Fitness Motivator, October 15, 2002 Volume 2, Issue 11

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Welcome to all our new subscribers, and I extend my appreciation to everyone who forwards this newsletter to friends. One friend telling another is how we grow, and I deeply appreciate your support. If you know anyone who might like it, please forward this newsletter to them or send them this link: http://www.FitnessMotivatorNewsletter

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1. Greetings from the Editor
2. Article—Excuse-Proof Your Exercise Plan
3. Article—Making an Exercise Program a Breeze
4. Article—Being Overweight Isn't So Bad, Right?
5. Article—Seven Simple Steps to get into a Fitness Routine
6. Article—What Is Your Overeating Style?
7. Inspirational Quotes
8. A Web Site Worth A Look

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Welcome to our first anniversary issue! I can’t believe that year has gone by since I started this newsletter. If I didn’t have a record of each issue since last October, I would wonder if my mind was playing tricks on me.

I don’t know if it’s just me or not, but it seems that the months and years go by faster now then when I was younger. One thing I do know that regardless of what I do, the time will continue to march forward. I will grow older anyway, so I might as well grow older and be in my best shape ever.

I know that you would like to be in better shape also. That is why you take the time to read each issue of the Fitness Motivator.

To celebrate the first year of publication of the Fitness Motivator, I have added a couple extra articles for you. I hope they will inspire you. I would appreciate hearing from you to get feedback as to how you like the newsletter. Would you like to see any changes? I am hoping to send out a survey in the upcoming month. I hope you will be able to take some time in answering a few questions to help me improve the Fitness Motivator.

Since this is a longer than normal issue, you may want to consider printing it out and reading it while you are exercising!

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Excuse-Proof Your Exercise Plan
By Susan Rutter © 2002

We all do, even me. We blow off working out. We don't have time. (That's my big excuse since having a baby.) We don't like doing it. We're intimidated. Or, it just doesn't seem worth all the effort.

Well, here are tricks for getting past those common excuses. Exercise can be simpler (and feel easier) than you ever imagined.

Excuse: It doesn't feel good.

Solution: Do A Cool-Down!

Finishing your workout with 5 minutes of easy activity can make it more enjoyable, according to a study by Britton W. Brewer, PhD, of Springfield College in Massachusetts. "People's last impression of exercise is the one that lingers," he says. "With a cool-down, you leave feeling the exercise was easier, so you're more likely to do it again."

Excuse: I'll look silly.

Solution: Forget Perfection.

Exercise is not a Broadway performance. "Women put such pressure on themselves." says Carol Gallagher, PhD. "Learning to feel okay with and laugh at little mistakes is good for you." Walk, dance -- enjoy yourself without worry about how you look. Bonus: You burn more calories when you're not very good at something!

Excuse: I don't have time.

Solution: Count the small stuff.

"Life is never all or nothing, especially in exercise." says Dr. Gallagher. A 10-minute walk is always better than nothing. I found that when I did my workouts it felt more comfortable with casual wear. Forget changing into exercise clothes; I just slip on my sneakers for a quick walk around the block.

Excuse: I'm not getting results.

Solution: Move It All.

Try an activity that works both your upper and lower body at the same time: try aerobics, swimming, pole walking. You'll boost your calorie burn without feeling like you're working any harder. In a study of 30 women who cycled, walked, or did step aerobics, researchers found that those doing the step workout requiring the use of their arms and legs felt the exercise was significantly easier -- even though they were working at the same intensity as the others. "Coordinating your arm/leg movements can keep your mind busy, so you're less likely to focus on the exertion," says Lisa Lloyd, PhD, of Southwest Texas State University.

Excuse: I've tried it before.

Solution: Shift your thinking.

"You achieve what you focus on," explains Dr. Gallagher. "So instead of focusing on what you didn't do, concentrate on the times you did exercise. It's more empowering and proof that you can succeed."

Susan Rutter: author, publisher, nutritionist, instructor Helping patients make healthy choices and changes in their lives. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive a free Email course: "Your Health and Your Weight"
http://www.geocities.com/healthyoubbies/ We Are What We Eat... includes 4 free health software programs.
healthy.youbbies@3web.net

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Weight loss is mostly dependent upon exercise. In many studies done it was proven time and time again that you will not lose weight and keep it off by dieting alone.

