Is your fitness motivation not what it used to be? There are thousands of people in the same situation. People want to get in shape, but in the US, obesity affects a huge portion of the population.

Many people also confuse being skinny with being healthy. Research has found that you can be thin on the outside, but actually have an unhealthy build up of fat around your organs.

Let’s face it, being fit is better. You feel better when you’re physically fit and you’re more equipped to handle life’s challenges. You have more endurance and don’t get tired so easily. Given the choice, most people would say that they want to lose weight and get in shape.

Poor fitness motivation affects most of us at one point or another. The fitness industry encourages it by selling billions of dollars worth of products, pills, and packaged food every year. This should tell you that without a doubt, most people are looking for the answer.

Part of the reason we see poor fitness motivation is what I would call commercial brainwashing, in addition to unrealistic expectations. Magic pills don’t work. The truth is that reaching a true level of fitness involves proper nutrition and regular exercise. The very industry that promises solutions is partly to blame for your poor fitness motivation.

Have you been trying to get into shape? If you’re having trouble, you may suffer from the following:

Expending too much effort for poor results. In business, we look for a return on investment, and so it is with fitness. No payoff means you won’t stay motivated.

Giving yourself choices can be a great motivator. But, the thousands of advertising messages pounding on you every week telling you that you can lose weight by buying a pill or a machine are not helping you. There are too many distractions. You have to find a plan that works for you and stick to it.

Every company with an exercise DVD, a diet plan, and a famous celebrity assures you that they’re better than the rest. Without trying them all, how can you choose from cardio, spinning, Pilates, and all the various fitness machines?

Maybe you should just take a pill or eat some magic fruit and be done with it. That sounds better than sweating up a storm, don’t you think?

Lack of focus. Giving yourself excuses to cheat on your diet, or skip your exercise plan can sabotage your efforts. Worse yet, some of us go for years with no set plan or system to follow. We look back on the last five years and wonder how we gained 30 pounds. It’s not really a mystery!

Here are a few suggestions for renewing your fitness motivation:

One of the most important things you can do is shut out the noise. Stop watching infomercials, paying attention to celebrity endorsements, and listening to the myths.

You have to find a plan that works for you. You need to burn more calories than you consume and boost your metabolism. Workouts based on newer research are more efficient, with more results in less time.

Make a commitment. Don’t hop from one program to another hoping to find that quick fix. Once you find a good program, stick with it. Success takes consistent time and effort.

Track results. Track your results and see what’s working. Adjust your plans if needed, and refocus your efforts. Do more of what’s working and stop doing what isn’t.

If you want to make a big change, make lots of little changes. Don’t turn your life upside down to accommodate your fitness plan. Instead, find a way to work it into your schedule without disrupting things. Find a complete and workable fitness plan and commit to it. Track your results, and adjust as needed until you get the results you want.