On a recent Saturday morning, Chad Kornegay strolled about the floor of his fitness center and chatted with the handful of patrons as they sweated through their workout routines.

A chilling breeze outside was perhaps one reason business was slow that day at Fit for Life Health Club in the Cleveland community. Another reason, Kornegay suggested, was the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

But Kornegay, like other local fitness trainers, knew it would be only a matter of time before business would once again boom. Come Tuesday, Kornegay expects a sharp rise in memberships. It happens every year.

"It's the season when so many people make New Year's resolutions to lose weight and get in shape," he said. "We can generally expect our memberships to double in the months of January and February."

Many of those who sign up impulsively will give up on getting fit by the end of March, Kornegay said. The reason, he added, is because "so many of them will become frustrated because they're not seeing instant results. They're not instantly becoming like the models they see on television or on the covers of so many magazines nowadays."

They're not like Ken Johnson.

Johnson, a 21-year-old student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, stands more than 6 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He's not a model, but he is at the peak of fitness. That wasn't always the case.

Although he played sports throughout his childhood, it took a high school injury for Johnson to develop a healthier lifestyle. Johnson broke and dislocated his left elbow, which he still cannot straighten completely. Yet that hasn't deterred him from keeping a commitment he made while undergoing therapy for his injury.

"I started asking myself a big question — why not be fit?" Johnson said. "I came to understand that there was no negative benefit to it. So I've been working at it ever since."

Johnson said he began talking to trainers and reading magazines such as Men's Health and Muscle & Fitness. He started lifting weights and keeping a journal of his progress and his goals. His regular routine includes working different muscle groups each day he exercises.

Johnson knows that change comes slowly. "You can't just come in and lift some dumbbells for 20 minutes and expect to see a drastic change," he said. "It takes patience."

Mike Wolbert couldn't agree more. Wolbert, owner of Body Fit Health & Fitness in Smithfield, said most people who resolve to get into shape "start out too gung-ho and try to come in every day of the week for hours at the time." Before long, he said, many of those same people burn out and begin making excuses to avoid the gym, such as lacking the time.

"But the truth is, people will make time for anything that's important to them," Wolbert said. "You just need to pace yourself and keep it simple."

Wolbert recommends exercising three or four times a week. A good hour-long workout, he said, could include working on two groups per day for 20 minutes each, followed by 20 minutes on a treadmill, stationary bike or other cardiovascular machine.

"Doing it this way gets your heart rate up faster and helps ensure you'll burn more fat," he said.

Wolbert and Kornegay agree that focusing on specific muscle groups each day is better for most people than trying to work out every muscle group. "Circuit workouts can be a good starting point, especially for people who are especially out of shape," Kornegay said. "But once you get going and start seeing good results, it's best to spend more time on the individual muscle groups."

Both trainers also acknowledge that fitness regimens are just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Specifically, Wolbert said, people who are serious about losing fat and gaining muscle mass must make adjustments to their diet.

Dieticians like Rachel Findley, wellness director at Johnston Memorial Hospital, say people often underestimate the impact diet can have on their overall health. "As far as diet and exercise go, most people don't realize that being healthy is 70 to 80 percent dependent on a person's diet," Findley said. "The rest is physical activity. But most people think that it's exercise that's more important. They lock into these six-day-a-week fitness programs, but they're not seeing change because they're still eating too much."

Findley said an average person should consume about 2,000 calories a day. The average American, however, consumes between 3,500 and 4,000 calories a day, she noted.

Reversing that trend doesn't necessarily require a diet plan like Johnson's, Findley said. Johnson, the UNC-Wilmington student, said he has trained himself to eat more times each day while consuming less food per meal. Findley said it's more important to focus on the latter goal.

"One reason so many Americans are overweight is because of the portion sizes they consume," she said. "You don't need to stop eating; just be smarter about it."

Carolyn and Ronnie Williams of Newton Grove certainly know that a healthy diet and exercise can improve overall health. Carolyn Williams said she and her husband were motivated to work out about eight years ago after Ronnie was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Carolyn said a doctor told them research had shown that fat in the diet fueled cancer. He suggested Ronnie change his diet and begin exercising. The couple agreed to make the changes together. The result: Ronnie was able to combat the disease for five years before finally undergoing surgery to remove cancerous tissue.

He has been cancer-free for three years now.

Carolyn Williams said she and her husband were forced to discipline themselves to include exercise in their daily schedule. And she said they were both forced to give up certain foods, such as sweets and most fried foods. But Carolyn said the benefits earned had made it all worth it.

"It can be difficult to adjust to at first," she said. "But once you get into a consistent routine, it just becomes a part of your life."