Before beginning any exercise program, be sure to consult your doctor. a good goal for many people just starting an exercise program is to exercise 4 to 6 times each week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. How rigorous the exercise needs to be determined by your doctor.

Starting any exercise program is the hardest step. If you haven't exercised in years it is safe to begin a 10 minute light-exercise workout and gradually increase the period of time.

How to prevent injuries: Start every workout with a warm-up. That will make your muscles and joints more flexible. Spend 5 to 10 minutes doing some light calisthenics and stretching exercises, and perhaps brisk walking. Do the same thing when you are done working out. Continue cooling down until your heart rate returns to normal.

Make sure it suits physically, too. For instance, swimming is easier on arthritic joints.

You may be less likely to get bored or injured if you change your routine. Walk one day. Bicycle the next. Consider activities like dancing and racquet sports, and even chores like chopping wood.

Don't work out too soon after eating or when it's too hot or cold outside. Wait until later in the day if you're too stiff in the morning. It is always a good idea to do gentle stretching in the morning, if you are stiff. Even if you are not stiff when you wake up, it will help with your flexibility, metabolism and stamina.

It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from exercise.

While a little soreness is normal after you first start exercising, pain isn't. Stop if you hurt. You will soon know the difference between "good" pain (a light burning in your muscles) and a "bad" pain. A "good pain" means that your muscles are toning up. This is the pain that goes away and causes you to lose weight and firm up.

Read, listen to music or watch TV while riding a stationary bicycle, for exercise. find fun things to do, like taking a walk through the zoo. Go dancing. Learn how to play tennis. Go hiking in the woods.

Stick to a regular time every day. Sign a contract committing yourself to exercise. Put "exercise appointments" on your calendar. Eventually it become such a habit that you feel like you lost or forgot something if you miss an appointment.

Keep a daily log or diary of your activities. Check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster now than when you began? Or is your heart rate slower now? Or are you able to do your workout for a longer period of time without feeling exhausted.

Ask you doctor to write a prescription for your exercise program, such as what type of exercise to do, how often to exercise and for low long.

Think about joining a health club. The cost gives some people an incentive to exercise regularly.

Reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity.

For more low cost life enhancers, please come and visit Moms-Connection at http://www.moms-connection.com.

Moms-connection is dedicated to helping families connect with the way they want to live their lives through healthy alternatives, money making and saving ideas, mind, body and soul nurturing. Achieve your goals easier and have more fun doing it! To subscribe to newsletter: moms-subscribe@moms-connection.com http://www.moms-connection.com Become a Mom For Life: http://www.moms-connection.com/momsforlife.htm Copyright © moms-connection 2002. All Right Reserved.

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"The main cause for failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want at the moment."

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"It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not."

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We look around and see many people that are as overweight as we are, in fact we see many others that are twice as overweight as we are. Then we convince ourselves that it isn't all that bad to be overweight. Plus, we've tried to lose weight before and we just can't seem to get the job done.

Sometimes we have to think outside-the-box and look at things in a different light, here's an example. Think back to the last time that you were at your correct weight for your age and height, that may be many years ago. It's important for you to do the math, how much more do you weigh today, and be honest?

Okay now that you know exactly how many pounds you are currently overweight, let's imagine for a minute the following scenario. Years ago when you were at your optimum weight, someone approached you and gave you a barbell equal to that same amount of weight, and told you that you need to carry that barbell on your shoulders all day long. You will also need to sleep with it and continue to carry it around for the rest of your life! You're never allowed to put it down.

I guess you know where we were going with this, but that is exactly what has happen. Sure it has happen over a gradual period of time, but the end result is exactly the same.

So how do you think you would have felt and reacted years ago if someone would have forced you to do that. Obviously you would have been very angry and most likely could not have carried that weight around with you for even a few hours, let only a few days or forever.

Now the really bad news is that that person is YOU. You can't blame anyone else for your being overweight or out-of-shape and nobody else can fix your problem other than YOU.

I'm sorry for getting right to the point, but isn't it about time that somebody told you what you already knew.

