Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Motivation & Inspiration
You're three weeks into your weight loss program. It's been going well, you feel fitter and healthier, but you find yourself regularly running out of time and patience. You know that if you stick with it, your weight loss results will continue. You don't want to be overweight, but today you just don't feel like it. Some days, you don't feel like continuing the weight loss program at all. You feel drained, annoyed, and ready to give up.
So what do you do when you are at this point? How do you keep yourself exercising and losing weight everyday? Here are a few tips and suggestions you should read through before these feelings start. And be sure to use this page as a reference for those bad days. :)
Tip #1. Sit yourself down in a quiet area, and remind yourself in your mind why you are following a weight loss program in the first place. It may seem obvious and pointless, but it also may still really help. Answer the following questions: Is my daily routine reasonable? Is it too much for my current level of fitness? Do I really not have enough time, or am I procrastinating? Why do I want to lose weight? How badly do I want to quickly lose weight the natural way?
Tip #2. Remind yourself of how good you feel after you have finished the day's workout. Have you noticed a slight difference in the way you look, and a more significant difference in the way you feel over the past few workout weeks? Have you experienced natural weight loss from your previous efforts?
Tip #3. Put your workout clothes on, tie up your hair if necessary, and do ONE single pilates exercise. After that, you are done- unless you're sure you don't want to keep going. This is a very helpful tip that helped me a lot in keeping myself motivated to workout every day. Just make yourself do one exercise. After you're done, most likely you'll be ready to see it all the way throught!
Tip #4. Go for a brisk 10 minute walk. This will help ward off the feelings of exhaustion that probably aren't really exhaustion, it's just "one of those days." Chances are you'll feel more alive and ready to workout after the walk.
Tip #5. Get a friend involved! If you plan to do half of your weekly exercises with a friend, you can both help motivate each other to keep going. Make it fun, do something together that you've wanted to do for a while. Go shopping and make sure to walk around the entire mall a few times. Go on a hike in some beautiful hiking areas. Drive to the beach and go for a jog on the sand, then go swimming at the pool in your hotel.
I hope some of these tips help you stay motivated. If nothing else, remember how bad you want it and why you want it. Because you want to be healthy, and you want to look amazing. Because you want that special person in your life to look at you with that smile and tell you how proud they are of you.
Until next time,
Off The Rock
So what do you do when you are at this point? How do you keep yourself exercising and losing weight everyday? Here are a few tips and suggestions you should read through before these feelings start. And be sure to use this page as a reference for those bad days. :)
Tip #1. Sit yourself down in a quiet area, and remind yourself in your mind why you are following a weight loss program in the first place. It may seem obvious and pointless, but it also may still really help. Answer the following questions: Is my daily routine reasonable? Is it too much for my current level of fitness? Do I really not have enough time, or am I procrastinating? Why do I want to lose weight? How badly do I want to quickly lose weight the natural way?
Tip #2. Remind yourself of how good you feel after you have finished the day's workout. Have you noticed a slight difference in the way you look, and a more significant difference in the way you feel over the past few workout weeks? Have you experienced natural weight loss from your previous efforts?
Tip #3. Put your workout clothes on, tie up your hair if necessary, and do ONE single pilates exercise. After that, you are done- unless you're sure you don't want to keep going. This is a very helpful tip that helped me a lot in keeping myself motivated to workout every day. Just make yourself do one exercise. After you're done, most likely you'll be ready to see it all the way throught!
Tip #4. Go for a brisk 10 minute walk. This will help ward off the feelings of exhaustion that probably aren't really exhaustion, it's just "one of those days." Chances are you'll feel more alive and ready to workout after the walk.
Tip #5. Get a friend involved! If you plan to do half of your weekly exercises with a friend, you can both help motivate each other to keep going. Make it fun, do something together that you've wanted to do for a while. Go shopping and make sure to walk around the entire mall a few times. Go on a hike in some beautiful hiking areas. Drive to the beach and go for a jog on the sand, then go swimming at the pool in your hotel.
I hope some of these tips help you stay motivated. If nothing else, remember how bad you want it and why you want it. Because you want to be healthy, and you want to look amazing. Because you want that special person in your life to look at you with that smile and tell you how proud they are of you.
