The start of a new year is often seen as a symbolic fresh start, a time for new beginnings and resolutions. This is how you can harness the psychological power of the fresh start effect to achieve your goals.
Kick-start your fitness journey with the Body Fit Starter Kit. This limited-time offer includes:
- Essential Body Fit fitness products. (Shake & Slim Diet Protein, Collagen Creamer, Metabolic Liquid, Appetite Zero, Tummy Detox, Lipo Therm)
- Jenna Brust’s 4-week program
- 24/7 online support
All for just R999.99 (A R500 saving. Limited to 500 customers. Select Dis-Chem stores.)
A Complete Solution for a Starter Kit
Kick-start your fitness journey with the Body Fit Starter Kit – a complete solution designed to help you transform your body and lifestyle. This limited-time offer includes essential products to support your goals, along with a detailed 4-week program and continuous support. Here’s what’s inside:
Shake & Slim Diet Protein – 600 g
A high-protein, thermogenic shake that supports fat loss, appetite control, and energy stability. At only 99 calories per serving, it helps you achieve a leaner body.
Collagen Creamer – 240 g
Supports connective tissue health, boosts metabolism, and reduces cellulite. Add it to your coffee for a creamy collagen boost anytime.
Metabolic Liquid – 200 ml
L-Carnitine aids fat burning, boosts energy, improves recovery, and preserves lean muscle mass.
Appetite Zero – 30 Capsules
Helps reduce hunger and cravings, improves portion control, and supports weight management.
Tummy Detox – 30 Capsules
Cleanses the digestive system, promotes gut health, and supports healthy digestion and bowel movement.
Lipo Therm – 60 Capsules
Break through weight-loss plateaus with this tri-stage fat-burning formula for healthy weight management.
Remember, transforming your body and lifestyle is a marathon, not a sprint. Results may take time, so stay patient and trust the process. It will happen if you are consistent.
Harness the new year
Known as a temporal landmark among behavioural economists, using the start of a new calendar year can provide several advantages when supporting a lifestyle and weight-loss transformation.
Starting a challenge or committing to a new plan at a point in time that holds significance, like the start of a new season, month or year, can help renew your commitment to your goals and boost your motivation to achieve them.
These specific points in time are often enough of a motivator to drive aspirational behaviour. This is known as the “fresh start effect”, a term coined by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania.
In a research paper1 published in the journal Management Science, researchers shared findings from three studies they conducted to demonstrate this effect.
According to the research team, “the start of new mental accounting periods … help us to relegate past imperfections to a previous period and to take a big picture view of our lives, thus motivating aspirational behavior.”
Maintain your motivation
However, motivation levels will naturally taper off over time. That means you’ll need other ways to maintain your motivation levels and affirm your commitment at regular intervals.
Youthful Living ambassador Jenna Brust, who is a qualified fitness instructor, online coach and Bikini athlete, says achieving a body transformation requires a combination of consistency, discipline, and a clear plan.
She shares her top tips to get Body Fit and achieve your transformation goals in 2025:
#1. Set clear, specific goals
Define what you want to achieve, whether that is fat loss, muscle gain or increased endurance, and set a timeline. Make sure your goals are realistic and measurable, like aiming to lose 8kg in 3 months or adding 5kg to the squat rack in 1 week.
#2. Create a balanced nutrition plan
Eat for your goal, aiming for a balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates to support energy, recovery and hormones. Whether you want to lose fat or gain muscle, your diet plays a crucial role.
For fat loss, you’ll need a calorie deficit while a calorie surplus with sufficient protein supports muscle gain.
I give my clients tailored nutrition plans because everyone’s journey is unique and requires different plans. I ensure the plans correlate with their lifestyles and create balance to keep them engaged.
I also advise planning and prepping meals ahead of time to avoid impulse eating and ensure you meet your nutrition needs.
#3. Train with weights
Don’t just perform cardio at the gym. You also need to lift weights to build lean muscle, no matter your goal.
Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses to target multiple muscle groups. Gradually increase the weight or intensity of your workouts to continuously challenge your muscles and see progress.
Incorporate cardio workouts to help with fat loss, improve heart health, and increase calorie burn. A combination of steady-state cardio and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be effective.
I individualise my plans to meet each client’s specific goals and circumstances, and make these workout plans fun and engaging so exercise doesn’t feel like a chore.
#4. Consistency is key
Make exercise and healthy eating habits part of your daily routine. Consistency over time will lead to the best results.
Find a workout buddy, join a fitness community, or hire a coach or personal trainer to stay motivated and committed.
As a fitness professional, I help my clients stay motivated and committed by constantly checking in and reaffirming their goals periodically throughout the year.
We also plan and set short-term goals to keep them focused and track progress regularly. We then celebrate every milestone, big or small, which helps to sustain motivation levels.
If motivation levels dip, I help clients to reframe their goals. I remind them of their ‘why’ and give them the emotional support they need to keep going!
#5. Prioritise recovery
Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to promote muscle repair and recovery. Allow your body to recover by incorporating rest or active recovery days as overtraining can lead to burnout or injury.
References:
- Dai, H., Milkman, K.L., & Riis, J. (2014). The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior. Management Science, 60(10), 2563-2582.