So get mad at yourself and get busy fixing YOUR problem. Of course, you could choose to continue to ignore it and likely have many related medical problems, a diminished quality of life or possibly even die prematurely due to your additional weight.

If you say it's just too hard and you just can't lose any weight, maybe you should spend sometime at your local children's hospital and see what can be done when you set your mind to it.

Dennis J. White is the publishing Editor of Competitive Edge Software, Inc. and founder of a creative method to get in shape while participating in a contest where winners are awarded cash prizes. visit http://www.getinshapecontest.com

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1. See Your Doctor: Before you start any exercise program or begin any sport or hobby that involves physical exertion, get a check up.

2. Sleep: Get enough sleep every night. This is especially important if you decide to exercise in the morning. If you aren't getting enough sleep, you might just keep hitting the snooze button in favor of getting up and exercising.

3. Set Goals: What are you trying to achieve out of your exercise program? Just like when you are trying to lose weight, you must set a goal weight, the same thing applies to fitness. Do you need to work on your abs or your thighs or maybe your doctor is recommending a cardio workout? You need to figure out what it is that you want to accomplish and set out to find exercises that will help you reach your goals.

4. Select: Find exercises that you like. This is very important, if you choose exercises that bore you to tears... well, how long do you think you will be able to do it? (This has always been my problem with tummy crunches and video tapes... they are so darn boring... I've found that a daily walk will keep me relatively fit and it's not boring to me at all.)

6. Slow and steady wins the race: don't try to do every exercise you know on the first day, too much too fast and you will crack under the pressure. Start slowly and build up to an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle.

Getting fit is a combination of exercise AND diet. Plan yourdiet with the help of the NutriCounter, a fun and easy way to monitor your nutritional intake. The NutriCounter works with any exercise routine! http://www.nutricounter.com/

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Okay, let's admit it, you are reading this and I am writing it, because we both have a tendency to overeat. We've blamed our metabolism, our upbringing, our stressful jobs, but bottom line is most of us have developed unhealthy eating patterns. However, you and I may not overeat in the same way or for the same reasons. That could be why previous weight-loss attempts have failed. The author of the program assumed that you had the same overeating style as the ones for whom the program worked.

This came home to me a year or so ago when a weight loss program was being presented to our church women's group. The program focused largely on the spiritual issues involved in weight loss such as patience, self-control, deferred gratification and the sort. It wasn't a bad idea. But as I watched the video, everyone on it talked about having insatiable appetites and how they couldn't go two hours without eating and about struggling against hunger their entire lives. I couldn't relate to any of them. My overeating came mostly from loving the taste of food rather than having to eat all the time. Indeed, one of my problems was that I often would get busy and not have breakfast or lunch and overeat at dinner or snack all night long. Mostly, my feeling was that if a little bit of something tasted good, a lot of it would taste even better. My eating style was that of "gourmet" from the list below. Now, a friend of mine said the program really spoke to her because she is one who was hungry all the time.

Understanding your overeating style can help you find ways to tailor your weight loss program to your individual personality. I have identified four common overeating styles. They are: The Bottomless Pit, The Gourmet, The Absent Minded Digester, and The Self-Medicator. Undoubtedly there are many others, and most of us probably have some characteristics of more than one style, but hopefully understanding more about our overeating styles will help us personalize our weight loss approach.

Do you just seem to have a voracious appetite? It doesn't really matter what's on the table. If it's there you want to eat it and then have seconds or thirds. This is probably the image most people have of overeating. This type of person seems to be always hungry. They are constantly eating. There's a bowl of candy on the desk. It has to be replenished daily. They always buy the extra large, super-sized meals. Often, they eat very rapidly, hardly even tasting the food as it goes down.

* Slow down. If you eat more slowly, you will feel more full. You will also enjoy the experience of eating more.

*Get high bulk, low-fat snack foods. For instance, low-fat popcorn like Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop. Half a bag is only 110 calories.

* Listen to your stomach and stop eating when your stomach is full. A lot of us overeat because we are continuing to eat after we are full. You don't have to clean your plate.

