Fitness Resolutions. How to finally achieve them!
“This year will be different, I’m not giving up this time, It’s a new year, and a new me.”
Do any of those sound familiar to you? Can you remember the half a dozen times or more where you were so certain “this” was going to be the year you finally got into better shape? Did you finally succeed in 2016, or did the hype of resolution season fade away by February?
It’s a trend that happens every year. People eat themselves into oblivion during the holidays. Often times gaining more weight than they would care to admit. Once the celebration of New Year’s is over, everyone suddenly shifts their attention to the gym. By the end of January, millions of new gym memberships are initiated. Half of these new members if not more will have stopped going by February. People attempt to clean up their diet. They will literally make up diets that seem logical in their heads. Which is why their diet goes out the door after a week or two. Before you know it, another year goes by where you’ve failed miserably at getting into better shape. But, hey! There’s always 2018!! Am I right?!?!
Okay, knuckleheads. I’m going to give you some tips on how to not let your New Year’s resolutions go to complete sh*t. Some of these tips are geared towards beginners. Although, it’s certainly meant to help anyone who’s trying to get their arsenal going for the new year!
1. Plan Ahead
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve heard this before. THERE’S A REASON FOR IT! When you do not make a plan of action, you are more likely to fall short of success. Getting into better shape is no different. I encourage even my own clients to start preparing themselves in November and December. This way you’ll lessen your chances of failing. What type of workouts do you want to do? How many times a week can you realistically do it? Will you workout before, or after work? Are you married? Have kids? How will you coordinate parental duties with your fitness tasks? How do you want to approach your diet? Are you going to workout by yourself, or will you work with a trainer? These are important questions to answer. Take the time to get it figured out, so when January 1st rolls around you aren’t saying, “I gotta start starving myself and run three hours a day!!!!”
2. Make Steady Changes to Your Diet
Ooohh, the dreaded diet. Getting your diet together doesn’t have to be a torturous experience. First of all, eating nothing but salad and air is not the answer. (I know a majority of you have tried this on numerous occasions.) Cutting every single thing you love to eat out of the equation isn’t the answer either. Take your diet a week at a time. Don’t try to be perfect. Chances are you’ll be far from it. Take. Things. SLOWLY. You know. Kind of like when you began a new relationship, and wanted to make sure you didn’t **** things up. I digress. Here’s a few extra tips to making steady changes to your weekly diet.
If you drink 3-4 cans of soda per day try bringing it down to 1-2.
Do you tend to get fast food on the go? If you get fast food at least once per day, try splitting it to every other day. Again, this is geared towards beginners. The ultimate goal is to buy fast food on occasion or once in a blue moon.
Try preparing at least one meal per day. I suggest breakfast. Why? I have found not only with my clients, but myself included, the first meal of the day gets us off to a great start. You’ll be feeling a little more fly and sexy already! Of course, the long term goal would be having most of your meals prepared with your fitness goals in mind.
Start adding green vegetables to your diet. Yes, those wonderful green things are still as important as they were when we were kids. If you’re someone who doesn’t like eating greens you can always put them in a smoothie. One of my favorites is using spinach, frozen fruit, greek yogurt, and water. You’ll feel much more refreshed, and your body will rid itself of you know what, more easily.
Ladies, eat more protein. If you want to tone up and get sexier curves, then you absolutely need more protein. Whether you’re a meat eater, vegetarian, or vegan, protein is (in my opinion) the most essential macronutrient for your body.
The biggest thing about dieting is doing something that works for YOU. Do not misinterpret this as me saying, “Take drastic measures, and suffer.” You need something that is sustainable. Not short lived. People say, “Diets don’t work,” because they fail to understand how they need to go about balancing it. That’s a pet peeve of mine too. The misuse of the word, “diet/dieting.” Listen, folks. Your diet is literally whatever you eat each day. If you eat cookies, fast food, and chips all day, guess what? That’s your diet. If you eat kale, chicken, and whole grains each day, that’s your diet. My diet consists of things I need along with foods I enjoy. This keeps me happier. It keeps me sane. It makes everything more sustainable. This should be your approach too.
