It's that time once again, where people start to fall off of their resolutions.... Don't do it! If you are having trouble staying motivated there are several tools to help keep you focused on your goals.
I'm going to keep this one short and sweet, as it doesn't really need much elaboration. If you feel like you are not seeing any results in the gym and you are starting to lose motivation, there are a few reasons. First of all, you see your body all the time, so transitions are hard to notice. Does the phrase "Rome wasn't built in a day" come in mind? When you are training, body building, or getting fit for any reason whatsoever, your muscles get micro tears in the tissue that repair when you rest. That's how your muscle grows. These tears are so small that you will not ever notice the change in size from the growth. You may see a swell from water or blood, but you will not notice the actual growth. One way to get around this is to start taking progress pictures of yourself once a week. Even then, it may be hard to notice, but once you have a enough progress pictures, you can compare back to day one and see drastic changes then! Use this tool to your advantage and see how much progress you can make. The progress picture is a motivational must. Don't be shy! You don't have to show anyone the pictures, if you don't want to, even though you might want to once you reach your goal for bragging rights.
If you are focused on weight goals, stop. Muscle weighs much more than fat and eventually you will get to a point where your weight loss slows or reverses. Instead, use a tape measure to estimate your body mass index. There are several inexpensive BMI options out there. Of course, you could be hitting a plateau. If that's the case, then change your workout up. You want to focus on the same muscle group schedule, but change the workouts up every two weeks or so to allow your muscles to learn a different motion. If you are having trouble finding new workouts, Android and iPhone products all have apps that can help with that. For instance, I use an app called Jetfit. It has hundreds of workouts, plus descriptions and a small graphic to go along with it. That's my personal recommendation, but you are free to do as you please. Keep your eyes on the prize and don't give up!
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