There Is A Method to the Madness
This is a podcast where I will be discussing all aspects of physical fitness. I am an exercise physiologist and personal trainer and owner of Maxwell's Fitness Programs for the last 25 years. My passion is health and fitness and I am excited to share my views, some stories, interviews and much more with you.
There Is A Method to the Madness
Transform Your New Year's Resolutions: Achievable Goals and Behavior Change with Rob Maxwell
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Effective Goal Setting for Success
Speaker 1Welcome to . There is a Method to the Madness . My name is Rob Maxwell . I'm an exercise physiologist and personal trainer . I'm the owner of Maxwell's Fitness Programs and I've been in business since 1994 .
Speaker 1The purpose of this podcast is to get to the real deal of what really works and , most importantly , why things work . Why things work , we got to trust the science and trust the experience and get our advice where people kind of know what they're talking about . I think this podcast is one of those sources . Today I'm going to talk about New Year's resolutions and goal setting . Before I get to that , let me thank Jonathan and Lynn Gilden of the Gilden Group at Realty Pros . They are committed to providing the highest level of customer service and home sales . Why don't you give them a call ? Figure out what your house is worth ? 386-451-2412 .
Speaker 1All right , so it's just before New Year's coming up . Today is December 30th . I think that's when this show is coming out as well , but anyway , it's just before the New Year . It doesn't really matter how many days before . It is just before and most people , or a lot of people , are setting their New Year's resolution . Some people are doing it super formally , some people are thinking about it and possibly posting some things on social media . Some people are just thinking about new goals , things they want to accomplish . Look , none of these things are bad , and I can remember in my younger days like going through an elaborate process at the end of the year . I was kind of like in this kick of following some of Stephen Covey's models which are very good , by the way but like real elaborate way of planning out all of my goals . All great .
Speaker 1I think goals are really important . You know , I often say , though , it's about getting better better from where you are and better in areas that you need to get better at . But in regards to New Year's resolutions , I mean , do they work ? Because doesn't ? Isn't that what this comes down to ? All of these things like , does it work ?
Speaker 1So many people argue on social media about different things and people go back and forth whether things are wrong or whether things are right , and I sit back often and go , yeah , but does it work ? I mean , that's the important part , and if you look at the science , the social sciences on New Year's resolutions , you would see that the data pretty much says no . It's kind of like when somebody sets one of those elaborate goals , you know how often do they achieve it and , most importantly , like , do they continue to do it ? So the answer on the New Year's resolutions , goals , is no . Are there outliers that might state that a person is extremely successful every end of December , early January , to where they set some goal , up to where it's going to be , I don't know . I'm going to , you know , lose 30 pounds and I'm going to do it by doing this this year . Yeah , I mean , I'm sure there are outliers out there where somebody has a really good , intricate program that works for them , but most of the data says that for most people it does not work .
Speaker 1So am I being pessimistic ? Am I being negative ? Absolutely not . I'm positive . I'm always trying to be positive in this show .
Speaker 1I want people to do things in a way that will help them to follow the science , to figure out a better way to go . You know , instead of , like , always trusting these opinions on social media or mainstream media or whatever it is like , so much of it is opinion , there are people that are just repeating what they heard from other people . I like to go to the sources . So what do the social scientists say regarding goal setting ? Like , why don't we learn to always go to the sources of what we're looking for , like quit following what Bobby Joe says on Facebook regarding diet , and why don't we like go to where dietitians and physicians and physiologists and people like that are telling you about diet ? I mean , too often we are caught up in other people's opinions and kind of chasing after the wrong people . So why don't we learn to not do that ? Why don't we get back to trusting experts ? Because you know , most experts have gone to school and have had a lot of experience doing certain things . So I think that's just , personally , a better way to go . So what does the science say ?
Speaker 1The science says that , instead of like setting some elaborate resolution , that typically doesn't work . It's kind of like if you've had an alcoholic in your family , or if you have one or been one or are one , you know that typically , oftentimes , when somebody wants to drink , they say , oh , I'm never going to drink again , and then they do , so that doesn't seem to work . So what tends to work with people changing their behavior ? What we found in the case of resolutions or long-term goal setting is number one you have to control what you can control what you have . Absolute control over , absolute control over . So , for example , a lot of people are going to say they resolve to lose a certain amount of weight in 2025 . And will they ? I don't know . Will they ? And keep it off this ? Statistics say no . So you know , most likely not .
