As you counted down the last few seconds of 2012 with your closest friends and family, One thing was going through your mind, €I need to get in shape this year, no more joking around€. Even though that doesn't sound like much in the way of progress, wanting results is the first step to getting results. You can't let it stop there though, once the €want€ is there, you need to transition over to the €do€. Nothing in life comes easy, and with hard work comes great results, the only question is, how bad do you want it? Now that you're motivated enough to do something about your health and fitness, it's important to make sure that you get the right start, and then after that start, that you don't let all the blood, sweat, and tears (not so much the blood) go to waste by making sure you don't making the typical amateur mistakes.
Before you get started, make sure you understand that being fit and healthy is a lifestyle, NOT a €diet€. Temporary changes will get you temporary results. The permanent changes you will be making are going to make you a healthier, more energetic, and happier person overall. Who could say no to that? The key to starting however, is to make sure you pace yourself properly. If you go into a gym and start doing difficult workouts with heavy weights, you will either badly injure yourself or see very few results due to bad form. Dealing with these problems so early on in your transformation makes it much more likely that your morale will drop and you will want to give up.
Find a gym near you, and if you don't have the time or money for a gym, buy weights and start doing workouts at home, along with going on frequent runs, cardio is huge. Figure out your specific goal, whether it be to tone, lose fat, gain lean muscle mass, or a combination, and find the workout plan that suits these goals. Start small, and work your way up, there's no need to rush, and remember, the #1 priority is FORM. If at any point in a workout you feel that your form is not perfect, stop immediately and lower the weight until you are able to do it with proper form. This ensures that you get the most out of the workout, and prevents time wasting injuries.
Last but certainly not least, overhaul your eating habits to foster the healthy lifestyle you are about to start living. Don't jump into any drastic €diets€ that involve starvation or eating changes that will be very drastic. These types of diets tend to be unhealthy, and are the ones that most people do not stick with, and revert back to unhealthy eating. Arguably 70-80% of the progress that you make will depend on your diet, so count your calories, eat natural, vitamin rich foods, and most importantly, be consistent and dedicated.