Until next time,
Off The Rock
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Weight Management
Hey guys! I think that a lot of things George said in this article are very true. Obsessiveness of weight loss and a constant feeling of self worth based upon one's level of skinniness or thinness or body frame often lead to rebounding and binge eating. Weight management instead of weight loss can be a great way to think about your new lifestyle in terms of staying healthy and eating the right foods.
By George Ruan
Simply because weight management works and weight loss doesn't. An obsession with losing weight will usually bring on a rebound where the weight is gained back – and often more of it! There are three major causes for this phenomenon, and they have their root in the fact that each of us humans is a team of physical, mental, and emotional players. The physical body needs adequate nutrition in order to stay healthy and active. We are not like a car that is built by someone, used by someone, maintained by someone, fixed by someone, and eventually discarded by someone. Our building and maintaining happens literally from WITHIN, through our own cell's regeneration. When you think about it, it is quite a miracle. There is not a single cell in your body that was there 7 years ago, and most cells regenerate even faster. They all need adequate nutrition, an absence of pressure and toxins, oxygen, and movement in order to continue existing. Nutrition is the building supply for the cells. Water and oxygen are just as important, and movement or exercise is essential.
Whereas the heart pumps blood throughout the body and thus distributes oxygen and nutrients to all of your over 50 billion individual cells, lymph circulation depends entirely on movement. Lymph helps your body get rid of toxins and dead cells and is vital for a healthy and weight optimized body. This is why exercise or movement is such an important part of weight management. Your inner organs all help to eliminate toxins and waste products from your body. As a matter of fact, even the skin plays a role in this process. They all depend on an adequate supply of clean water! Forget the diet sodas: drink water! Concentrate on whole nutrition instead of fad diets. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Consider taking a vitamin and mineral supplements.
Today's commercial food sources are painfully lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. Eat until you are full, no more, no less. Eat slowly to allow time for your stomach to signal to your brain that you are full. It takes a few minutes! Try this mental exercise: think or say the word "LOSS" three times. Don't we all have a healthy tendency to regain something we have lost? Of course we do. Avoid the word ‘loss' when you think or talk to yourself about your body. "Loss" is a self-defeating word. The companies that sell you expensive diet pills profit – you don't. Substitute the word ‘management'. This encourages you to manage your body in a loving and responsible way. As a weight manager, you can balance your physical, mental and emotional needs when you set out to achieve your ideal weight and keep it. Unrelieved play a big role in weight frustration. A normal emotion comes and goes. It is ‘energy in motion' that passes through the body like a rain shower in July. When emotions are suppressed or unrelieved, they become chronic. The gentle shower becomes a thunderstorm that is unbearable.
We seek relief in food, alcohol, or drugs. What is the feeling in your heart when your hand carries that candy bar to your mouth? Are you angry? Lonely? Sad? Worried? Whereas food seems to bring comfort, it really does not relieve these feelings at all. For a moment, it distracts your attention, and then you still feel the same. The successful weight manager pays attention to his or her feelings and seeks to express them in a safe environment: perhaps by keeping a daily journal, seeing a counselor, or sharing with a trusted friend. Expressing feelings is not always pretty and doesn't have to be. Instead of eating that candy bar, try stomping your feet or yelling out loud. You can also pound a pillow or go for a run. DO SOMETHING to let the emotional energy drain out of your body instead of ‘swallowing it down'. See how others manage their weight. Online community like Hopecube.com is a great place to learn and share.
George Ruan is the founder of http://www.hopecube.com, an online community devoted to helping people deal with their daily problems. Join us and never be alone.
Source:www.isnare.com
By George Ruan
Simply because weight management works and weight loss doesn't. An obsession with losing weight will usually bring on a rebound where the weight is gained back – and often more of it! There are three major causes for this phenomenon, and they have their root in the fact that each of us humans is a team of physical, mental, and emotional players. The physical body needs adequate nutrition in order to stay healthy and active. We are not like a car that is built by someone, used by someone, maintained by someone, fixed by someone, and eventually discarded by someone. Our building and maintaining happens literally from WITHIN, through our own cell's regeneration. When you think about it, it is quite a miracle. There is not a single cell in your body that was there 7 years ago, and most cells regenerate even faster. They all need adequate nutrition, an absence of pressure and toxins, oxygen, and movement in order to continue existing. Nutrition is the building supply for the cells. Water and oxygen are just as important, and movement or exercise is essential.
