I’ve noticed throughout the years, people have a hard time justifying spending money on fitness and/or weight loss. Maybe it is because they have already spent a lot of money over the years on the latest infomercial ab machine, or the latest pill promising to “burn fat while you sleep.” These same people can easily justify going out, getting an expensive hair cut or dye job, nails and toenails manicured, and whipping out a credit card for $1000.00 worth of clothes in a size they don’t want. These are the same people who say “$400″ for a package of personal training? “No way, I can’t afford it.”

A million ways exist to lose weight. Walk into the “diet” section at your local bookstore and you will instantly be inundated with books on every type of diet available. Exercise equipment, dvds, gym membership, etc… etc… are plentiful. So why are so many people struggling to lose weight?

Throughout my years as a weight loss counselor and trainer, the success I have seen directly correlates to accountability. It can be next to impossible to lose weight without motivation from another person. The going gets tough, it always does. Having that person to answer to can and often is the difference between another weight loss effort down the tubes or successfully hitting your goal.

So the next time you find yourself hesitating spending money on a trainer remind yourself it just might be the best thing you have spent your money on in a long long time. I cannot express how many clients I have seen first hand express how thankful they were on making this investment in themselves.

Ok, tell me if this rings true to anyone: You wake up one day with the goal to start an exercise program. Maybe you’ve been thinking about it for awhile, maybe it is a spur of the moment decision. Either way, you feverishly start the program, working out consistently 5 days a week. You start seeing results, the motivation gets stronger and then BAM…..something happens to throw you off track. You miss one day, then two, and the next thing you know it has been a week. Maybe the interference wasn’t entirely your fault. Maybe the outside interference was more important than the program. For whatever reason, you get out of the habit, and the next thing you know you haven’t worked out in a month. Why is it so hard to get back on track and get started again?

This is the dilemna I am facing at the moment. I have had a bit of bad luck in the last couple of years, most recently a car accident. My workouts were going strong, I was feeling great and then BAM……sidelined. I am ready to start my program again, but nothing feels worse than lost time and having to regain progress. I have gotten myself “back on track” at least 5 times this year, each time having to dig deeper for the internal motivation. The outside interference has not been due to lack of motivation. As I know too well, the first workout back will be difficult, but there is no other option. The feeling of being physically fit is too great to say goodbye to.