a personal trainer.

Related: Best Places For Outdoor Yoga In Minnesota

Know That Nutrition Is 90 Percent Of The Battle

"If eating healthy is totally foreign to you, start with baby steps, such as cutting out desserts or soda," says Keeler. "Add more veggies to each meal and make a point to learn about portion sizes — that will blow your mind!" A free and easy calorie counter app to help can be found at MyFitnessPal.com. If busy schedules or discipline make it hard to stay on track, consider a meal service. "A local company that I love is Origin Meals. They have many options as to how many meals a week, type and size," she suggests. "And they are yummy as hell."

Best Of Minnesota Gym Lifetime Fitness
(credit: CBS)

Beat Boredom

"If you are in a rut, a wonderful, inexpensive way to try out any type of group fitness is by purchasing a ClassPass at ClassPass.com," says Keeler. "You can use it all over the U.S. and it is a great way to check out many smaller or more personal gyms." She also suggests online subscriptions to websites with never-ending supplies of workouts to kill boredom, such as DailyBurn.com. Most importantly, find out what workouts, classes or trainers motivate you. Keeler says, "It doesn't matter what is trendy or what your friend loves doing. It is about what YOU enjoy."

Related: Best Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails In Minnesota

Cortney Mohnk is a freelance writer covering all things Minnesota. She is also a public relations and event planning professional. Her most important job is mother to her young son and daughter, who are her partners-in-crime when checking out the family entertainment scene in the Twin Cities. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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