Fitness

New Year, New Beginning

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I’m baaack. Again. It’s like I either have all the time in the world to write blog posts or no time at all. There’s no happy medium… or so it seems. It’s been a few weeks! Let’s see, since my last post… I’ve been training more and more, car shopping for the first time in 9 years, I turned 25, OH, and I said yes to a dress! I tried on a total of 12, but it was the 3rd one that I got stuck on. After dress shopping, we went to Casa Tina Cantina down in Dunedin where I proceeded to eat a whole plate of nachos and get day drunk on Sangria with mom and grandma.

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Now I don’t have to go back for my first fitting until August, so I’ve got some time to jump on the diet train. I went a little crazy the past couple months (too many cookies, not enough protein- crazy.)

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas. I know I did. I can’t explain how great it was to not be working retail. I was able to be with my family for both Christmas Eve and Christmas! It was great. I even got to ask 2 of my cousins to be my bridesmaids. It’s gonna be so much fun! Christmas day was awesome too! Got some pretty sweet gifts… like these TRX straps!

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I’m about to come into the busiest time of year though, as far as the gym world is concerned. All those “New Year’s Resolutioners” are already starting to show up. Before I started working in a gym, it used to bother me that it would get so crowded. I have to say though, I have a little bit of a different outlook on it now. Not only does more people=more clients=more money, but it also makes me happy to see that so many people are making the decision to better themselves. I know a lot of people start out strong but usually quit after a month or two so I’m making it my mission as a trainer to keep clients coming in consistently. I’m still not good (like, at all) at selling myself as a trainer. Still having a difficult time approaching people, but I’m definitely getting better at coming up with alternate options for client workouts (something that I think will be extremely beneficial when the gym is packed.) One thing that I’m absolutely LOVING is teaching the small group training class! Who would have thought that I’d excel in a group setting?! LOL.

My main theme for this post, is New Year’s Resolutions. Why do you think that you choose the resolution that you do? Because it’s important to you, right? Probably one of the most important things in your life. That’s why so many people choose weight loss, or getting fit or toned (Yep…STILL hate that word.) We all want to be in shape and healthy. It’s natural. So come February, why have so many of us already given up? We lose interest, get bored, begin to hate exercising and eating right, etc… In fact, Valentine’s day often times throws a wrench in the weight loss resolutioner’s journey. Why? Dinner out, Chocolate, etc… So how do we avoid this burnout?

1. Pace yourself. Don’t do too much, too fast if you’re just getting back in the gym. You’ll exhaust yourself, hurt yourself or both. Start out slow with some cardio and light weight training. Once you get form down, you can start to increase weight. When first starting out try to make it in at least 2 to 3 times per week, strength training at least twice a week. Likewise, DO NOT solely depend on cardio. The weights can be and will become your very best friend. 

2. Be flexible. No, I don’t mean physical flexibility, although that’s important too, I mean with your program. I’m going to mention it again… iifym. This way of eating is awesome because it allows you to be flexible with your diet while not eating in excess. (ASK ME ABOUT IT.) When we diet “outside the box”, we will be way more likely to avoid boredom and starvation. The number one reason that diets fail is because something crucial is missing. Balance, people! All about the balance!

3. Make it fun! How likely is it that you’re going to stick with something that you don’t enjoy? Not very likely at all.  While there are some things we have to do whether we like them or not (like working for a living), working out is not one of them. You don’t have to work out, but you do if you want to get fit! Believe it or not, there are ways to have fun. If you like biking, make it a race. If you like running, get some friends together for a running club. If you want to lift, set some PR (personal record) goals for yourself, get to work and watch yourself soar! Trust me on this, there is NOTHING greater than doing lifting something you never thought you could. It’s SO empowering… and pretty badass.

4. Last but not least, REMEMBER why you started this journey. Make a motivation or goal board. Write yourself a note to read every morning, to remind you of your goals. Put a note on the fridge reminding you not to snack. Keep a record of all of the progress you’ve made so far. All of these things together will help you stay on track ALL YEAR LONG! Good luck and happy new year!

Until next time…

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I'm an NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist. I worked in a gym setting back in Florida for over 2 years, training one-on-one clients and leading group fitness classes. I absolutely loved it, but once we moved across the country to Colorado, I decided to take the opportunity to pursue a slightly different career! My obsession with exercise and love for writing collided, which is how I became a fitness lifestyle writer.

4 Comments

  1. Dave Pitruzzello

    December 30, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    Another great post Erin. Its an excellent idea to put up a goal board. When I was a kid I used to have pictures of Arnold all over my room 🙂 it kept me motivated for a long time…

    • Chinups_and_Cupcakes

      December 30, 2015 at 11:07 pm

      So get them back up! 😉

  2. Mike

    December 30, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    My goal board would be loaded with pictures of the ninja turtles and chris evans…

    • Chinups_and_Cupcakes

      December 30, 2015 at 11:08 pm

      Scratch the turtles. Chris Evans is a go.

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