KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The new year brings new promises. In the United States, the most common New Year's resolution is to exercise and/or lose weight. The year doesn't go as planned for everyone who makes that resolution.
Self-belief and commitment are two keys to success, according to Diana LaCerte, the co-founder of Hitch Fit, a transformation gym offering personal training in Kansas City.
"Our motto is 'Believe, transform, inspire,'" she said. "The 'believe' has to be first because you have to change your mental state, your mindset toward healthy living. That really is the key to long-term success that we've seen."
Alex Rizzuti found long-term success. The Kansas City man had seen his dad lose weight and keep it off. So he teamed up with the same personal trainers at Hitch Fit. After five months, Rizzuti has lost more than 35 pounds. He stressed it didn't all happen at once.
"You start feeling the internal changes really quick. After about three or four weeks, you definitely start to see the physical changes and you get addicted to it and you want to keep coming," he said.
Another key to Rizzuti's success has been sharing his goals and accomplishments with other people, such as his father. That provides built-in encouragement and motivation, even on cold, winter mornings.
"Think of our jobs, if we didn't show up to our jobs on the days we didn't feel like it, we may be out of a job. So our bodies are the same. Our bodies are something we have to treat like a business or a job. Some days we may not feel like doing it, but if you want to live in a fit and healthy body, you show up even on the days you don't feel like it," LaCerte compared.
Half the battle toward getting fit happens outside the gym. Along with exercise, LaCerte said you’ll need to change eating habits, maybe sleeping habits — really your entire lifestyle. That's why having a plan and faith in yourself are critical, she said.
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