This article marks the beginning of a weekly health and wellness column devoted to helping you obtain the tools to achieve a healthful, balanced existence. Certified personal trainer, author and speaker Ryan Halvorson will provide information on commonly held myths, emerging or current fitness programs and equipment, healthful nutrition consumption, motivational tactics, sample workouts and more. And, if there’s anything you’re curious about, feel free to send an e-mail to editor@uptownpub.com and Ryan will try to find an answer for you.

February is a slow month in the fitness industry. The once pulsing vibe of gyms everywhere has lulled to a sedate pace as the steady stream of wannabe exercisers has ebbed. This is the time when you contemplate your New Year’s Resolutions and either pat yourself on the back for a job well done or decide to reschedule for next year. Whether you are a newbie, “re-starter” or a seasoned vet, staying the course toward achieving your fitness goals can be difficult without adequate preparation. In order to help you keep on keepin’ on, I offer the first of a two-part series that details six tried-and-true methods for weathering the storms and moving closer to a stronger, fitter you.

1. You are not Brad Pitt. The movie Fight Club did for abdominals what “Friends” did for hair. Brad Pitt, in all his shirtless glory, sent throngs of men racing to the nearest gym with hopes that they, too, could get his abs. Unfortunately – and here comes the harsh reality – you are not Brad. I am not Brad. In fact, there’s only one person on this planet who is Brad and, well, that’s Brad. Joking aside, one of the major reasons an exerciser loses motivation so quickly is that the results he’s achieved do not mirror the results he has imagined for himself. Often, these results are based on magazine cover models, actors and athletes who spend almost every waking moment sacrificing and working toward a fit-looking body. For we “real people” out there, time and money are limiting factors and dictate much of what is possible. Instead of competing against someone with a completely different genetic makeup, try competing with yourself. From here on out, statements like “I want arms like him,” or “I wish I had her ass” are stricken from your vocabulary. Give yourself a break and work toward achieving your true potential, not the potential of an airbrushed magazine cover.

2. Set realistic short- and long-term goals. “I’d like to lose 20 pounds for my sister’s wedding next month.” This is perhaps one of the most common requests I receive from a new client. The problem with this goal is that it’s completely unrealistic. For that client to accomplish such a monumental task, she would have to burn an extra 2,500 calories per day, which would require about four hours of running. Who has that kind of time, and, frankly, who wants to run that much? This person has given herself an impossible goal and will become discouraged and quit when she doesn’t drop the weight. A more manageable goal is to shoot for a four- to six-pound loss per month. A healthier option for the body, breaking up the large goal into smaller increments will provide you with reassuring “breadcrumbs” as you navigate toward the larger one. If to run a half marathon, work toward slowly increasing your mileage week after week until you’re finally able to run several miles with less perceived effort. You will feel stronger and more confident in your abilities. You will also realize that, if you were able to accomplish this task, previous challenges may seem less daunting.

3. Stay off the scale. In this society where weight seems to be a major determinant of true happiness, it’s difficult to imagine a day when you don’t face the scale to see if progress is made. Whether you want to beef up or slim down, attaching weight to success is a surefire way to send you seeking solace in your chez lounge, Cherry Garcia and “Lost” DVDs. For example, all throughout my life people have made negative comments about my weight. Bullies targeted me because I was perceived as a skinny weakling. Friends’ mothers would double my helpings at dinner so as to “fatten me up.” What resulted was inadequate self-perception and obsession with weight gain. I worked hard at the gym, downed tons of protein shakes and whatever muscle-building concoction I could find, but every time I hopped on that scale I was instantly disappointed. I was so fixated on weight that I didn’t notice the improvements in strength, agility and power, and was ready to give up on exercise because it didn’t seem to work for me. Then a magical thing happened: I stopped weighing myself and started to associate success with the ability to lift more weight or run a mile at a faster pace. My self-confidence improved and I found that exercise became more of a pleasure than a chore. With this in mind, I do not allow weigh-ins with my clients. At first they don’t understand my intention, but soon realize that the less fixated they are on weight, the more they concentrate on the exercises and the faster they achieve results. For those who require more tangible evidence of progress, try measuring various body parts with a piece of yarn. For example, get a friend to wrap the yarn around your bicep, snip and label. Two weeks later, measure a new piece of yarn and see how things have changed.

It doesn’t matter if you currently exercise or if you want to get started, try a few of these techniques and you’ll be headed toward success in no time. Be sure to pick up next week’s issue for three more tips to help you stay motivated in your fitness program!