Moving Forward
by Jarret Baston
Here we go again. A “new year, new you” right?
Statistically speaking, no.
According to Columbia University, only 25 percent of people stay committed to their resolutions after 30 days, and less than 10 percent accomplish their goals. That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with the goals or the people trying to achieve said goals. But often, the cards are stacked against you. With an ocean of information on the internet, most of which could fill the Pacific Garbage Patch tenfold, it’s hard to decipher what is good and what is trash. (Hint: most of it is trash).
After training others for nearly 15 years and running a gym for a decade plus, I’ve narrowed down some helpful tips that won’t guarantee your success, but will absolutely get you off on the right foot.
Start Small. I cannot tell you how many times I have met someone who was ready to change everything in their life. Usually this was preceded by a breakup, divorce or other life-altering event. The issue we face is that we, as humans kind of suck at doing too many tasks at once. If you decide one day you’re going to lose 20 pounds, stop drinking soda, run every day, and read a book a week, you’re inevitably going to fail.
Starting with one task will allow you to focus all of your attention on that singule goal. Let’s say that 20-pound weight loss is your goal. “20 lbs of weight loss” is not a goal, it is a result of small incremental habits over a long period of time. By starting small, say, not eating after 6:30 p.m, you can hold yourself accountable until that small goal becomes second nature.
Trust The Experts. We all have deficiencies. Some people are bad with money while others make a fortune investing. Some can work on cars while others couldn’t tell you where to put the oil. That can be said for any industry, hobby, or task, including fitness and nutrition. If you know in your heart of hearts that you’re completely in the dark when starting and sticking to a fitness or nutrition regimen, find an expert. Read the reviews, do your research, talk to numerous professionals, and pick the one that best suits your goals and personalities.
Yes, this is a more costly route. Playing devil;'‘s advocate, the average cost of an hour of personal training is $40 to $75 an hour, with a median of $58 an hour. The average cost of a heart attack is around $20,000, which is about 345 hours of personal training. Generally speaking, most clients I trained came in 3 times a week, allowing for more than two years of professional physical fitness help equal to the same cost of a life-changing health issue.
Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs seem to be the defining factor for many people’s ideal view of fitness. (They’re not). But the saying is catchy nonetheless. If you want real physically changing results, nutrition should be your number one focus. It’s my number three because I wanted to make sure you were still reading. On average, if you do an intense 30 min HIIT workout you’re only burning 200–500 calories in that time span. There is no possible way to out train a bad diet. Your body will break well before your abs show through. Referring back to #1, start with a small goal. Make breakfast every morning for one week, do that until it’s easy, then move on to breakfast and lunch. Referring to #2, if you struggle with this, hire a nutritionist, download an app, or get a friend to go on the journey with you.
Consistency is king. Harking back to the previous tip, you are what you eat. In the same breath, you are what you don’t eat or do as well. If your life is filled with burgers, fries, sodas, and couches, your physique and overall health will resemble that of a person who’s life is filled with burgers, fries, sodas, and couches.
On the contrary, if your life is filled with proteins, vegetables, nuts , some fruit, while limiting starch and sugar and exercising regularly, your life will resemble just that. I know this sounds silly and almost too obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many people do not correlate their health and wellness to their nutrition and activity level.
Being consistent does not mean working out like a maniac all day, every day. It means regularly doing something that will better yourself in the long run. This could mean walking for 30 min more days than not during the week. It could mean drinking more water than soda for five out of the seven days of the week. It could be as simple as going to bed to ensure you have enough sleep to be productive the next day. Most people have heard of the 80/20 rule. Doing what’s good for you 80% of the time and letting yourself relax 20% of the time. It’s as simple as that.
Failure is inevitable. Let’s say you haven’t worked out in 15 years. The last 5,475 days of your life aren’t going to disappear after a week, a month, or a year of working out. It will take time and you’re not going to want to continue. There will be days where you skip the gym and take a nap or watch TV instead. THAT’S OKAY! Remember, consistency is king. As long as you get back on the horse, you will succeed. I’ve always liked the quote “break once is a mistake, break twice in a row and you’ve formed a new habit.”
If you’re trying to eat better, you will eat a burger, have a glass of wine, or extra chips. That is okay. Your body won’t change overnight. Remember it took a lifetime to get where you are today. But it’s important to remember that your goal will not rest and in order to surpass that goal, we need to give it the tools it needs to succeed.
Fitness, health and wellness are topics that have unfathomable levels of detail. I’ve picked up one grain of sand on the beach here. Everyone’s path is different, your journey will look wildly different than anyone you follow in Instagram, your friends or family, and yes, your significant other. I hope these tips can help you find the best version of youself that you’re searching for, not just in 2025, but in the lifetime that awaits you.
Jarret Baston is the founder ofTriumph Strength and Conditioning, which he owned and operated for 11 years. He is the Tennessee-Kentucky Weightlifting State Organization President. Baston also holds state records for weightlifting in Kentucky and was recently awarded gold medals at the American Open Series in Columbus, Ohio.