January Newsletter.

5 Tips to have a successful fitness year.

#1 Use a Food Scale:

The biggest factor for weight loss or gaining more muscle is having a tool for accurate meal tracking. The calorie deficit has helped numerous of my clients lose weight. Many of them have never tracked calories before coming to me. It's truly amazing to see such a simple concept pay off for so many people.

I have two food scales! The brand doesn't matter. Get a solid scale for $15-30! You don't need a fancy and expensive digital scale. Enjoy the foods that you actually enjoy in moderation with a food scale. Lastly, the food scale is also great if you ever get into baking. The scale gives consistent results compared to measuring cups and spoons.

#2 Use Cooking Spray:

This tip may be just as important as the scale. I love using real butter, avocado, and olive oil, but it's accounted for! If you are not tracking your oils and focusing on your food, it can be a huge reason why you are not losing weight.

#3 Track Your Shakes/Smoothies:

If you are not tracking your shakes and smoothies for weight loss, that's another red flag. I guarantee that a decade ago, when I was making "weight loss" smoothies, they probably were around 1,000 calories. I didn't know how to read a label or how to put the numbers in perspective for my goals at the time. RTD drinks are great because you don't have to blend anything. I would buy in bulk from Costco or Sam's to save money! Both stores have a variety of ready-to-drink protein shakes.

#4 Buy Weights + Equipment:

Having weights available at home is not necessary if you have a gym membership or access to an apartment complex gym or fitness center, but having weights at home will be helpful on days when you can't make it to the gym. Visit Amazon or drive to your local Meijer, Target, or Walmart and start your gym equipment collection.

#5 Use a Progress Tracker:

Document your progress! By tracking your activities, body stats, meals, workouts, and sleep every week, you're bound to succeed! Having a smart watch is a bonus because your steps and sleep will be automatically synced to your account. There's nothing wrong with manually adding your stats.

If you stick with these five simple tips until the end of the year, you will make progress with all of your goals! It's all about consistency. Happy New Year! I hope you all make tremendous strides this year in your fitness journey!