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3 Common New Year’s Resolution Mistakes, And How Not to Make Them!

Hey all! A.J. Kelly here shouting out to you from Fit Farm here in the hills of Music City! It’s that time of year again, and this time around I thought it would be nice to pen a few thoughts I share with all my clients as I vet their sweat-laden, well-intentioned (but perhaps lofty) resolutions. So in the spirit of ultra-pragmatic tactics, here are the top three missteps I hear repeatedly, along with some perspective to maybe help course correct the thinking behind the resolve.

“I’m never eating sweets or fried food again! Or at least until I reach my goal.”

Whoa there Iron Man (or Woman)! Okay, clearly you’re either a Zen Master or some other Herculean being impervious to temptation, but either way you must have the toughest will power of any mortal known to man or beast! First off, let me say something about this all-too-common new year’s declaration – Simply eliminating or depriving yourself completely of foods that you enjoy eventually leads to binging. I’ve seen it a thousand times. You start out on Day One slurping an ounce of residual tofu off the lid of a plastic container (and then resealing it) and patting yourself on the back for this contrite act of nutritional flagellation, and then by Day three you explode and go mad without Chocolate Chip Cookies or Cheesecake! Am I telling you to have chocolate chip cookies every night? Of course not…but remember, everything in moderation. At Fit Farm, we are striving for you to complete that lifestyle change! You need to eat healthfully most of the time and treat yourself here and there. After spending a few days at Fit Farm, you will understand how hard it is to burn those calories, so when you do treat yourself with a “reward” food, try to plan in advance. Eliminate several hundred calories throughout the day or maybe you complete Burpee Nation on your own to earn that reward.

“January 1st I start my routine and I’m going to lose 30 pounds by the end of February!”

Let me take this one in reverse (we’ll Tarantino it, so-to-speak). A week at Fit Farm is about a month’s worth of work…heck a day at Fit Farm is a week’s worth of working out. Of course, you are going to see accelerated results at Fit Farm but realistically on your own if you would like to lose 30 pounds (without jeopardizing your health or sending your body systems into a starvation cycle which is BAD!), it should take about 15-30 weeks… at least if you want to keep the weight off permanently! Typically, averaging a 1-2 pound loss per week even in the most disciplined home regimen is most realistic. When people try lose too much weight too fast via a “fad diet” (which is usually unhealthy and extremely low in calories) they usually re-gain the weight right back. After they gain weight again, they try another diet, lose weight, and gain weight again… and quite often their weight increases gradually on this upwards curve to an all-time high. Once these so-called yo-yo dieters try to settle into to a “normal” lifestyle, the weight loss roller coaster inevitably continues. Very simply put, going from so-so eating habits to yo-yo eating habits will NOT help you; you must change your core eating habits and lifestyle which we teach you to do at Fit Farm through basic understanding of real food applications in real world scenarios, and a healthy dose of practical workshopping along the way.

“If the scale does not drop my new routine is not working.”

You are going to read this in plenty of my past (and upcoming) blogs! What you need to do before you even start your routine is take numerous girth measurements (if you have the means). I recommend a belly button measurement which is easy enough for everyone to do just make sure to do this in front of the mirror so you’re not crooked. Also, a hips measurement which can be done by bringing your feet together and measuring the biggest part of your butt. Try to continue with these measurements on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Additionally, have a buddy take a picture! I’ve seen some amazing before and afters at Fit Farm even when our guest only lost a few ‘technical’ pounds on the scale. The reasons behind this are numerous (body chemistry, muscle to fat ratios/volumes, hydration/stabilization, etc.), but bottom line seeing progress on pictures can truly motivate a client to push to new levels.

Here at Fit Farm we use the cutting edge of tech in terms of body shape metrics via our STYKU 3D Body Scanners, which collect over 6,000 measurements across your body contour in just under a minute. Besides the girth measurements (and closer to home if you don’t know a facility that has a STYKU handy) I want you to get your body fat tested. The most common (or ‘quick and dirty’) method is to do a skin caliper pinch test. The more sights on the pinch test the more accurate the reading will be. If you do this with your personal trainer at home (or at a doctor’s office) be sure to always get pinched by the same person…one trainer might pinch a little tighter than others, and consistency is key! Hydrostatic dunk tanks are also an option but will typically only be found at a University based setting. If you live close to a college that has an Exercise Science program more than likely they will have this test available to the public – just walk in and ask. Often times you can get this test done for a reasonable charge because it will be the students practicing on you. The good news is that we have top-of-the-line body fat testing here at Fit Farm with our combined STYKU and augmented testing approach! So, if you’re on the fence about paying us a visit, just know that here on the Farm, you WILL know exactly what shape your body is in both before and after camp, we guarantee it!

Less Resolution, More Solution

There are lots of reasons to focus on your health and fitness in the new year. And short term goals are great, just as long as you know how they fit into your big picture and what you’re going to do if you actually reach them (Yeah! I’ve seen this happen too! Where a client reaches their weight loss goal and then just backslides the rest of the year into an even worse state!). The reason I’m raising a cautionary flag here isn’t to discourage the promises you make to yourself, but to inject some practical approaches that will help you to plan this out. How are you going to get a handle on your nutritional plan? What meals will you eat? Is there a strategy? Should you maybe consider a kick start program to your aggressive weight loss plan that is supported wholly by distraction free, daily-tested fitness goals? Do you have access to body scanning? If you’re feeling fuzzy on some of these things but you know that you still need to act, maybe now’s a good time to check us out. In the meantime, keep pushing towards your short-term goals and stay focused on how your clothes fit and how you feel as opposed to what the scale says. And stay tuned for some great upcoming blog posts on how you can make a difference in your fitness journey every day of the new year! Let’s make 2017 a great year! See you soon!

A.J. Kelly (MA/CSCS) is the Chief Motivational Officer at Fit Farm just outside Nashville, TN. His training experience ranges from working with Olympic and Professional athletes to medical training with seniors and the elderly. He is a National Strength Conditioning Association (NSCA) Professional Member, a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and a TRX Cardio Tennis Suspension Training Certified Professional. Email him at aj@fit.farm with your questions! For more great ‘Ask A Trainer’ topics in fitness, weight loss, nutrition and wellness sent straight to your inbox, CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE.