A Desire to Lose Weight and Get Fit?

A lot of us say we "want to lose weight" or we "want to get fit", but the bottom line is your level of DESIRE.  The essence of your fitness success is directly related to your  level of DESIRE to be fit, lean, healthy and  full of energy.  No other factor is as important as this one, because unless you really DESIRE something (which is the true strength of your will), everything else is secondary.

If it is your DESIRE to be as fit or as trim as you want to be, you will make every effort to not only find the proper guidance, instruction and support to help you achieve what you DESIRE, but make every effort to make use of what you have sought out. 

You will know when you are on the right path because it will just 'feel right'.  Of course there may be some doubts or questions along the way, but as long as your DESIRE is foremost in your mind, you will move forward and make progress, even if it is not as fast or as easy as you thought!

A key ingredient in your DESIRE to be fit or slim or healthier, is telling yourself that you can achieve fitness success regardless of family history, personal history, previous experiences, your hectic daily schedule, knowledge of exercise, nutritional challenges, current physical & emotional state, work and family time constraints.

Once you learn that fitness and weight loss does not mean you will be  'living in the gym' for the rest of your life or eating plain lettuce and canned tuna everyday - you will know that your fitness and weight loss success lies within you. It is one of the less obvious gifts that comes with the gift of life itself. The ability to be more fit, leaner and healthier than you are today is the inherent tool you've been given to protect the one life you have been given.

Remember, it is not about 'killing yourself' to look good in the mirror. Its about feeling good about yourself whether you are looking in the mirror or not.

No Time to Exercise?

I have not written a post for well over a week now.  Why?  Well, I say because I didn't have the time, which, when I think about it,  is the same excuse a lot of people make for not exercising.  Did I really not have the time???  Actually, it is really more than I didn't make the time because I allowed myself to put that time into other things.

Just like exercise, I could have broken up writing this blog over the day or a few days, or spent 10-20 min and written a short one.  Sometimes I know I spend so much time "thinking" about what I am going to do instead of just DOING IT!!  Analysis Paralysis!!

The point I am trying to make is that having no time to exercise is often just a perception.  Uusually it is just a metter of fitting it in somewhere in your day.  It doesn't need to fit in at a specific hour or for a specific time...it can fit in at intervals throughout the day.  3 ten minute sessions over the course of a day will add up to 30 minutes. Many experts agree that 30 minutes is the minimum amount of exercise people should get each day.

So, let's stop talking ourselves out of doing things we know we should be doing (whether it is exercise or writing blogs) by saying we are too busy....make it important enough to make the time, be it in increments or all at once!

How Often Should I Weigh Myself?

This is a somewhat controversial question.  Some professionals believe that daily weigh-ins are 'obsessive' and can lead dieters to become obsessive about their weight.  They are of the opinion that weekly weigh-ins are ample and that you should not worry about the scale, but rather how you feel.  I agree that the scales aren't everything, I always remind my clients that the scale isn't the be all and end all, it is just another feedback tool, besides how your clothes fit and how you feel.

However, I have always been a great advocate of daily weighing.  Why???  Because it gives you instant feedback on foods that may make you retain water or cause constipation, etc.  It also reflects your activity.   Done a particularly tough workout and found your muscles feel heavy and swollen?  You will also find you weight more on those days too!  If you weight yourself every Monday and Monday just happens to be the day after you ate Chinese Food or the day before your "time of the month" then the reading is not really a true reflection of your weight.

I usually suggest my clients record their daily weight on a graph.  You will soon see if the line is going downward (if weight loss is your aim) or is staying stable (if weight maintenance is what you are trying to achieve), even if there are some ups and downs along the way!

A recent study supports this as well.  Dieters who weighed themselves daily were more likely to not only lose the weight...but, most importantly, KEEP IT OFF!!!  The results were even better when combined with social support - online training forums, group training, personal training and friend and family support.

So, drag out the graph paper and get started!!!  (Nude weight first thing in the morning is probably the most accurate).