Speaker 1But when you really get down to it and I want you to pay attention to this very , very carefully because it's important you don't have 100% over control over whether or not you lose weight . You don't have a hundred percent control over that . Like , there are things that go on in your metabolism . There are so many physiological processes that are going on that you don't have 100% control over it . You have control , but here's the key . Here's the key to this whole podcast . What you have control over is your actions .
Speaker 1So , instead of saying you're going to lose 30 pounds , think about a person that you might know or a person that you want to be in the case of maintaining a nice steady weight , a nice healthy weight , whatever that is in your mind , think about who they might be . Or maybe it was you at one point . Maybe this isn't you at all , maybe there are other goals . I'm just giving you example of weight loss . What are their actions ? So , instead of saying I want to do this . Think , okay , what is the type of person that maintains this weight ? What do they do ? So the science of goal setting says , if you can fine tune it down to what your 100% control over is , figure it out like 100% control over is . Figure it out Like what do you have control over , whatever the goal is , and then do that behavior , that is absolutely your best shot at reaching your goal . Or if you want to keep it to the New Year's story , then your New Year's resolution . So what do they do ? Think about it .
Speaker 1So a person that maintains their weight sure you can say , oh , they have good genetics and all this . But look , after a certain amount of time , like I don't know , just throw this number out there After the age of , say , 40 , all that stuff kind of catches up . I mean , yeah , there's always a genetic link with weight loss and many other things . Most studies show it's no higher than 25% though . So in other words , 25% of our weight loss or weight gain is genetic at the most , the very most . So that leaves 75% of it upon us . So a lot of it after 40 kind of catches up .
Speaker 1And then it comes down to how are the eating habits . Like you know , after 40 , I mean somebody is if they're keeping their weight off , they're doing a lot of things , right , right , so what are those things ? I mean they probably eat in moderation , like they don't binge . They probably eat consistent meals per day and don't wait till they're hungry , which that's one of the things that , like people , get so wrong . They say , oh , you know , I'm not hungry . Well , guess what ? Nobody is . Well , I shouldn't say nobody . There are people in poorer parts of the world and people on the streets that , legitimately , are hungry , but typically you don't really feel hunger for over 48 hours , so nobody's really hungry . What they do is they have an appetite . An appetite tells you when you want to eat . Well , oftentimes people say they don't have an appetite and maybe they don't because they're busy or they're stressed or they're not thinking about it , but that's no excuse .
Speaker 1Somebody who maintains their weight year in and year out doesn't wait for how they feel they eat at certain times during the day . They eat scheduled . They typically eat breakfast , lunch and dinner , and many eat breakfast , lunch and dinner in two small stacks Snacks or stacks Stacks of potatoes , no snacks , stacks snacks or stacks stacks potatoes , no snacks . So model after what people are doing right , be that person who hits those goals . Somebody who maintains their weight most likely exercises on a regular basis . They have a nice habit of walking every morning , or maybe they jog every morning . Somebody who maintains their weight most likely has a sport . Maybe they play golf , maybe they play tennis , maybe they play pickleball , maybe they swim , but they have a sport many , not all , that they follow . So there are habits that we can pick up for our goals and instead of saying I want to do this , say I want to be this person because I have 100% control over these actions , I can do this . Today I feel oh , you know , I don't really feel like eating now . I want to lose weight . So I'm going to do this because you know Bobby Joe down at the shop , you know this is what he does when he loses weight .
