MERIDEN – One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is weight loss, but people tend to get off track quickly.
We spoke to experts in the nutrition and fitness industry to help you set realistic lifestyle goals for 2022.
Carrie Marquardt, Health & Wellness Director of YMCA Meriden-New Britain-Berlin, said: “The best way to be successful is to set small goals.”
She explained that people start the year with a desire to do everything at once, cut calories, exercise, and give up cigarettes and soda, which is often unsuccessful.
She suggested starting one thing at a time, such as making better decisions when it is time to eat.
After the first goal is successful, additional goals can be added.
Esmeralda “Annie” O’Farrill is a fitness trainer and crossfit coach at Meriden YMCA.
She is also studying exercise science with a minor in nutrition at Southern Connecticut State University.
O’Farrill, who was born in Puerto Rico, said food was a very cultural thing.
“You can’t tell a person who grew up on bread and rice not to eat bread and rice because that’s their culture, that’s how they relate to it,” she said.
She explained that it is better not to go without food, but to eat a limited amount depending on each individual’s goal.
She said some people try to give up a whole food group like carbohydrates and that doesn’t always work because the body needs those nutrients and people end up feeling cravings.
It is important for O’Farrill to seek professional advice before making any drastic dietary changes.
O’Farrill noted that choosing brown rice over white rice, sweet potatoes over regular potatoes, and whole grain bread over white bread are all small but positive changes people can make in their diet.
O’Farrill said she used to be nearly 100 pounds overweight, something she was in control of after hiring a personal trainer.
She said these small changes started her on the way to becoming a healthier person.
When it comes to nutritional supplements, she said, people should be careful, do their research, and consult a professional. In addition, dietary supplements should be taken along with a healthy diet and exercise.
Dr. William Lunn, a professor at Southern, is one of the personalities she learned from about nutritional supplements and nutrition.
Social media play a huge role in body image. O’Farrill said people should be careful not to believe everything they see on social media, as influencers are usually just trying to sell one product.
Marquardt said exercise is important, but it’s better if people do an exercise they enjoy.
“If you like to run you should definitely go, you shouldn’t run if you don’t want to run,” she said. “You have to find something that you enjoy that you hold onto.”
Training apps and videos can help people go in a good direction, she said.
Nancy Payne from Meriden joined the YMCA in 2014. She said she was one of those who made New Year’s resolutions but didn’t get them right.
Regarding fitness and nutrition, she said she was able to develop healthier habits.
“It’s a learning curve,” she said.
When she joined the YMCA, she was new to Meriden and wanted to get involved in the community.
She said she took O’Farrill’s courses where she shared her experiences with being overweight with clients. This caught Payne’s attention, and she continued to work with O’Farrill, who gave her exercise and nutrition tips. Payne eventually hired O’Farrill as her personal trainer.
“It made me lose some of my weight and did what she told me,” she said, praising O’Farrill for helping so many others.
Payne has Puerto Rican parents and enjoys watching her family cook. She has learned to ask her family to make healthier choices, like baking instead of deep-frying.
Michael McDowell, general manager of Club 24 gym in Meriden, said one of the most important aspects of health is diet, which is why his gym offers nutritional assistance.
Part of their goal with clients is to have them meet with a trainer who will help them come up with a personalized plan.
“You want to find something that suits you,” he said.
One of the things that help people looking to start a healthier lifestyle is finding a training partner or taking a group class where they can meet people with similar goals, he said.
ksantos@record-journal.com203-317-2364Twitter: @KarlaSantosNews
