Many people use the new year to make resolutions to
get into shape and eat healthier. Clay Today’s Kylie Cordell
talked with experts who provided tips for staying on course.

CLAY COUNTY – The New Year often means starting a weight loss plan, eating a more nutritious diet and building healthier habits. However, 80% of resolutions fail within the first few months. Why is that? Many set unrealistic goals, and their confidence takes a huge hit when they fail to reach them. Others become overwhelmed when they set out to make big changes in their life and fail to live up to their high expectations.
The consequences of setting unrealistic goals are big. They can lower your self-esteem, cause unnecessary stress, and cause further health problems. So here are a few ways to get into shape and optimize your health without making yourself miserable.
Start small. Create a personalized workout routine that fits your schedule.
“Small incremental goals are key. Don’t start with unreachable goals. Just focus on one thing and make small incremental changes on a daily basis,” said Workout Anytime Fitness manager and personal trainer, Mallory Diamond. “And set specific goals with a manageable timeline.”
Workout Anytime is a 24-hour operation with gyms in Orange Park, Lake Asbury, Oakleaf Plantation and Penney Farms.
“It’s an environment that really is for everyone from your silver sneakers that comes from our medical care program to pro athletes and everyone in between,” said Fitness Director, Carl Boothby.
“I have seen everything from watching who suffered a stroke who could barely shuffle, let alone walk, become very active. We have a trainer who is wheelchair-bound, and he’s highly successful. We had a 16-year-old whose pediatrician told her that she was morbidly obese.
We created a personalized workout routine, and she’s starting to feel better, and more confident about herself. These stories, these are why we do what we do,” he said.
Diamond agreed. “We guide them through the health and fitness lifestyle. My oldest client is 89. He couldn’t reach up and get something in his cupboard because his shoulder range of motion was so bad. He trained with me, and now he can reach and pick up the heaviest bowl pain-free. I’ve had multiple patients who have gotten off diabetic, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar medication. It’s life-changing for them,” she said.
“It’s not just about getting into shape, but shaping people’s lives.”
During gym orientation, clients can meet with Workout Anytime staff members to address their fitness goals, whether they are trying to lose weight, gain weight, or gain muscle. “We feature what is called cardio equipment – everything from stair masters, treadmills, ellipticals, and then we have things that are more adaptive to people who are recovering from injuries.”
They also offer group fitness.
“We find that for many of our members, that’s where they feel most comfortable. There’s group motivation. There’s a bit of peer pressure to show up. We also have group yoga classes. We also have virtual trainers, as well,” said Boothby. “We have people who work out three days a week on-site and three days virtually. It really just depends on the person, their budgets and time constraints.”
However, the easiest, most effective way to build healthier habits starts in the kitchen, said Cinet inteIrative nutritionist Linda Brown.
“What I look at is, what is the simplest thing that can be changed?” Brown asked. What is the simplest thing that can be changed to get their condition better or help them manage their condition better, and what is the person actually able to do?”
That starts with a balanced diet.
“If you were to ask me, what is the one thing you can do to eat more healthily and decrease your chance of disease, it’s to cook at home from scratch. Bottom line. If you get something from the store in a box, it’s processed. You don’t want that.”
“If people cooked at home from scratch, that would improve the quality of what they eat tremendously,” she said. “Then the question becomes, I don’t know how or I don’t want to take the time. There’s a misconception that eating healthy is time-consuming, but that’s not true. You can cook a well-balanced meal in less than 30 minutes.”
However, if don’t have time to go to a grocery store, try a grocery delivery service. Local Fare is a farm-to-home, organic grocery delivery service on Blanding Blv. that offers customizable farm bags in four different sizes, from single meals to family style. Another option is HelloFresh. Delivered through a subscription service, meal kits provide pre-measured ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes to cook at home.
A home-cooked meal contributes to a healthier diet, reduces calorie consumption and gives us more control over what we put in our bodies.
“If you want to start cooking on your own, we have a grocery list, as well. We have the meal plan. We have the software where I can calculate how many calories you need, then you can put in what kinds of foods you like, and then it generates up to 30 days of menus. You can even tell it how many days of leftovers you want,” Brown said.
“If you set a goal to eat healthier, most people can find a way to do it, but we can definitely help with that,” she said.