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Another new year is here, which means that right now, millions of people are chasing after new diet and fitness goals—goals they will never reach.

The problem isn’t lack of effort or desire. It’s that most people’s New Year’s resolutions are unrealistic to begin with. But even when they pick the right targets, many folks run into pitfalls along the way—some of them painfully easy to avoid.

Click through the slide show to discover the nine most common obstacles that stop people short of their goals, along with strategies for beating them—from some of the top fitness experts in the world.