Embarking on a fitness program can be a daunting task and it takes dedication along with commitment to follow through and implement a new lifestyle. We start out with the best of intentions and somehow end with wondering what we did wrong and how we did not seem to reach that goal. Whether you joined a gym, bought a piece of home fitness equipment, or hired a personal fitness trainer, you can still sabotage your plan to be fit and healthy if you do not develop a proper plan of action. Here are 5 Team Fitness America sure fire ways to ruin your fitness program.

1. Setting goals too high. It’s great to be excited and to be motivated to reach your goal as fast as possible, but when you set your goal to high, then you make it very easy to get discouraged if you do not reach it fast enough. If you weigh 280 pounds and you want to be 110 pounds that is a great goal, but one that will take time. Give yourself time to reach that goal; do not expect to lose such a significant amount of weight in a short time span. Remember, you did not get to your current weight overnight and you will not be thin overnight. It will take time, dedication and some good old fashioned sweat.

2. Continue to eat fatty, high caloric foods. You can work out all you want but if your diet does not change then all of the hard work will not pay off. If you do not burn more calories than what you consume then you will not find much success with your weight loss program. Hire a nutritionist or subscribe to an online nutritional program where you can track your progress, get a food shopping list, use a daily journal, plug in food you like, or even talk to a live coach.

3. Waiting until 90 days before a big event to decide to get into shape. A lot of events we want to look our absolute best for. These include: weddings parties, class reunions, family vacations, cruises, etc. Plan ahead or you will realize that in 90 days you will need to seriously overhaul your diet and exercise routine. It goes back to setting that realistic goal. Some of us do work well under pressure but if you are trying to do it in a short time span be prepared to put your life into overdrive. This is the stage of unrealistic time frame setting that ruins most of our fitness goals and coupled with an unrealistic goal we end up quitting our fitness program altogether. Plan ahead, if you know the event is coming do not wait until the last minute to get ready for it.

4. Starting a diet or exercise program on a Monday. Everyone thinks that waiting until Monday to start a good diet program is a great idea, but in reality it is not. By Friday you are worn down and tired of salad and exercising. You want to go to happy hour, hit the pizza bar or the fast food drive though and eat and eat. Start a diet program on a Friday. Yes, a Friday. That way you are already in relax mode and when you go out Friday night you order something healthy. It will set the precedent for the entire weekend and week following. Monday will not be dreaded and you will learn that eating is a lifestyle choice not a dreaded chore. By the following weekend the desire to overeat and drink will not be as strong since you are working on a "lifestyle makeover" and not a crash diet.

5. Convincing yourself "there is not enough time for me to exercise". There are 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week that equals 168 hours in a week and you need to use at least 3 of those. That leaves you 165 other hours for sleep, work, family, events etc. Everyone can find 3 hours in a week, even if it is only 30 min at a time for exercise. If you are super pressed for time, hire a personal fitness trainer to come to your doorstep. You simply put on workout clothes and answer the door. The trainer will bring all the equipment you need to exercise with, set up shop in your living room, spare bedroom, garage, porch or anywhere you want to work out and get down to business. No travel time, no sitter needed, no waiting for machines, basically no excuses. In home trainers also are great if you are the type to come home to change and sit down and decide you are not leaving to go to the gym because you are too tired from work. With a personal fitness trainer knocking on your door you have nowhere to hide.

Sticking to a fitness routine can be daunting and stressful but if you have the proper resources, the right support team and a good clear picture of your goals you can not only get to your goal weight and shape but you can stay there.