Use a fitness log to keep track of your goals

Keeping a workout journal is an easy way to track exercise progress. Maybe that's why many personal trainers suggest (or insist) their clients keep one. After all, it is difficult to recall exactly how many minutes at what intensity you did on the elliptical trainer last time. Without those details, workouts blend into one another with no real progress measured.

The more detailed it is, the more you know about yourself. If you put down your sets and reps and amount of weight you're lifting, you're going to see if you're increasing or getting stale. Some people even like to put down the time of day when they train. If you train first thing in the morning, you'll know that you were fresher and stronger than if you trained later and weren't able to lift as much weight.

A log should include body fat, weight, how far you run — all the little details. Even though those calorie counters on cardio machines are inaccurate, put the number down anyway. You'll still be able to see that you're burning more calories as you get in better shape.

From a food standpoint, I almost make it a must for clients to keep a food log if they have any specific goals at all. People deny what they really eat. But if you keep a food log, and you know you have to write down the 15 M&Ms you just ate, you're a lot less likely to pull those 15 M&Ms out of the bowl.