If you’re like millions of Americans, you not only made resolutions for a better 2009, you pledged to lose weight before the year comes to an end. If so, good for you!

As many have come to find out, however, keeping that resolution isn’t always so easy. Here are a few tips that will help you stick to the resolution and have you in shape by the time your neighborhood pools open this spring!

Set Attainable Goals

It certainly won’t do anything for your confidence if you are aiming for unreachable goals, because you will inevitably fail and quit trying. The easiest solution? Set ambitious goals that you know are possible. Sure, it would be great to shed 40 pounds by mid-February, but results like that are extremely rare and, if not carefully monitored by a physician, can be dangerous.

Set Benchmarks

Since the biggest goal in your weight loss is often months away, figure out ways to measure your success as you go. It’s easy to lose motivation when the results are so far away, because the goal seems abstract. It is much easier, however, to challenge yourself to a certain number of exercise sessions each week, or see how many days each week you can stick to a low-calorie diet. Another great way is to set goals for weight loss every couple weeks or by month. Breaking the bigger goal into smaller ones helps you actualize the efforts you must take each day and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment each time you meet them, further reinforcing your positive behavior.

Reward Yourself

Find non-food rewards to indulge in, and don’t allow yourself to stray from them only once you’ve met a benchmark goal. Some examples may be a shopping trip, new book, or massage only when you’ve exercised 5 times in the week.

Tell Everyone You Know

Telling friends and family about your goals creates a sense of accountability that will help motivate you to accomplish it. It’s much harder to fail several people’s expectations than just your own, and you may even get an extended support network to help you out along the way.