How to Fall in Love with Exercise

Exercise. We all know we're supposed to do it. But if you've not done it before or avoided it for years how do you start? How do you find the exercise you enjoy and that's right for you?

I never thought I'd enjoy exercise, let alone have it become a vital part of my life. I grew up in Australia where sportiness is next to godliness. Australian babies emerge from the womb wearing a swimming cap with a football tucked under their arm.
Sadly I did not fit this stereotype. My athletic feats were a montage of disaster: scoring an own goal at hockey, getting fished out of the pool by a lifeguard, and falling over on the school tennis court and flashing my polka-dot undies at the boys.
But over the years I found my exercise mojo, and today I'm sharing my insider tips to help you learn how to love exercise too.

Start your exercise with walking

Walking is perfect if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there. You just need a pair of trainers and some ground! At 25 stone I could only walk half a block before I was ready to collapse, but I added another block each week and slowly built up my mileage. If you find walking dull, spice it up by listening to a podcast or an audio book. Sometimes I get so caught up in the story I end up walking for longer than planned.

Ask for help

I joined a gym at my heaviest weight and felt intimidated by the machines and the svelte chicks. I asked a gym bunny friend to explain how to work the equipment and together we devised a basic program. Most gyms offer free induction sessions to help you get started, or group exercise classes like Body Pump or Spinning are beginner-friendly and provide great instructions.

Try activities three times before giving up

Almost every new exercise I start, I suck at the first time. It's too hard! It hurts too much! The only exception was kickboxing - I knew from the first punch that I'd found true exercise love. But for everything else I make myself give it at least three honest attempts before abandoning ship. That usually lets me see if it's my usual resistance to new things or an honest dislike of the exercise.

Let your friends lead you astray

I've tried many activities purely because my friends or family were doing them - salsa classes, curling, kayaking and mountain biking to name a few. Sometimes it's a disaster but sometimes you end surprising yourself and enjoy the exercise. You never know what athletic skills you could uncover, so be brave and bold. My husband is a hardcore hill walker and drags me up some mighty hills. I moan all the way - but the sandwiches and views at the top almost make the huffing and puffing worthwhile!

Start exercise for charity

If you find it hard to start and stick to an exercise routine, sign up for a charity event. You get to help people plus there's a huge incentive to train - you don't want to let down the charity or your generous sponsors. I ran the 5K Race for Life and it was incredibly moving to see thousands of women turn out in aid of cancer research. I also did the 26-mile Moonwalk - a huge commitment and I wanted to die after eight hours on my feet - but it was thrilling to be one of 10,000 women roaming the streets of Edinburgh in our decorated bras.

Match exercise to your personality

If you're still not feeling the exercise love, try to match the activity to your style. Are you a social butterfly? Why not start a lunchtime walking group? A colleague of mine did this and we found it broke up the working day and was a great opportunity for office gossip! Or if you're more shy and retiring, buy some exercise DVDs (and get sweaty in your pajamas. I love quiet workouts at home, particularly weights and yoga. I did some classes out in the real world to learn the basics so I felt comfortable striking out on my own.

What exercise did you enjoy as a child?

When I was kid I always loved dancing, but I was self conscious about my weight. I compared myself to my skinny, dainty sister and feared I'd be laughed at if I asked to join her proper dance classes. Now I'm older and beyond caring about what I look like so I'm revisiting this old passion. It doesn't matter that I'm not Royal Ballet or Beyonce back-up dancer material - all that matters is having fun and shaking my booty.

I've just discovered Zumba, a Latin-inspired dance class, and I also prance around my living room with a ballet DVD. What exercise did you love as a kid? If you were mad for the monkey bars you may like indoor rock climbing. If you loved netball as a teen maybe you could join a grown-up team. Look back through your memories, there might be clues there!

Forget about everyone else

The biggest thing to remember is not to worry about other people. Everyone looks red and sweaty and faintly ridiculous when they exercise - it's not just you! And if you still feel paranoid, as I did, try going to the gym in off-peak times or hide in the back row of an exercise class. But honestly, nobody is looking at you - they're too busy thinking about their own thighs, or wondering if they've burned enough calories to justify a KitKat for dinner!

Source: WeightLossResources

Nutrition Diet And Exercise

Whether you are trying to lose weight or live an active healthy life style, nutrition and exercise are vital to your health. We have become as a whole in the western culture, a couch potato, slow moving, over weight and flaccid society. 