Whereas the heart pumps blood throughout the body and thus distributes oxygen and nutrients to all of your over 50 billion individual cells, lymph circulation depends entirely on movement. Lymph helps your body get rid of toxins and dead cells and is vital for a healthy and weight optimized body. This is why exercise or movement is such an important part of weight management. Your inner organs all help to eliminate toxins and waste products from your body. As a matter of fact, even the skin plays a role in this process. They all depend on an adequate supply of clean water! Forget the diet sodas: drink water! Concentrate on whole nutrition instead of fad diets. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Consider taking a vitamin and mineral supplements.
Today's commercial food sources are painfully lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. Eat until you are full, no more, no less. Eat slowly to allow time for your stomach to signal to your brain that you are full. It takes a few minutes! Try this mental exercise: think or say the word "LOSS" three times. Don't we all have a healthy tendency to regain something we have lost? Of course we do. Avoid the word ‘loss' when you think or talk to yourself about your body. "Loss" is a self-defeating word. The companies that sell you expensive diet pills profit – you don't. Substitute the word ‘management'. This encourages you to manage your body in a loving and responsible way. As a weight manager, you can balance your physical, mental and emotional needs when you set out to achieve your ideal weight and keep it. Unrelieved play a big role in weight frustration. A normal emotion comes and goes. It is ‘energy in motion' that passes through the body like a rain shower in July. When emotions are suppressed or unrelieved, they become chronic. The gentle shower becomes a thunderstorm that is unbearable.
We seek relief in food, alcohol, or drugs. What is the feeling in your heart when your hand carries that candy bar to your mouth? Are you angry? Lonely? Sad? Worried? Whereas food seems to bring comfort, it really does not relieve these feelings at all. For a moment, it distracts your attention, and then you still feel the same. The successful weight manager pays attention to his or her feelings and seeks to express them in a safe environment: perhaps by keeping a daily journal, seeing a counselor, or sharing with a trusted friend. Expressing feelings is not always pretty and doesn't have to be. Instead of eating that candy bar, try stomping your feet or yelling out loud. You can also pound a pillow or go for a run. DO SOMETHING to let the emotional energy drain out of your body instead of ‘swallowing it down'. See how others manage their weight. Online community like Hopecube.com is a great place to learn and share.
George Ruan is the founder of http://www.hopecube.com, an online community devoted to helping people deal with their daily problems. Join us and never be alone.
Source:www.isnare.com
Weight Loss Article
By Steven A Johnson
Weight loss is on the minds of most people. Let's face it - in a nation where obesity is the new norm, weight loss should be the focus of many Americans. To that end, there are so many diets and plans being marketed that it is easy to get entirely overwhelmed and give up on weight loss altogether. But this does not have to be the case! If one looks closely at all of the information provided by and/or endorsed by the medical community, it will become quite clear that there are two things necessary for weight loss that is effective and life-long: balanced nutrition and regular exercise.
To begin, the words balanced nutrition or diets may cause collective groans across the board, but they really do not have to. The fact of the matter is this: there are certain foods that should be consumed in certain portions on a regular basis, and there are other foods that should be consumed rarely, if at all. This will be a lifelong change, but really, for effective weight loss and then ultimately weight maintenance, there are lifestyle changes that simply must be made. The plethora of weight-related diseases and conditions that affect the quality of life and, in some cases, life span itself, should be enough reason to take weight loss seriously and buckle down in the decision to change eating habits for the health benefits alone. In addition, of course, is regular exercise. Too many people claim that they do not eat much, and so cannot understand why they are failing at weight loss. This is an absolute no-brainer. Exercise, in some form, needs to be a part of the daily routine. This in no way means that every person in the world needs to be out running marathons every day, but rather means that, after discussing your personal weight loss goals with your doctor, developing a plan that works for you. If that means walking around the block a few times a week, then so be it. You see, any activity that elevates the heart rate to a weight loss range for about thirty minutes at a time is actually pretty good. But remember, clear this with your doctor before beginning any exercise regime.
