How to set yourself up for exercise success

Set yourself up for success by following these tips that will help you maximize your fitness and/or weight loss results:
• Schedule your workouts -- actual days and times- write them in red in your calendar, no excuses
• Get your drinks and food ready the night before- proper prior planning, so you're not eating fast food on the fly.
• Get your workout clothes and/or workout bag ready the night before- so you're not trying to make a mad grab for what you need as you're trying to dash out the door a  half hour before you're supposed to be at work.
Schedule your workouts:
• Pick specific days and times for your workouts and write them in your calendar. 
• Pick a convenient schedule for you. For example: 30 minute (or 10 minutes if you are just getting started) Interval Workouts on M, W and F and 6 to 24 minutes (depending upon where you are in your journey) Cardio T/Thur
Get your drinks and food ready:
• Every night fill up two water bottles (20 ounces each - for the next days' workout) and two 32 ounce bottles of water.  I put them all in a shopping bag along with healthy snacks (examples: banana, granola bar, Clif Bar, pretzels, nuts, etc.) for my mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.
• Also make your lunch and put that in the fridge.  Making your lunch ensures that you eat something healthy, have a normal portion size (most restaurant portions are 1.5 to 2 times what you need) and it also helps you save money. 
Get your workout clothes and/or workout bag ready:
• Make sure to put your workout clothes, sneakers and heart rate monitor in your workout bag every night. 
• So in the morning, both bags are next to the door and you  just need to put them in the car and are  ready to go.
These routines are especially important if you are a Mom because once your kids are up in the morning and things start getting crazy, getting ready for your workout can seem like a major hassle and can lead to you blowing it off.  I would rather sit and relax at night than make my workout drinks and lunch and put together my workout gear.  But it is now part of my routine and it sets me up for success for the next day.