It is now the end of January. Whether you already forgot about your New Years resolutions or you have been hitting the gym and eating on-point since December 31, it is never easy stay motivated in the winter. With big jackets, knee-high boots, and baggy clothes, it’s easy to forgot about your aspirations of having a rock-solid six-pack on the beach.

A month-long-cheat-meal might seem like no big deal when you’re all covered up and summer feels so far away, but avoid making the same mistakes every year to get your ideal body. Follow some of my tips that I use to stay motivated, make smart decisions, and enjoy yourself over the long, cold (and very covered-up) months of winter.

Stick to a plan that you can keep up with.
We all know how much easier it is to eat whatever we want and avoid exercise all year until a month before vacation, where we throw ourselves into a strict crash-diet and 2-a-day-style exercise regime to get bikini ready. But does this ever really work? No. And do we really think it’s worth it to kill ourselves like this every year and still not feel truly confident, just to let ourselves go all winter?

Rather than yoyo-dieting, binge eating, starving yourself, doing excess amounts of exercise, or any of the above, make a plan that you’ll be able to stick with for 365 days of the year. Eat healthy, balanced meals and allow treats for yourself regularly.

Not every meal has to be a kale salad with plain grilled chicken and a green juice. Eat right but don't obsess. This will help you avoid weight gain while ensuring you won’t feel the need to go on an all-out binge after you’ve been eating a restricted diet.

The same goes for exercise. Come up with a regime that you enjoy and can stick with. Can only make it to the gym 3 times a week? Fine! Don’t quit and then punish yourself by spending hours a day working out to make up for it. That is miserable, but also won’t help you reach your goals. Consistency is key in all things diet and exercise, so think realistically and get to planning.

Take progress pictures

If we spend all of our time in long sleeve sweaters, jeans, and high boots, it’s easy to go weeks without ever really looking at your body. Though I don’t agree that you should stare at yourself and scrutinize your every flaw in the mirror every day, it is important to make sure you are aware of where you stand next to your goals.

Take weekly progress pictures in a bathing suit with a front, size, and back angle to compare your progress to previous weeks. This will help keep you motivated, but also show you how much your hard work has paid off. And not to mention, seeing yourself in a bikini every day might serve as reminder enough to stay focused on your summer goals.

Don’t stress.

Humans in general naturally bad at thinking in the long-term - we can’t resist satisfying ourselves when we want something. This trait makes it very difficult for us to work towards long-term goals like losing weight or gaining muscle, since we don’t get to see results every day. Don’t stress. If you start now, you will not only be looking and feeling great in another 6 months, come summer time, but you’ll also have been consistent long enough to make these good habits a lifestyle to last you a lifetime! Big changes take a long time, so start now and you'll thank yourself in summers to come.