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Lets get on track and stay on track. It only takes a few days of sunshine to remind us that summer is far off now and that it's time to shed those winter kilos. We all start with lots of enthusiasm but real results take time and patience so we have compiled a list of tips to help you stay motivated!

1. To prevent you from getting bored from your work outs try setting yourself some individual workout goals, for instance 'this session I am going to reach 5km on my cardio program' or 'I am going to try raising the weights on my strength program'.
2. Get some new tunes on your MP3 player. Choose tracks with a good uplifting beat. For inspiration check out the exercise music selection on iTunes.
3. Make your workouts go faster by really applying your mind to your workout. Keep going through good posture checks as you run, cycle or do strength training sessions.
4. If you are lacking energy take a look at your diet. Ensure that you are fuelling your body properly to workout with good balance of protein and carbs, along with essential vitamins and minerals.
5. Change your workout regularly. If you have been doing the same cardio program and/ or same resistance exercsies for the past few months then its definitely time for a change! Not only does this keep you interested but its also necessary for continual progression. Your body adapts to exercise quickly and to prevent you from plateuing you have to shock it by doing something different - ask the Gym Staff for ideas!

I've been working out but I can't lose my tyre!

A common complaint from men and women alike. One possible culprit are carbohydrates. Now, carbs are not always the great evil they are often made out to be as they are essential for energy but, most of us do eat too many of them. Why? They taste nice usually!

When we consume carbs they are broken down into sugar and when sugar enters the blood stream insulin is released, whose job it is to keep your blood sugar level stable. When sugar arrives into your system insulin ensures that it is delivered to parts of the body that require it for energy use. If we do not use all of it then the muscles store it as glycogen. If we have too much sugar then insulin insensitivity can occur. This causes less sugar to be taken up and leaves more sugar in your blood stream. The storage we mentioned earlier only has limited capacity and once they are full, through insensitivity or otherwise it is then stored as fat and its favourite place to reside is, you guessed it, your abdomen.

So what can we do about it? Cut down on starches like pasta, bread and rice and severly restrict refined sugar such as fizzy drinks and lollies. Instead get most of your carb intake through legumes, vegetables and some fruit (watch the sugar in some sources) or look for low carb varieties.