by Ed Gemdjian

The New year has been upon us for more than a month now, but I’m sure some of you are still not succeeding in your main resolution.  The truth is, getting fit again is not as easy as making a resolution, but it can be as simple as following some simple guidelines.

Consistency and Persistence – Just like any goal you’ll tackle in your life, fitness takes consistency, you won’t change your body by exercising once.  Make a commitment to exercise a minimum of 3 times per week.  Even if you just show up for a 30 minute Abs class, it’s better than not coming at all.  Be persistent about showing up regularly, and you will see results within a few weeks.

Strength in Numbers – Why does working with a personal trainer get results?  Not only do trainer’s know what they’re doing, it is always motivating to work alongside someone who has your best interest in mind.  This isn’t just limited to trainers, find a workout buddy, go on a diet with your best friend, bet your sister you can get to the gym more times this month.  Most importantly, hang out with like minded people.  I have been a personal trainer for 6 years and I still workout with a partner as often as possible.

Alcohol = Calories – Sad but true, a glass of white wine averages 85 calories, a rum and coke is 182 calories.  Since alcohol is essentially sugar,  after just 2 drinks, you’ve already eaten a chocolate chip cookie in liquid form!  What’s worse, we usually drink late at night, go straight to bed and our bodies store any excess calories we didn’t burn off as fat.  Limit your late night drinks, alternate each drink with a glass of water, and if you’re planning on drinking tonight, skip desert to spare your self some extra calories.

Lift Those Weights! – Ladies, don’t be afraid of weight training.  One of the most important measures of health is body composition.  This is your body’s ratio of muscle and fat, if you don’t have muscle, your body fat % will be higher, putting you at risk for heart disease and diabetes.  Women are also at risk for Osteoporosis, a bone density disease for which the only natural remedy is resistance training.  Also, as you lose fat through diet and cardio, the lean muscle mass you build will give you the lean, toned look of a Hollywood starlet!

Keep Track of Your Progress – The mirror will lie to you!  Depending on your mood, the light in the room, the time of the month, your judgement of your progress may be skewed.  Instead, keep a record of your weight, circumference measurements and body composition if possible.  Write down your daily workouts and food intake as well.  This will make your goals and your efforts real, it will make it easier to stay on track and stick to your plans.  When you can see your food intake on paper, it will be easier to realize what you should and should not be eating.

Edward Gemdjian is a NASM certified Personal Trainer and Holistic Lifestyle Coach. Team Awesome is his response to the myriads of misinformation about health and fitness in the media. He currently sees clients exclusively at Equinox Fitness in Chelsea, New York.  For information on web based training, please Contact us or click on the link at the top of the page.