* Eat more meals. Instead of eating three large meals and lots of high calorie snacks throughout the day, eat five smaller but balanced meals. Have a breakfast, mid morning meal, lunch, mid afternoon meal, and a dinner. At each of these have a protein, a complex carbohydrate and a vegetable. It sounds like a lot, but a cheese sandwich with low-fat or fat-free cheese and a leaf of lettuce would be a meal. You won't be as hungry, and be less likely to snack.

* Eat the same amount of food, but choose the food wisely. Read labels. Even non-diet processed foods can vary greatly in terms of calories and fat Look for lower fat, lower calorie and lower sugar content. You know, certain "diet" meal bars actually have more sugar than some regular candy bars. It pays to read labels.

* If you lose control over certain foods, only eat those foods in a restaurant where the serving size is controlled or bring home single serving sizes.

This person overeats because of taste. The gourmet simply likes food. It is a sensual pleasure in which he or she indulges to excess. I tend to fall into this category. While I can go many hours without ever feeling hungry in the sense of having an empty feeling stomach, I love the taste of certain foods. Unfortunately, they tend to be high fat, high calorie types of food. And, I eat a lot of them because I want that taste sensation to continue a long time. Here are some tips for satisfying your taste buds while eating in a more healthy manner.

* Eat more slowly. Same advice as for the bottomless pit, but for a different reason. The "Gourmet" overeats in order to make the taste last a long time. Slowing down the process makes the taste last longer. Tonight I had a mini (about 5 inches in diameter) pepperoni pizza from my favorite pizza parlor. I used to buy a small (12 inches) and eat it all. I've discovered that by slowing down I can make the pizza last almost a half hour as long as it took me eating more quickly to eat the small. I felt as satisfied at the end of the pizza as if I had had a small, medium or even large.

* Learn the art of substitution. Many of your favorite foods can be made with low-fat ingredients and taste as good or better than the originals. For instance, you can make a banana split with frozen yogurt, fresh strawberries and almond slivers instead of chocolate syrup. If you need your chocolate fix, either get chocolate flavored frozen yogurt or grate some dark (not milk) chocolate over the top. Changing just one or two ingredients in a recipe can make it healthier. For instance, in a three-egg omelet, try two whole eggs and one egg white. * Find healthy foods you love to eat and keep plenty of them on hand. The less healthy foods eat at a restaurant. I love fruit. It satisfies my sweet tooth and it's good for me. So I always have lots of fruit on hand. Instead of three candy bars a day, I have three fruits. If I decide I really want a candy bar, I buy one small one and eat it slowly, but I don't buy extras. * Make only what you plan to eat at a meal. You can't overeat, no matter how good it tastes, if you didn't cook it. Don't make enough for seconds and you can't eat them.

* Clear the table after you've eaten and don't keep leftovers. It's too tempting when you open the refrigerator door to taste a bit of the leftover stuff if it was especially good. Also, unless you have a dog, don't take home a doggy bag. Same reason. Too easy to nibble.

Have you ever been nibbling on something for some time before you realize that you are actually eating? Have you had someone ask you, "Hey what are you eating or what did you have for dinner", and you couldn't tell them? Do you find yourself nibbling on food constantly while you are working, driving, talking on the phone, or watching TV without even thinking about what you are eating. You could be an Absent-Minded Digester. My Dad used to say that my Mom and I ate more accidentally than he did on purpose. That was fairly truthful. Sometimes you just pick up food and eat it without ever really tasting it. If this is you, here are a few suggestions:

* Journal, Journal, Journal. Research shows that writing down everything you eat reduces the amount of food you eat. I think this happens because it forces you to think about what you eat eliminating absent-minded eating.

* Stop Eating when you Stop Tasting the Food. Many of us keep nibbling at a bag of chips or stuffing our mouths with dinner long after we really taste what we are eating. When your taste and hunger leave, put away the chips and push away your plate.

* Clean the table when you have finished eating. If you can't actually take the plate to the sink, then at least push it away from directly in front of you and put the silverware on the plate. This will keep you from continuing to nibble and pick at your food after you have actually finished eating.

* Don't eat and work. A friend of mine mentioned that she would take a bag of animal crackers to work with her and nibble on them all night long. One day she counted how many she ate. It was over 100. At 7.5 calories each, she was consuming nearly 800 empty calories a night that she didn't even taste. She finally started counting out 30 crackers and took some cut veggies with her to work instead. She began losing weight almost immediately just making this one change. So, if you must eat at work, control your access to food. Don't keep a well-stocked fridge in your office or a bowl of candy on the desk.

