Adam Friedman
Founder of
Advanced Athletics
2010 - Personal Fitness Challenge
Each New Year is a super opportunity to challenge yourself to go beyond what has been comfortable, breakthrough your current level of fitness, and raise your game in life. It is a chance to broaden your horizons by expanding your scope of knowledge and awareness with your exercise and nutrition. This will not only enhance your results, but give you new perspective on what’s possible for you.
I’m inviting all of my clients, and you, to create your own fitness challenge by choosing a fitness related event to get ready for. It can be an event that is already arranged by an existing organization, such as a 10k race, a mini-triathlon, or some other competition. It can also be an event that you create for yourself like a ski vacation, to fit into a new or old dress, or a photo shoot. Some other ideas are to set a family goal of a long hike you can do together, or a friendly wager with a friend to get into better shape.
Declaring such an event will support you in getting clarity on what your results get to look like, setting a timeline, and involving others to assist you in the ways you wouldn’t do for yourself.
Taking a proactive stand for you to have an extraordinary life is the only way it will happen. Aiming higher by setting challenging goals will absolutely strengthen your probability for success in anything you do.
Tips to succeed:
• Write down your goals, and revisit them on a weekly basis to reflect on your commitment.
• Create a schedule to reinforce consistency.
• Be patient with seeing results.
• Trust and enjoy the process.
Tips to measure your progress:
• Take a self-portrait in your swimsuit
• Get a Cardiovascular assessment from a fitness professional
• Get a nutrition assessment (including body composition, girth, and weight)
• Journal your exercise, and dietary intake on a daily basis to be present with the day-to-day process.
• Get a fitness reassessment every 8-12 weeks to track your progress.
Tips to get you results faster:
• Work with a nutritionist to coach you on your living a healthier lifestyle.
• Hire a personal trainer to give you a new program.
• Switch up your workout routine every 4-6 weeks to spark change with a new adaptation sequence.
• Strive for consistent progression in your program in a way that challenges the nervous system.
• When training intensely, plan for recovery periods every 6-8 weeks.
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New Years Resolutions: How to Achieve Your Goals in 2010 written by Valerie Cogswell, nutrition coach and head chef
It’s that time of year again. 2010 has arrived and with it, brings new hopes, dreams and possibilities. It’s a time to conquer old habits, start anew and strive for happiness, health and improved well-being. As a Certified Nutrition Coach with Venice Nutrition for many years, I’m happy to admit that January 1st is one of my favorite times of the year. Why? Because I get to do what I love to do most; coach our clients on how to really achieve their New Year resolutions and surpass goals that they never thought were possible. Now I’m happy to share my go-to-guide with you on how to achieve your goals in 2010. Read on for a truly happy New Year!
Before setting any goals for 2010, ask yourself:
1. Am I being realistic?
One of the most common mistakes we’ve all been guilty of is creating an unrealistic goal that doesn’t work with one’s lifestyle. For example, do you consistently work 70 hours a week and take care of a family? Perhaps, the goal of cardio for one hour a day, six days a week won’t work for you and setting a goal that unrealistic might lead to unnecessary disappointment and ultimately failure. The good news is, there’s an easy solution. Take a moment to truly evaluate your goals, lifestyle, job, and family obligations. Look at your calendar and schedule in a realistic exercise routine that you can adhere to, such as cardio 4 to 5 days per week for 45 minutes. And remember to get creative with your solutions. Perhaps getting dressed and driving to the gym every one of those days will cut into your actual work out time. Instead, invest in a fun workout tape for home or take a brisk power walk in your neighborhood. Like any goal in life, you want to make sure that it is realistic, do-able, and works with (not against) your current lifestyle.
2. Am I being honest with myself?
Being honest with yourself is very similar to being realistic when it comes to setting attainable goals. Of course, it’s incredibly important to aim high and stretch outside of your comfort zone to achieve anything important in life….. and it’s just as important to know yourself! For example, if you know that chocolate is your absolute weakness, avoid making the mistake of setting a “no chocolate ever again” policy. Better yet, allow yourself to have your favorite indulgence once or twice a week. Being honest with yourself and what’s important to you keeps you happy and leads to a “balanced” lifestyle…..and that eventually leads to achieving your goals permanently!
While creating your 2010 goals:
3. Know the difference between Short Term and Long Term Goals (and make sure to set both)
“I’m going to lose 50 pounds!” Sound familiar? Sound daunting? That’s because it is! In fact, if this is the type of goal you have set for yourself in the past without success then you know just how daunting and unattainable a goal like that can seem. This is an example of a Long Term Goal and without Short Term Goals to make it happen (ie. I will add an extra 5 minutes of cardio onto my exercise routine each day), Long Term Goals can seem next to impossible. So what’s the solution? Create realistic and small Short Term Goals along with your ultimate Long Term Goals. Both are critical to your success.
