After a month of heavy eating, drinking and snacking, it’s no surprise that many people opt to shed a few pounds when Jan. 1 rolls around.
And while many will quit only weeks into 2011 because they’re not seeing the quick results they had anticipated, experts say healthy eating and proper exercise is the only way to go.
“There is very much a client increase starting in January that goes January to February and then starts to drop off March and April,” said Brittany Uchach, an exercise and wellness specialist at Servus Place.
“I think people just let life get in the way and just don’t make it a priority. It should be a lifestyle that you’re living and a lot of people want the quick fix and when they don’t see the quick fix then they start to back off because they’re not getting the results that they want or they anticipated right away,” Uchach said.
“So then excuses start happening, life starts getting busy and they usually decide to put the fitness aspects on the back burner.”
Brandon Gaulden, co-owner of HardCorps Fitness Bootcamp, said he also notices an increase around this time of year.
“Usually our class sizes will go up, probably double what we can usually take in,” he said.
While Gaulden said he does his best to keep people motivated, the choice is ultimately up to the client.
“It’s a lifestyle change so we try to get them to stay with it but it’s a mindset, so you’re either going to do it or you don’t,” he said.
Of all the people who seek his services as part of a new year’s resolution, Gaulden said half will usually quit early on and he can usually see it coming.
“I can tell usually within the first day whether they’re going to make it and whether they’re going to stick with it,” he said, adding that attitude and effort are the two things he looks for.
“It’s a personal choice. I think it’s more mental than anything, you either want to do it or you don’t. You just look for that,” said Gaulden.
“Sometimes people just don’t want to do it,” he said.
Besides a jump in clients after Christmas, Gaulden said there are other increases that happen throughout the year.
“A big one is September because all the kids are back in school and people get in shape for summer so May and June are big classes and then the new year resolution thing,” he said.
“The new year’s resolution people, as far as commitment and sticking with the program, that’s up to them.”
Gaulden said many people are looking for a quick-fix solution and are disappointed when they don’t see results after only a short period of time.
“The people who quit, that’s why they quit, because they’re not getting the results right away. There are ways to get quick results like aggressive fast dieting but if you want to get the true results, proper eating and exercise is the only way to go.”
Rather than focus on the first month of the year, Taylor Wideman, owner of InsideOut Pilates suggests clients set goals throughout the year.
“We recommend people to set goals every month and to keep their fitness or their health challenges or issues in the forefront and keep working on them all the time.”
Wideman said she also notices people dropping out after the first half of her 12-week Pilates sessions.
“But most people make it to the six or eight week mark. If they’re going to quit, that’s usually when we see them fall off. And if they don’t quit by then, then they’re usually lifers,” she said.
Wideman also recommends healthy eating and a fitness program to clients that want to lose weight and stay healthy.
“There is no quick fix.”