Of course there will always be that smaller percentage of people who get it right and remain fit and healthy. But those that do, make a conscious effort at it with diet and exercise. Well done if you are in that category!

Part of the problem is that because we as humans have it ingrained in us to constantly change things, we are the only creatures that invent food. No other animal or insect does this and they don’t have the diseases humans do unless we have poisoned their environment. We have so much in the way of processed food that have little nutrient value, that we pack on the pounds and become slower moving.

In the wild, animals that eat the raw greens, grasses fruits and berries are very healthy animals. The meat-eating animals consume the healthy plant-eating animals and remain virtually disease free. Our farms on the other hand, need to mass-produce cattle and chickens so we give them hormones and phosphates and the like and we consume them. That is by the way, some experts now think younger girls are developing much earlier than they used to because of the hormones in meat and dairy products. We can however, luckily eat raw organic fruits and vegetables and we should do so on a daily basis.

Another culprit is our need to once again, change our environment. We have more machines that do things for us now and it won’t stop there. This is both good and bad. The good is a higher rate of production for the products we need, bad because we are slowing down physically. In as little as ten years ago we could go out on a Sunday morning and see someone pushing his or her lawn mower. (And I mean pushing). Now a days, you’ll see more of sit down mowers or power mowers that literally pull you along with it. Our fore fathers were much more active and they ate nutrient rich foods. And they could eat a lot of it without getting fat because of how much energy they spent from hard physical labor.

Is all lost for us in this day and age? Absolutely not!!! We are perfectly capable of reversing this trend, but it does require a) your dedication and b) follow through. This can be done no matter what your weight and activity level.

Make your first step the decision to become healthy and fit. Once you have firmly made that decision you are on your way. Now take the time to evaluate your lifestyle and really look at it. Be honest with yourself about your eating habits and activity level.

Changing your diet to eating healthy whole foods is a good way to start. It’ll not only help you lose weight and help you feel better, but it will enhance your quality of life. You’ll have more energy and life just feels better when you are healthy.

There are many popular diets out there. The Zone, the Blood Type Diet, Atkins, the South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers and the list goes on. They all have had their share of successes so it is hard sometimes to know what to do. I can only say, do your homework. You will find the right one that works for you and you will be more likely to stick to it.

If you want to do it on your own you can be just as successful if you know some basic rules.

1) Portion control. Cutting down to smaller portions can help tremendously. A great
way to eat less food at one sitting is to drink a glass of water before you eat and then drink more water with your meal. Water takes up a lot of space in your stomach so you will feel full faster and water won’t give you any extra calories. Awesome!

2) Water, water, water. Drink lots of clean pure water. Your body needs it and more than you think. Most North Americans are in a state of semi dehydration. Water flushes out toxins, gets your bowels moving. (Did you know that the amount of pain you feel from injury or minor aches and pains are directly proportional to how dehydrated you are? An interesting tid bit)

3) Eat raw fruits and vegetables as much as you can especially dark greens. Cooked veggies lose some of their nutrients so eating a salad every day would benefit you. Most of your vitamins and minerals are going to come from fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables. And try to stick to organic on this to avoid the pesticides and chemicals.

4) Fiber. You need to keep the bowels moving and the combination of water and fiber will do the trick. The best fiber comes from fruit and whole grains. But consider this: You would need to eat 10 bran muffins to get the same amount of fiber as in a half cup of raspberries.

5) Protein. The best source of protein is from meats such as beef, chicken or turkey. But do limit the amount you eat at one time. You don’t need a 10 or 12oz piece of meat at one sitting. You can get protein from dairy and cheese but consume only small amounts because they digest too slowly. Nut is a source of protein but they are high in fat so consume small amounts.

6) Sugar, confectionery treats, soda’s, junk foods and some processed foods are your enemy. Nothing gives you weight gain and that sluggish feeling quite like this grouping. I am not saying you should never partake of them, but do so only occasionally. We do after all need our cheat days once in a while. Just make them small portions.

7) Find an exercise regimen that you like and will stick to. Pretty much any exercise program will help you lose weight if you stick with it. You will see on TV all the equipment people want to sell you but after watching for a bit you usually know what appeals to you or not. You may just want to pop in a video and exercise with that.

