The aim of most of my clients is to lead a healthier lifestyle and through a combination of a healthy diet and exercise, they achieve it.

There are times, though, when we all struggle and perhaps we start to lose our motivation. These tips will help you regain control:

1. Understand that motivation isn’t a constant: some days/weeks our motivation will be strong, but at other times it will be non-existent. Give yourself some time out. Indulge yourself over a weekend away, have a day or two off from exercise, allow yourself something from the “forbidden foods” list.

The chances are, you will realize how much better you feel when you are leading a healthier lifestyle which will motivate you to get back to it.

2. Remember your reasons for starting your healthy lifestyle. Ask yourself how you will look and feel if you go back to your old habits. One of my clients stuck a holiday photo of herself at her heaviest on the fridge door. It’s a constant reminder of why you wanted to make changes.

3. Practice self-discipline. If other areas of your life are chaotic, it will be hard for you to stick to your new regime. Try to get those other areas under control and your self-discipline will improve.

4. Re-examine your goals and ensure they are realistic. This is probably one of the main reasons for going back to your old ways. We need to be able to make progress in order to stay motivated.

Make changes to your goals if necessary. If you are struggling to get up early to run, find some other form of exercise. If you are miserable without chocolate, rather than cutting it out totally, have it once or twice a week. Constantly review and revise your plans.

5. Doing anything alone is tough, even with a personal trainer. Groups tend to keep each other motivated.

A recent study showed that you are far more likely to lose weight and regularly exercise if you join a group, partly because of the social aspect, the feeling that you are not alone and the competitive nature of such a gathering. If none of your friends are interested, try online forums and clubs.

6. Are you struggling for time? If your chosen form of exercise is taking you away from family and you are struggling with this, either because you want to see more of them or you feel guilty, try to find activities that include them.

7. Don’t look for results every day. Weigh yourself once a fortnight or once a month; don’t beat yourself up because you didn’t perform so well today. There are daily fluctuations in our bodies and minds and your motivation will be sapped if you get a poor result.

8. There’s an app for everything, so research what’s available and try out a few to see if any help keep you motivated. One of my clients uses an app for a programme of daily push-ups, another is using an app to help them become a committed runner.

9. Similarly, browse Pinterest and find some boards that will motivate you: before and after pictures are really useful for seeing others’ success stories, motivational and inspiring quotes can really help keep you positive, boards with healthy tips and recipes, exercise idea boards – there are thousands of brilliant boards to keep you motivated.

10. Break down your big goals into lots of small ones along the way (and there’s an app for that too!). Your main goal may be to lose 20kgs in 12 months or run a marathon by the end of the year, but that’s a long way off and you need to celebrate smaller achievements along the way.

Eating a healthy diet may be your big goal, but little things like eating an apple a day, drinking more water, foregoing desert are the little things you can celebrate which will heighten your resolve and move you closer to your main goal.

I am a level 3 Pilates & yoga instructor and a member of REPS UAE and ICREPS. I have over 25 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Follow me on Facebook/ Josie.McKenlay and on Twitter @JosieMcKenlay http://www.josiemckenlay.com/ http://wwwlyogapilatesabudhabi.com/