Short Term Goals are daily, attainable goals that you should set for yourself on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Because they are relatively small and realistic changes, these goals are easy to achieve. This sense of achievement leads to daily healthy habits and a huge source of motivation (“Yes! I did it!”). Best of all? Continually achieving your Short Term Goals leads you to finally reach your Long Term Goals (such as reaching your ideal weight or gaining the endurance and stamina to run a marathon for example). Need some ideas on how to set your own Short and Long Term Goals? Here’s a great example:
Let’s say Jim, a member of Venice Nutrition, is already stabilizing his blood sugar by eating balanced meals and working out regularly. His Long Term goal is to lose 45 pounds and reduce his blood pressure with the intention of getting off of his blood pressure medication permanently. Here’s some examples of Short Term Goals he could set for himself in order to achieve his Long Term Goals.
Short Term Goals for week 1 & 2:
- 1. Drink 10 glasses of water every day by bringing a large refillable water bottle to work.
- 2. Avoid adding table salt to meals, particularly at dinner time.
- 3. Read the Quality of Food Chart in my personal plan and adjust my shopping list so I can start replacing 2 of my lower quality carbohydrates per day with higher quality carbohydrate choices.
- 4. Add interval training into my weekly exercise routine 1 time per week to start
Short Term Goals for week 3 & 4:
- 1. Reduce alcohol to 2 drinks per week. I will do this by having 2 drinks on Saturday night while out to eat and avoiding alcohol with dinner throughout the week.
- 2. Replace one protein bar per day with a higher quality meal (such as turkey, fruit and nuts) that I can pack with me the night before work
- 3. Increase interval training to 2 x per week
Each week or even bi-weekly, Jim can continue to set realistic, attainable goals for himself. And remember Jim’s Long Term Goals that seemed so hard to reach? Now that he’s created daily, healthy habits by achieving his Short Term Goals, it’s only a matter of time before Jim loses the 45 pounds and reduces his blood pressure!
Always remember to write down your goals on paper (along with the “how to” achieve them where necessary; notice how some of Jim’s goals include how he’ll achieve them as well). Keep your goals on hand as a daily reminder and for when those moments of weakness occasionally creep in. It’s also very important to re-evaluate your goals and create new goals weekly or bi-weekly to achieve. If you find that you are having challenges creating or sticking to realistic goals for yourself, consider working with a personal Certified Venice Nutrition Coach in one of our centers or through our Phone Coaching programs from the convenience of your own home! Your personal Certified Nutrition Coach will help you to create and stick to your goals, and provide the support, motivation and tools you need for success. To learn more about working with your own personal Certified Nutrition Coach, click here.
4. Set yourself up for success.
Perhaps you set the Short Term Goal of including more high quality carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, brown rice and sweet potatoes into your daily life instead of bread and pasta. Now’s the time to create a game plan to make it happen. An example would be to make a batch of brown rice or a salad in bulk for the whole week so you can grab and go come meal time. Is your goal to have a cheat meal only once or twice a week instead of on a regular basis? Well, take a walk through your kitchen and hide the junk food so there’s less temptation. Want to reduce your alcohol intake but get sick of regular water? Stock up on flavored seltzer water or lemon slices to jazz up plain H2O to have on hand instead. It’s all about creating solutions! Remember, if you take the time and prepare a bit, it will be a lot easier to actually achieve the goals you set for yourself.
And a few final pointers to reach your 2010 goals:
5. Enlist a “buddy” or share your goals with friends and family.
You’re more likely to succeed with the support of the people who are around you the most.
6. Catch yourself doing something right.
Acknowledge your successes every time you achieve a Short Term Goal, no matter how small. Did you drink all 8 glasses of water today? Have you added an extra 10 minutes of cardio on to your daily routine? Excellent! Realizing your every day successes makes you feel good (great actually!) and sets a positive tone to motivate you to keep going.
7. Start journaling again, if only for a few weeks.
Though not every one of our clients and members journal, we have found that our most successful ones do! Journaling keeps you focused and informed. For instance, if you notice you’re always craving carbs around 4 pm, take a peek at your journal. You may find that the reason you are crashing is because you’re going too long between meals or eating low quality food. This knowledge is powerful because now you can create a solution.
8. Be patient.
It takes at least a full month before new habits start to stick, according to experts so stay the course.
9. Most importantly, you have to believe.
Any goal is possible if you set your mind to it and believe that you can achieve it.
Every year I am amazed (and thrilled) at the success stories I have witnessed with thousands of members and my own personal nutrition clients. I invite you to use the above guide as your “blue print” to success in 2010. Set realistic and attainable goals. Stay the course. Believe in yourself. The rest will fall into place. And remember, that our team of experts are here for you. If you have questions or need guidance, please reach out to us today at support@venicenutrition.com. Happy 2010!
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