8) I can’t say enough about sticking with your program. It takes time and you can experience losses in the beginning when it seems it is not going fast enough, but if you stick with it, you will get your reward and you will reach your goal weight and have energy to burn.

9) And finally, because some of food is deficient in nutrients from growing in poor over used soil it might be a good idea to get some good vitamin supplements to assisting in getting our daily requirements in. Getting it in food is the best but that is hard to do these days so find a qualified nutritionist to help you in selecting what’s best for you.
Good luck and good health!

13 Quick Weight-Loss Tips That Nutrition Pros Swear By

The key to lasting weight loss?

Losing the weight quickly. Here's why: It may give you a psychological boost that helps you stick to your new habits; in studies, fast weight loss led to more pounds off overall plus longer-term success in keeping it off. However, “anyone can do a cleanse or an extreme plan,” says Lisa Lillien, founder of HungryGirl.com and author of the new book The Hungry Girl Diet. “But the minute you stop, you gain the weight back and haven’t learned anything.” We interviewed top nutrition and fitness experts to get their best advice for quick and safe weight loss.

Close your kitchen for 12 hours.

That should be the time between your last bite at night and first in the morning, says Lauren Slayton, RD, author of The Little Book of Thin. If you finish dinner at 7:30, that means no eating until 7:30 the next morning. Need motivation? “Tell yourself, ‘Go to sleep now, wake up wow,’” says Slayton.

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Heading to the kitchen? Pour a glass of water.

If it’s a cliché diet trick, it’s for good reason. “People confuse hunger with thirst, especially when they’re trying to stick to a weight-loss plan and may expect to feel hungry,” notes Lillien. When you find yourself walking toward the kitchen, get a glass of water instead of food.

Any time you reach for something to eat, ask these two questions:

“One, am I hungry? And two, what am I hungry for?" says Jennipher Walters, a certified personal trainer, co-founder of Fit Bottomed Girls LLC, and author of The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet. "You could be procrastinating, or bored, or stressed. Or maybe you just really need a hug. Distract yourself for five to 10 minutes, a buffer time to decide if you’re really hungry.” That can have a big impact on quick weight loss.

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Eat an appetizer.

Choose wisely: Walters recommends beginning dinner with a broth-based soup or a salad. “It fills you up and elongates the meal, which prevents you from scarfing down your food,” she says. To avoid eating too quickly, keep your entrée and sides off the table until you're done.

Shrink your portions, except...

Supersize your veggies, pleads Tosca Reno, author of The Eat-Clean Diet series. “Two sprigs of asparagus is not enough,” she says. One of the biggest mistakes Reno sees clients make is eating too much of everything else. If you eat proper portions of just two food groups—carbs and meat—you will accelerate weight loss and improve your health. Tip: Pasta should be the size of your fist; meat should be about 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards or bar of soap.

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Find new favorites.

Don't deprive yourself; deprivation is not a great place to start, says Walters. “If you want to stop drinking soda, don’t just cut it out—find something else with bubbliness, like seltzer or flavored water, to replace it.”

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Set a time for treats.

If you know you have something indulgent to look forward to—a piece of high-quality dark chocolate, say, after dinner—it may be easier to turn down other temptations, such as office birthday cake, says Walters.

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Track your food.

Often after working out, notes Lillien, people tend to overcompensate (“I just did Spinning, I can order the French toast at brunch!”) and eat more calories than they burn. That's less likely to happen if you write down what you eat. "It’s just about being more aware so you make better food choices,” she says.

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Balance your breakfast.

“A lot of people think that a low-fat yogurt and fruit is a healthy breakfast, but it’s not that satiating, so you will be hungry again soon,” says Walters.  She recommends a morning meal that includes a balance of protein, fat, fiber, and veggies, such as a veggie egg scramble with avocado or cheese, or oatmeal with fruit and nuts.

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Toss your trigger foods.

“Everyone has foods that make them want to keep eating more,” says Lillien. When craving starchy picks like chips and pasta, she continues, “instead, I use tofu shirataki noodles made from tofu and yam flour—the whole bag has 40 calories.” Reno advises clients to get “hidden foods” out of the house so you don't have that crutch when you feel a need to binge. “Chances are you’re eating too much of them,” she says.

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Watch for added sugars.