3. Learn How to Work Out Efficiently and Effectively
“I know what I’ll do. I’ll run on the treadmill for an hour.” “I think that machine works your abs. I guess I’ll try it.” “I’ll do some curls. Maybe some bench.” “I’ll squat until I drop every day. Big booty here I come!”
Okay. If you can relate to any of these statements you need to pay attention to what I’m about to say. Do not, I repeat, do NOT be clueless about your workouts. Thinking you know how to work out properly is not the same as knowing how to work out properly. Have you ever walked into a gym knowing exactly what you were going to do, and WHY you needed to utilize those specific exercises? This brings us back to planning ahead. Don’t be that dude/chick who aimlessly wanders around the gym. You need a solid plan featuring cardiovascular work and strength training. There are two things necessary to do here: 1) Do your own extensive research as to what your program should consist of, and/or 2) Hire professional help. Which brings me to my next tip.
4. Start the New Year Right. Hire a Personal Trainer
You had to know this one was coming. Think about all the years you’ve tried to get in shape on your own. The struggles. The frustrations. The amount of times you quit when you didn’t see progress. Aren’t you ready to finally see some results? Or do you want an instant replay of the years in the past? How badly do you want to attain your goal? You really need to decide how serious you are about this.
A trainer will take out the guesswork. They’ll help guide you to success. Your trainer should be someone who is all about positivity, and wants nothing more than you to be the best version of you possible. Take this into consideration. If you didn’t know how to repair your car would you try to fix it yourself? Or would you hire a mechanic? You’d hire a mechanic, right? Because you know a mechanic will help make the car last longer and you don’t want to run the risks of making a mistake on your own.
Likewise, why would you continue to try and lose weight on your own when you don’t even know where to begin? Or have failed time and time again? Who could help with this problem? You guessed it! A personal trainer.
Maybe you’re on the fence about getting a personal trainer. Let’s take a look at a few, “reasons” as to why someone might not want to take the plunge. I’ll be honest with you. Some of my responses will be more on the candid side.
“Hiring a trainer is a waste of time/money. I can just workout on my own.”
If you’re one of these type of people, but look like a sack of potatoes? I would encourage you to step outside of your little know-it-all box, and get over yourself. Plain, and simple. How’s working out on your own been going for you the last couple of years? Did you ever reach your goal? Are you staying consistent? If the answer is, “no,” you might need to reconsider. Think of all the time YOU are wasting getting absolutely nowhere in achieving your goals. Look, buttercup. Don’t be naive. Use your time in the gym wisely. A trainer’s job is to teach you how to workout efficiently and effectively. There’s a reason many of them do what they do. Because they know how to whip people into shape!
“Trainers are too expensive.”
It’s almost a guarantee there are dozens and dozens of trainers in your local area. All of them with different prices with a variety of programs. Believe me when I say there is someone you can afford. Keep this in mind, though. Being cheap almost never equates to quality. You get what you pay for. Training is an investment. If you want your investment to be worthwhile, then make it worth your while.
“I’m afraid a trainer will be too hard on me.”
I can understand clients who might feel a little intimidated by working with a trainer. However, I can assure you majority of trainers don’t train their clients like drill sergeants. Actually, an excellent way to get a better feel for a trainer you may be interested in is by going to a 1-on-1 consultation. Which are almost always complimentary. It will also give the trainer a chance to know more about your personal background, potential health issues, goals in mind, and any concerns you might have. I tell clients all the time, “Training is not a one size fits all approach.” Everyone is different. Therefore, every client should be treated accordingly. It’s true a trainer will challenge you, but they must do it in a sensible, compassionate (with tough love), and rational way. Most trainers offer a low cost trial session, so be sure to take advantage. This way you can further determine if this trainer is right for you.
I could list so much more, but I think you understand what needs to be done to achieve your resolutions. Take what I’ve said into consideration. Let this be YOUR year! Not just another few weeks of short-lived hype!
Ready to take that plunge into personal training? Fill out the contact form below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
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