Shopportunist:

Achieving New Year’s fitness goals can be expensive, but there are ways to cut costs.

This is the year. 2019. The year you’ll shed those unwanted pounds, exercise more and pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Chances are this rings true if you are among the 60 percent of Americans who partake in the time-honored tradition of making self-promises. A survey conducted by Inc. magazine said the top three New Year’s resolutions for 2019 are:

1. Diet or eat healthier (71 percent)

2. Exercise more (65 percent)

3. Lose weight (54 percent)

Persevering with a personal pact to lose pounds will require some serious commitment. Research suggests that only about 8 percent are successful in achieving their goal. And a big reason why many Americans drop their fitness resolutions before Punxsutawney Phil has his moment in the sun is cost.

A membership to a gym isn’t cheap and those promotions we’ve been inundated with since New Year’s Eve will fade faster than the pounds. All those deals on diet foods, nutritional supplements, exercise equipment and fitness apparel will also start vanishing by month’s end.

Following a diet or nutrition program can also be expensive. If you’re fond of the keto diet, you’ll need to stock up on costly cuts of meat. The Mediterranean diet is heavy on fish, which isn’t cheap. If you follow either, you’ll spend a slew of time in the kitchen prepping meals.

Perhaps you’ve vowed to pursue a formal program, like Weight Watchers. If so, you’ll pay a weekly or monthly membership fee and those special introductory rates won’t last forever.

Fortunately, there are ways to trim down expenses while slimming down your waistline.

Look for free alter

■ natives to weight loss programs: U.S. News and World Report named Weight Watchers the best weight-loss diet for 2019. It’s popular, but you’ll pay around $20 a month, at least, for an online-only membership. There are free, or very low-cost, programs you can download to your smartphone that can help you track food score values (like Weight Watchers), calories and activity. Myfitness Pal, itrackbites and Lose It! are just a few.

Negotiate your gym

■ contract: Joining a gym may be the biggest investment you make on your fitness journey, says Sarah Hollenbeck with deal site Offers.com. If you can save money on your monthly fees, you can save all year long. Visit the gym’s website and social media pages to search for New-year specials, pricing information and coupons so you’re familiar with promotions. See if your preferred facility is willing to price-match a competitor’s membership fee. Ask if there is a discount for students and seniors. Keep in mind that large chain gyms may be willing to negotiate, but you may have better luck at standalone or boutique gyms, especially after the gym-newbies’ excitement dies down.

Stream videos: No

■ need to purchase pricey DVDS if you’re a fan of

at-home fitness. These days, you can stream free workout videos – from yoga and tai chi to barre and cardio - online via Youtube, Roku, Amazon Prime and Fitness Blender. If you have a stationary bike, you can stream cycling sessions that are like the popular – albeit costly – Peloton program on Amazon.

Don’t splurge on

■ apparel: Cheap fitness apparel can be just as fashionable and functional as costly counterparts from stores like Lululemon. To stay on budget, shop retailers like Marshalls and

Tjmaxx for discounted brand-name apparel. Department and big box stores like Kohl’s, Jcpenney, Walmart, Old Navy and Target carry their own line of exercise duds. Dick’s Sporting Goods routinely offers racks of clearance-priced apparel and shelves of discounted footwear. They have a major clearance event going on now through the end of the month. Be sure to use any available coupons.

Plan, make and freeze ■ future meals: Cooking a week or months’ worth of meals for the freezer at one stretch can result in money-saving, stressfree, portion-controlled dinners. Concocting freezer-friendly recipes with items on sale will save you cash. And, if you are tossing leftovers in the freezer, rather than the trash, you are also saving money by reducing food waste. Make-ahead meals can be as simple as portioning cooked poultry into meal-size packages. If you have time and patience, you can prepare, wrap, label and freeze a week or month’s worth of nutritious meals in a single weekend. Head to the web for inspiration.