“Sugar is an addictive ingredient,” says Reno. “The more you eat it, the more you want. When you decrease your intake, your body will keep asking for it, but after two or three days, you’ll be amazed by how your body responds.” If you don’t feel like reading food labels, just try switching from processed choices (say, an energy bar) to whole ones (like an apple).

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Stop drinking your calories already.

It’s not just soda. Healthy-sounding juice, iced tea, and other beverages can be big calorie bombs. But cut them out, and you'll watch the number on the scale start to drop instead. “Sometimes a bottle of iced tea or juice has 2.5 servings,” says Lillien. “Read labels and you’ll see it’s just not worth it.”

Switch up your exercise.

If you’re stuck in an elliptical rut, ditch the low-key cardio for some circuit training or interval training, says Walters. “In circuit training, you’re doing strength training and cardio at the same time, which gets your metabolism up and burns fat,” she says. A good interval workout—where you alternate short bursts of all-out effort with less-strenuous recovery zones—“is super effective and challenging—it will shake you and your body out of your comfort zone,” says Walters.

 

© 2014 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.

7 Ways To Avoid Falling Off The Diet Wagon

Keeping up the new healthy diet you’ve just started all year round isn’t easy, so stay aware of some effective ways to avoid falling off the diet wagon. It’s easy to get excited about starting a healthy eating program, but it can be tough when tempted with delicious desserts, big dinner buffets, breakfast room pastries at the office, and holidays. That means you need a secret weapon up your sleeve, like these ways to avoid falling off the diet wagon. Be sure you stay on your toes, and spend the year enjoying being healthy and slim, not riding the diet rollercoaster.

1. Keep Your Focus

One of the best ways to avoid falling off the diet wagon is to keep your focus. You need to remember why you started eating healthy. Just because you’re closer to your goals, or at your goal weight, doesn’t mean you can give it all up. Each time you give in, it makes it easier to backslide in the long haul. Don’t make this mistake! Keep your focus and remember to keep your eye on the prize.

2. Eat Enough

One of the easiest ways to avoid falling off the diet wagon is to be sure you eat enough. Not eating enough can make your blood sugar slip, which will cause you to get hungry and jittery, which makes you reach for anything to eat. This can happen to anyone, so the best way to prevent it is to be sure you eat enough. Eating every 3-4 hours is the best way, as long as you keep your portions in check.

3. Be Reasonable

When it comes to finding ways to avoid falling off the diet wagon, a really helpful one is to be reasonable. That huge piece of cheesecake or big slab of steak might look like the best thing in the world, but be reasonable: it’s just food. It will be gone in a few bites, and you’ll be left feeling guilty. Don’t fall prey to this! It’s fine to indulge once in a blue moon, but too easy to keep slipping when you think about how tasty something would be.

4. Exercise

My favorite way to keep yourself motivated on a diet is to exercise. Most likely, when you’re exercising, you won’t want to ruin your hard efforts by eating junk. You’re more inclined to eat well to support your exercise regimen, and it gives you a better sense of pride in your body.

5. Get Enough Rest

Another way to avoid falling off the diet wagon is to get enough rest. When you’re short on rest, your hormones are out of balance, which can lead you to both overeating, and making poor food choices. Getting enough rest prevents both problems, and it’s so healthy for you! Getting 8-9 hours a night is key. Make it happen, no matter what it takes. You’ll notice a huge rise in your energy, mood, and your diet when you do.

6. Talk It Out

It might help to talk it out with someone if you’re really struggling with your new diet. Find a supportive friend or family member who wants to see you succeed, not one who’s constantly tempting you to cheat. Talking it out with someone supportive can help you greatly decrease the stress around your healthy lifestyle, and can help you keep your eye on the prize.

7. Be Prepared

If you’re not prepared to make healthy food choices before you leave home, it’s easy to cave in to making poor choices. The best way to do this, is to be prepared both mentally, and in the kitchen. Prepare healthy meals and snacks to take with you to work, school, or when running errands. Have a meal prep day once a week if you need to. Also, before you go out to eat, prepare yourself that you have a choice and you can make a good choice in ordering something healthy. The choice is yours, so be prepared that you can and will make the right one for your new lifestyle. You can leave feeling proud, and not guilty, which is one of the best feelings you’ll ever give yourself.

If you’ve just started a healthy diet, congratulations! I’d love to hear any tips you might have for ways to avoid falling off the diet wagon. So let me hear them! What’s your best diet motivation tip?

Source: All Women Talk