Speaker 1I mean , how many times do people follow unsuccessful people down the same path ? I mean the classic case of the blind leading the blind . It happens all the time . The people with the biggest , loudest mouths on diet are typically the ones who are finding some success just right now on the latest diet that they're on , and they're sitting around the lunch table telling everybody about their miraculous diet that helped them lose 30 pounds , and everybody forgets that it's the same person that did this two years ago . But yet , I mean , the problem isn't them giving their success stories . The problem is people listening and go , oh , I'm going to do that instead of going . Well , wait a minute . This person has struggled since I've known them and now I'm going to follow them on yet another diet . I mean , why not go to the experts on these things ? So don't model after that person that's finding short-term success for the 100th time . Model after somebody who has found success year in and year out .
Speaker 1And if you look at their behaviors and characteristics , if you're overweight , you will find that they are probably very different than yours . They probably don't drink and if they do , they definitely don't drink in excess . As I already stated , they most likely have a daily exercise routine that most likely begins in the morning . They most likely have a sport that they follow so they can stay active throughout the day , because I saw a statistic recently that said that our ancestors now our hunter and gatherer ancestors . So we're going way , way , way back . They moved 12 times more than we did . 12 times more , okay , not 100% , 200% , 1,200% more than we do . They moved that much more right .
Speaker 1So what do we want to do with our goals ? What do we want to do with our new year's resolutions ? I picked on weight loss a little bit because it's so common , but maybe it's something else . Maybe it's you want to become better at a particular sport . You resolve to finally master your golf game . Okay , so what do people do that ? Do that ? I mean , I hate to say it , and I think golfers know this . They play a ton of golf . So do you have time for that ? Like I'm just throwing things out there . What is it for you ? Figure it out , like maybe you want to be way better with your time management . Well , if that's the case , again figure out what people do who are known to be very efficient with their time , and I think we know that . Like as soon as I said that aloud , I thought of a couple different people that are just so good with their time . How do I know ? Well , when their workout appointment comes , they're like dead on there . I'll throw one out there right now .
Speaker 1Jake , I see him this morning at seven o'clock and like he gets there at six , 59 or seven every time he works out . I mean , it's amazing , not you know , six , 47 , when his appointments at seven and he's pacing in the parking lot . Or you know , he knows , behind the door I'm steaming cause I'm trying to finish my freaking shake and somebody's early banging on the door . No , he doesn't do that . And he doesn't pop in at 7.05 because he understands , or you know , I don't know if he does understand that we have clients right after him . Like , I don't think that's his motivation . I think his motivation is to be on time , because that's what he does . And then as we talk , talk , I get to learn more about his punctuality . And he talks about well , I do this and I do this . So that's how I know .
Speaker 1So , right away again , model after somebody . I'm just giving examples , like what is it you resolve to do ? Figure out who does these things successfully . Don Don't follow unsuccessful . I mean that's the blind leading the blind , all right . Don't follow that . Follow people who are successful , all right . And , by the way , let me , let me pick on my math skills , because ever since I said , it's been bugging me Twelve hundred percent , not 12,000 . So there you go , but 12 times more they used to move . So what does that mean ? I mean getting back to that goal
Changing Behaviors for Success
Speaker 1.
Speaker 1People who lost weight maintain weight . They move a lot . So we have to figure out are these behaviors in our control ? Are they ? I pause because I want you to think about it Are they in our control ? Then that's what we have to do . So recap Number one when you set your resolutions , make sure you're 100% in control of the outcome .
Speaker 1Number two pick behavior changes , the person you want to be . Figure out what it is and model it . And , by the way , you got to stick to it . Don't think it's going to work in a week . It's going to take discipline to stick to these new behaviors , but you could do it . It is far worth it .
Speaker 1In the over 30 years that I've been doing working with people in personal training and wellness and things like this you know I've seen so much success . So people can change . People can lose weight . People can drop their blood pressure . People can get better at their hobbies and sports . People can become better at time management . People can become meditators . People can learn yoga practice . Like people can change . It's really awesome to see and every time they do , they model a new behavior . All right , now let me thank Overhead Door of Daytona Beach . Jeff and Zach Koch are phenomenal clients . I've seen Zach recently change , losing 25 pounds , how he's following a new meal plan that he decided to ask me about and make sure that I'm getting him on the right road and he is losing that weight . He was already in good shape , but they have the best garage door company in Volusia County . Why don't you check them out at 386-222-3165 .