All in all, weight loss is probably at the forefront of most people's minds. Weight loss for life can be achieved, and not through any fads or newfangled plans. Weight loss will be realized by those who stick to a regular plan that involves balanced nutrition and regular exercise. This is the way to effective weight loss, and is the most important thing to realize before embarking on a weight loss plan.
Steven Johnson is interested in maintaining a vital, active, and healthy lifestyle. For information and products on weight loss and other life-enhancing nutrients please visit his website Alternative Health Supplements
Source:www.isnare.com
Weight loss is on the minds of most people. Let's face it - in a nation where obesity is the new norm, weight loss should be the focus of many Americans. To that end, there are so many diets and plans being marketed that it is easy to get entirely overwhelmed and give up on weight loss altogether. But this does not have to be the case! If one looks closely at all of the information provided by and/or endorsed by the medical community, it will become quite clear that there are two things necessary for weight loss that is effective and life-long: balanced nutrition and regular exercise.
To begin, the words balanced nutrition or diets may cause collective groans across the board, but they really do not have to. The fact of the matter is this: there are certain foods that should be consumed in certain portions on a regular basis, and there are other foods that should be consumed rarely, if at all. This will be a lifelong change, but really, for effective weight loss and then ultimately weight maintenance, there are lifestyle changes that simply must be made. The plethora of weight-related diseases and conditions that affect the quality of life and, in some cases, life span itself, should be enough reason to take weight loss seriously and buckle down in the decision to change eating habits for the health benefits alone. In addition, of course, is regular exercise. Too many people claim that they do not eat much, and so cannot understand why they are failing at weight loss. This is an absolute no-brainer. Exercise, in some form, needs to be a part of the daily routine. This in no way means that every person in the world needs to be out running marathons every day, but rather means that, after discussing your personal weight loss goals with your doctor, developing a plan that works for you. If that means walking around the block a few times a week, then so be it. You see, any activity that elevates the heart rate to a weight loss range for about thirty minutes at a time is actually pretty good. But remember, clear this with your doctor before beginning any exercise regime.
All in all, weight loss is probably at the forefront of most people's minds. Weight loss for life can be achieved, and not through any fads or newfangled plans. Weight loss will be realized by those who stick to a regular plan that involves balanced nutrition and regular exercise. This is the way to effective weight loss, and is the most important thing to realize before embarking on a weight loss plan.
Steven Johnson is interested in maintaining a vital, active, and healthy lifestyle. For information and products on weight loss and other life-enhancing nutrients please visit his website Alternative Health Supplements
Source:www.isnare.com
Friday, September 28, 2007
Warm Ups
Warming up (dynamic stretching) is essential to keep the body injury-free if you play sports or engage in vigorous exercise. Warming up allows cold muscles to gently ease into their routine exercise without too much stress and stiffness at once to cause injury. The best thing before you exercise is to stretch (static) for 15 minutes using the stretches I have provided and others you may already know, followed by warm up exercises and then begin your workout. It is also very important to end you workout session with another 10 minutes of stretching to prevent stiffness and get the most from your exercise. Below I have listed and described some warmups I learned from my rugby team, on of the best in the United States!
Barbie-Ken
Frankenstein
Lunge Twists
Over-Under
Bend-Over
Please check back for descriptions of these warm ups!
Barbie-Ken
Frankenstein
Lunge Twists
Over-Under
Bend-Over
Please check back for descriptions of these warm ups!
Stretching- The Benefits
Stretching is an absolutely essential part of preparing to exercise, and a great way to keep oneself limber and awake. Stretching increases blood flow circulation, helps you move easier and with less effort, keeps you healthy, feeling alive, helps prevent injury, and reduces stress. So why not stretch everyday?! Just 10 minutes once or twice a day can have wonderful effects on the body. There are two general types of stretches: stretches classified as "dynamic," and stretches classified as "static." Dynamic stretches involve motion as part of the technique, while static stretches are fairly still. Both of these types of stretches share the same benefits, including increased flexibility. In my next post I will list many of the stretches I am familiar with through classes, informational sites, and my rugby team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)