Play up the positives: focus on each small triumph in your diet and exercise progress so you'll stay on track and feel your confidence soar - Get Motivated

Motivational quicksand: We've all been there. No matter how much you try to stick with your carefully constructed fitness plan, you instead find yourself rearranging your sock drawer for the umpteenth time or getting sucked toward the freezer for an ice-cream fix. How do you recapture enthusiasm for the eat-right and exercise goals that were so passion-driven when you first started? Create a "Success Journal" to prop you up on those off days and keep your drive afire. "In fitness, it's the small, measurable steps that matter," says Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., a sports nutritionist at High Performance Nutrition in Mercer Island, Wash., and co-author of Power Eating and Fitness Log (Get Pumped, 1999). "Tracking our progress on paper inspires us with confidence." But you must write down the right things. Here, our experts show you how, while the work sheet on page 42 will put your positive spin into action.

TIP: ASSESS YOURSELF

"Establishing a baseline of fitness allows you to gauge how you're performing and feeling as you go, and over time that increases your exercise motivation," says sports psychologist Linda Bunker, Ph.D., of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "If you don't know where you started, you'll never get to where you're going." So, begin your diet and exercise plan with an assessment of where you are right now. (To do so, try taking the fitness test found at Shape.com/fitnesstest, which includes total-body strength and cardio assessments.)

Try this Record your starting numbers on the work sheet on page 42 or in a Success Journal you create for yourself, noting every detail (weight, sets and reps; the duration and intensity of your cardio; your measurements; your food and water intake).

TIP: KNOW YOUR "RIGHTS"

Your Success Journal is a forum for constructive fitness lessons and positive workout experiences only; it's not a place to beat yourself up. "Focusing on the positives will make you feel successful, and you can build on those successes," says Kleiner. Remember: Each accomplishment moves you closer to your goal, so stay focused on every last one.

Try this On the work sheet, keep a daily record of each step you successfully take for the next four to eight weeks, whether it's drinking nine glasses of water a day, taking your vitamins, walking instead of driving to your local market or completing a 40-minute run.

TIP: MAKE IT PERSONAL

As you journal, tune in to what's making the experience special for you. "Writing down things that deeply motivate you on a personal level keeps you on track," says Bunker. Find ways to make your exercise and diet your own, perhaps creating a workout CD that features your favorite songs or cooking your favorite healthful foods; then note how these things are inspiring you, specifically.

Try this Write down on the work sheet how you feel about your accomplishments, and customize your Success Journal so that it reflects you (perhaps with a "before" photo of yourself, 5k run ribbons--whatever it is that motivates you).

TIP: KEEP IT SIMPLE AND STRESS-FREE

"Writing in your journal should be a seamless part of your day," says Bunker. Look forward to tracking, and celebrating, everything that's going well in your life; this should be fun, cathartic and passion-driven.

Try this Keep your journal in an accessible place and spend a few minutes each day writing down your successes. Pick a time when you'll be most relaxed and excited about recording your victories.

Eric Harr is the author of The Portable Personal Trainer (Broadway Books, 2001). Visit him at ericharr.com.

"I want to spark the 'what if' in readers, to compel them to see how far their hearts can go--literally and figuratively," says professional triathlete, author and radio-show host Eric Harr, who wrote this month's Get Motivated column, page 40. Singling out his mother, Judith--a pioneering triathlete in the 1980s--as an inspiration, Harr credits staying fit with transforming his life. "When you forge a stronger, healthier body, you fortify yourself against naysayers," he says. Based in Mann County, Calif., Harr will compete this year in an unprecedented 10-sport event dubbed "The Ultimate Challenge."

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