low calorie recipes

How to Set Achievable Goals & Surpass Them

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

New York Personal Training

Do your goals typically go unmet?  

There are more people used to failing at goals than there are people used to finding success. This is why those working in the self help industry are making a killing today.  

The problem is the strategies typically used in the self help industry fail more often then they succeed.  Personal trainers in NYC see it all too often.

The “Yale Goal Study” is often cited as proof that goal setting really works. In the 1950s researchers asked the graduating class of Yale if they had set goals that they wanted to accomplish in the next phases of their life. Only 3% of the class had done so. When researchers contacted members of the class 20 years later they discovered that the 3% of the class that had written down goals was wealthier than all of the others in the class put together.

That would speak very well for the art of goal setting…if only the story were true!  

You can look through many different self help books and listen to many different motivational speakers referring to the Yale Goal Study, but it was never a real study.

One person who does know about the art of goal setting is Richard Wiseman.

He is a psychologist turned bestselling author who made it his mission to respond to the many illegitimate self help strategies being used today. He did tons of research and came up with a no-fail system for setting and achieving goals.  

Wiseman’s book, 59 Seconds Change Your Life in Under a Minute, revealed five “Do This” strategies that are successful and five “Not That” strategies that are unsuccessful. They are listed right here for your benefit.

Do This: Set out the instructions with detailed steps.

Successful goal planning requires a plan that lists detailed steps that will lead up to accomplishment.  If you aren’t sure how to do this, discuss it with one of our in home personal trainers in NYC for help.

Each of those goals must then be broken down into sub-goals that can be measured and which have a timeline attached. These sub-goals must be very specific.

a.. Not That Find someone you look up to and use them as inspiration for achieving your own goals.

No matter how much you admire someone else, that admiration will never be strong enough to keep your motivation high to achieve personal goals.

Studies have proven this.

Do This: Let others know what your goals are and that you are really going for them.

If you are serious about reaching your goal you won’t hide it from others.

Put it out there to your friends and family members so they can see you progress.

There are two reasons this strategy really works. The first comes down to pride. Once you tell everyone you are going to achieve this goal, you don’t want to publicly embarrass yourself with a failure. The second reason comes down to support. Once others know what you are doing they can support you in a very powerful way. Just having someone rooting for you can make a world of difference when the goal gets hard.

a.. Not That Focus on the bad elements of the goal achieving process.

Don’t focus on the bad things so much that they become a reality you have to live with. The mind is a powerful thing.

Do This: Keep your mind tuned to the positive elements of achieving your goal.

Keep the benefits of success close in mind so there is no room for the negatives.

List all the ways your life will be improved once this goal is accomplished.

Keep this list close at hand when you start to doubt or negative thoughts start to take over.

a.. Not That Negativity is forced out of mind.

Learn to deal with reality and the changes you have to make to be successful. This is more effective than trying to mentally resist the chocolate cake.

Do This: Use a reward system to acknowledge progress.

Studies have proven that people who reward themselves along the way are more successful.

The rewards should be unrelated to your goals or should help you reach your goals. If you reward yourself with cheesecake for losing ten pounds it will become harder to lose the next ten pounds.

a.. Not That Depend on willpower to get you through.

There is a reason most people struggle with willpower. It simply isn’t enough to bring success.

Do This: Set up a recording system to monitor progress.

Put your step-by-step plans, sub-goals, rewards and other program elements down on paper. This makes them real.

Set up a place to record your progress over time either in a notebook, in a computer file, or on a board somewhere in your home. This is a tremendous source of motivation.

a.. Not That Spend time imagining life after achieving your goal.

You cannot make the dream come true without real action. Thinking about how great life will be is unproductive.

Contact our personal trainers in NYC today if you are ready to put your goals into action. This is the only thing that will make the daydream your reality.

If you have trouble procrastinating or putting off your workouts until they never happen, there is a way to psych yourself up. Just make yourself get in the gym and start the workout. The trick is that those first few minutes trigger your desire to complete the workout. Getting started is the hardest part.

Sign up for your 50% Off Introductory Session by calling (212) 255-5842 or visit our website at www.methodfitness.com

50% OFF PERSONAL TRAINING INTRODUCTORY OFFER

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

New York Personal Training

Receive 50% off your first personal training session!
And get other great first-time benefits!

Even if you already belong to a gym, you can still work out with our personal trainers without paying any additional membership fees or initiation fees.

Just complete this form or call us at 212-255-5842, and let’s get started!

Cooking Healthy Meals for Kids: Veggies Can Be Delish!

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

New York Personal Training

One common excuse personal trainers in NYC often hear from parents who aren’t eating healthy goes something like this: “I can’t get my kids to eat vegetables, whole grains, or anything else remotely healthy.” That is often followed up by something that goes like this: “and I can’t afford to cook two separate meals. Who has the time for that anyway?”

It seems a lot of people interested in weight loss programs in NYC want to get healthy. They know that they need to start consuming more fruits and vegetables and less fast food to do that, but turning around the eating habits of children to make it happen for the entire family is extremely challenging.

If you relate to these common complaints, you are like many others who turn to help and advice from personal trainers in NYC. The following tips are simple and straightforward answers to the problem.

No child is immune to healthy eating. You just have to approach the switch from fries to veggies in an appealing manner.

Make it Look Good

If you just hand a child a couple carrot sticks they are likely to turn their nose up and scream “I don’t like it!” The solution to this is to give them a combination of fruits and vegetables that with different colors.

Some examples might include:

• Fresh homemade fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, apples, and cubed peaches.

• Individual veggie platters with cucumber slices, carrots, and grape tomatoes. Include an organic, natural dressing on the side for dipping fun.

Healthy Substitutions Go Undetected

One piece of advice frequently handed out by personal trainers in NYC to parent clients goes something like this: “You don’t always have to tell them they are eating healthy.” Try to select healthier substitutions for the foods your children like most.

What exactly defines healthy? This short list will tell you what to look for:

• 100% whole grains (pasta, bread, etc.)

• Organic foods

• Hormone-free meats

• Raw produce

The goal is to give the kids foods as close to their natural state as possible. You do this without telling them by making simple substitutions. For instance, make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with 100% whole grain bread, natural peanut butter, and perhaps fruit preserves with natural sweeteners.

Most kids won’t even notice the changes and those that do will adjust quickly. Parents following weight loss programs in NYC can even use this strategy to get healthier foods into their own diet without feeling deprived.

Sweet N’ Natural

Stop using the packaged sweeteners and switch to some of these much healthier, natural options:

• Nu Stevia

• Blue Agave Syrup

• Brown Rice Syrup

• Dates

If you can make your own applesauce or sauce from other fresh fruits, you can use that as a natural sweetener when baking. Since these ingredients are sweet and natural they allow you to create sweets for your children without contributing to the worldwide childhood obesity epidemic.

It is especially beneficial to switch from the sugary drinks kids love to drinks that are healthier and inspired by pure water. You may be able to create your own drinks with the above listed natural sweeteners or experiment with fresh fruit smoothies and hide some veggies in the mix.

Personal trainers in NYC hear parents complaining all the time about the eating habits of their children. You may be able to relate, but now you have the tools to turn it all around for your kids.

Sign up for your 50% Off Introductory Session by calling (212) 255-5842 or visit our website at www.methodfitness.com