* Serve to plates and not in bowls. It's too easy to keep dipping your spoon into the serving bowl on the table for just another taste while chatting after dinner. Place individual servings on each plate. If you want to keep seconds for others, then keep them on the stove or in the oven. So you have to go there to get the extra serving.

Many of us use food for therapy. If we are sad, anxious, tired, or bored, we eat. Some of us even talk about "comfort food." Chocolate is usually at the top of the list. This is natural. As babies we were often closest to our mothers when nursing. We felt safe and protected while we were being fed. As adults, we often feel this same sense of well-being while we eat.

Living alone, I find that I often eat things that I'm not even hungry for out of loneliness and boredom. You possibly have your own patterns for using food as self-medication.

Unfortunately, eating for comfort often leads to overeating. So, here are some tips if your "comfort food" is expanding your horizons in more ways than one.

* Ask the Question. Before you stroll to the fridge for that piece of cheesecake, ask yourself, "Am I eating this cheesecake because I'm really craving cheesecake or because I________" You can fill in the blank with whatever emotional issues you are facing at the time: depression, anxiety, loss, boredom, loneliness, etc. Then ask yourself, "Will this really help?" Will you feel any differently after you eat the cheesecake? If you aren'thungry and aren't actually craving cheesecake and you won't feel any better after eating the cheesecake, you might as well have a carrot stick, right?.

* Exercise out your Distress. Research has shown that exercise, especially aerobic exercise, releases endorphins in the brain. These are sometimes called nature's tranquilizers. Vigorous exercise actually helps alleviate depression and puts life's stressors into perspective.

* Call a friend. If you are bored or lonely, instead of eating call a friend and talk about the day. Share joys and sorrows. Talking about things really does help.

* Check the time. Do you find that you seem to always get bored or lonely or "antsy" at about the same time each day. It might have nothing to do with any outside forces or internal emotions. You might simply have gotten into a habit of depression, loneliness or anxiety at a certain time of day. It may also be a biochemical cycle. Or there could be specific triggers at that time of day. For instance, if you and your ex-husband used to snuggle on the couch and watch Touched by an Angel at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday nights, you might feel depression or loneliness most strongly then, even though he is gone and TBA moved to Saturdays. Understanding this can help you cope. Also, you can simply get busy about that time.

* Get out of the House. I think my exercise classes help my emotional health as much as my physical health. They get me out of the house for about an hour a day three days a week. Otherwise, my life tends to go a small cycle of work, church and home. But getting out, meeting other people, even if we are just exercising together, and doing something which improves my sense of self worth not only diverts my attention from eating for that hour, but I feel less likely to seek out comfort food for the rest of the evening.

* Seek Professional Help with your Emotional Problems. It's a strange thing, but if someone falls off a ladder and breaks a leg, he or she will rush to a doctor to have the leg treated. They won't feel any shame about it at all. But if we have an emotional accident, family crisis, loss of a loved one, or other stressful situation in our lives which cause us great emotional pain, we rarely seek the help of a professional in dealing with those problems. And if we do, we look over our shoulders to make sure no one sees us going to a psychologist or counselor. There is no more shame seeking emotional counseling than there is seeking medical treatment. If you are facing serious emotional problems, you don't have to deal with them alone. Most insurance plans and employee assistance plans cover the costs of professional counseling. You'd be surprised how much it can help and you might notice that you don't need to turn to chocolate for comfort.

Understanding your overeating style will help you create a personalized approach to weight loss, which you can live with.

"This article provided courtesy of Get Real Weight Loss (http://www.getrealdiet.com) a realistic approach to healthier living.

Copyright 2002 Terri Main

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"To succeed, you must first improve, to improve, you must first practice, to practice, you must first learn, to learn, you must first fail."

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If you need more motivation and some group support, feel free to subscribe to the Exercise Your Willpower mailing list. We have just started a program to help motivate each other to make goals and try to meet them. It is called Friday Accountablity Program. To get more information, visit our website at: http://www.exerciseyourwillpower.com

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