Everybody is excited in the beginning. That’s why New Year resolutions are so exciting. However, as time goes by and the initial excitement wanes, the toll of maintaining the effort starts to wear on most people.

They have lost the excitement and their resolution becomes nothing more than a daily grind. So why does this happen?

The answer to this lies in the fact that achieving anything of any value requires work, commitment, persistence, perseverance and patience. It’s not easy to keep doing what you have to do to get to where you want to go.

Losing motivation is one of the main reasons people quit. What many people do not know is that motivating yourself is not a one-time thing. The famous motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, once said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

This must always be borne in mind. You must constantly motivate yourself every day or every few days to keep up the excitement and vision of your goal. If not, you will lose interest and the entire process will become torture.

One way to motivate yourself as far as fitness is concerned is to have a workout buddy. Both of you will be accountable to each other. When one is down, the other can motivate them to get off their butt and get to the gym and vice versa. That’s one way to do it.

What if you don’t have a friend who can work out with you?

Then you need to motivate yourself. Sign up for Facebook and like as many fitness pages as you can and also the pages of fitness celebrities such as Frank Medrano and Emily Skye. The tips and motivation from their posts will not only motivate you but also educate you in fitness and health.

Place a few picture of fit bodies that you would like to look like, around your house. The constant visual reminder will be beneficial.

You will need to dig deep within you and always remember the reason you started on your weight loss journey or body toning quest. There is always a reason and you should always remember it.

There are 25 quotes below to help motivate you. Print out or write out one that resonates with you. Read it before every workout. Read it every time you don’t feel like training. Read it whenever you feel tempted to eat something you shouldn’t. These quotes will help you in the long run.

• Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
• Suck it up… and one day you won’t have to suck it in.
• When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.
• Sacrifice is giving up on something good for something better.
• Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most.
• Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.
• If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up.
• Sweat is fat crying.
• What you eat in private eventually is what you wear in public.
• If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.
• If you eat what you have always eaten, you’ll weigh what you have always weighed.
• If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
• Nothing tastes as good as being fit feels.
• In life you have 3 choices. Give up, give in or give it your all.
• Excuses burn zero calories.
• If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
• Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever.
• You don’t have to be great to start… But you have to start to be great.
• Nothing will work unless you do.
• Dead last finish is greater than did not finish, which trumps did not start.
• Blood, sweat and respect. The first two you give. The last you earn. Give it. Earn it.
• Life never gets easier. You just get stronger.
• No rest is worth anything except the rest that is earned.
• The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.

Ultimately, only you can keep the fire within you burning. Don’t give up on yourself. You are all you have got as far as getting fit is concerned. The training and discipline may be bitter but the rewards are sweeter than any soda or cake you can ever have. Stay strong.