New Year’s Resolutions. Some people love them, and others don’t even do them for fear of failing at them.
Carmen Demske is a 30-year veteran trainer and nutritional coach who works with clients every day both virtually and in her Clearwater-based gym through personalized fitness programs. She’s also co-hosting the New Year, New Ass event with us on Jan. 4, 2020, so we decided to pick her brain for some of the key things we should be thinking about right now during “resolution season.”
Tips from a Trainer Who’s Been Doing this a While
1. It’s a mindset, not a diet.
The Tip: “Consider yourself a work in progress. Work toward your goals through MINDSET rather than yo-yo’ing back and forth from one extreme to another. Set short-term goals (think week to week or monthly) and long-term goals (for the quarter or the year) which shape up to a lifestyle you’re proud of and which make you look and feel great.”
2. Live flexibly.
The Tip: “Extremes are extreme, and they don’t belong in healthy progressive goal setting—especially when it comes to food. Life is flexible in general, and so should be your diet. Extreme diets have a place in resolving serious health issues such as cancer, epilepsy and certain cases of obesity. What I practice with my clients is a more flexible and moderate way of living life and enjoying food while still maintaining a healthy level of structure.”
3. Be specific.
The Tip: “As they say, a goal without a plan is just a wish. Saying something to yourself like, ‘From now on, I won’t be bad anymore,’ is a ticket to failure in goal setting. You have to be specific. Use action phrases and get descriptive. Bring your goals to life with plans and steps clearly outlined so you know what your first and next steps are. For example, ‘Sign up for X class,’ and then ‘Repeat.'”
4. Community is always a good idea.
The Tip: “You will be more successful when someone else is counting on you, and vice versa. Find a team, a community or even just a like-minded friend and work together, sign up for races, set gym dates, plan different workouts in fun locations, etc. Look for things which challenge you to step out of your comfort zone just enough.”
5. Practice ADDITION before SUBTRACTION.
The Tip: “When you learned arithmetic in school, which did you learn first—addition or subtraction? It’s easier for most to add rather than subtract, and this also makes a great guideline in goal setting. ADD your daily green vegetables, fresh fruit, water, sufficient sleep and exercise. The more good stuff you add, the less room you’ll have for the bad stuff. Over time, you will crave more healthy foods instead of unhealthy or processed foods.”
Make New Year’s Resolutions Throughout the Year
The first rule of goal setting is there are no rules.
January 1 is a traditional time of year where we start things fresh (usually after days—let’s be honest, WEEKS—of bad eating) where new intentions can be set for the year to come. But you can do this on June 20 or September 2 or any time of year you please. In fact, you should set goals for yourself regularly. It’s a very healthy thing to do.
May 2020 be your most prosperous year yet!
If you’d like to get in touch with Carmen to learn more about what she does, come work out with us at New Year, New Ass on January 4, 2020 or visit her website at www.sportskickinc.com.
