February 14 , 2002

Volume 2, Issue 3

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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 encourage him or her send a blank e-mail to: FitnessMotivator@exerciseyourwillpower.com.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Greetings from the Editor
2. Article- Be Encouraged
3. Article- 10 Ways to Keep Your Fitness Plan on Track
4. Inspirational Quotes

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February is now about halfway over. Where has the time gone? Valentine's Day is a difficult holiday for a lot of us. We have had many years by being conditioned by the media. We are worthy and we are loveable, and many equate that with being rewarded with chocolates as well as other gifts.

This may not be a problem for some of us, but many of us are realistic enough to know that if we are given Godiva chocolates, we probably will eat them. Yet, we need not have to worry about exercising our willpower to such an extent. We can express our desires and let our loved one know that chocolates are appreciated, but inform them that there are some other delightful ways for them to show their love. Here are some ideas of alternative gifts, and I'm sure you can think of some others.

Flowers (roses always are quite appropriate for most of us on this holiday)

Lingerie

Dinner out at a fancy (or not so fancy) restaurant (where you will chose to eat moderately, but enjoy!)

Jewelry

The list could go on, but what I'm trying to impart is that there are many wonderful alternatives to getting chocolates for Valentine's Day. You have to realize that you are worth it and you need to respect yourself enough to ask or voice your preferences. Most significant others would be delighted not to have to ponder over choosing a gift.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Remember if you already received chocolates this year, you can either give them away to someone or you may put them in the freezer and choose to eat only one or two a day.
We are only a month and a half into the New Year and have about three months before it is time to start wearing shorts. Remember the resolutions you made last month and reassess them. Review your successes so far, and make small goals that are easy for you to achieve in a short period of time. Remember that success grows from each prior success.

Wishing you fitness and health,

Viveca Park

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"Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory."

~~General George S. Patton

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Be Encouraged For Weight Loss!

by Greg Landry, M.S.

On the road to weight loss, fitness, and health, you can easily become discouraged. In fact, discouragement is what leads many people to give-up when they may have been near a point of significant progress and encouragement in their program.

I've put together my "top 10" points of encouragement to help keep your spirits high on your road to weight loss, fitness, and health.

1. It does get better - and often very quickly! Many people that are significantly overweight or that have been sedentary for a long time, find any activity, even walking a few hundred feet, to be very difficult and uncomfortable. Be encouraged, many physiological changes happen very quickly once you start moving. Walking, for example, starts getting easier and more comfortable within a couple of weeks. Keep moving - every day will be a little better! Be encouraged!

2. I love this lady's story. It just makes you want to cheer for her while sitting at your computer. Margie from Madison, Wisconsin weighed 296 pounds when she started walking in her neighborhood. She says she started by walking about half a block twice a day and that it was incredibly difficult at first.

After the second day she had decided to quit but a neighbor encouraged her to continue. Every day she walked the same route but added a little distance each week. She says there were many days when she wanted to quit, but she wanted very badly to lose weight and be healthy.

After several months the people in her neighborhood started noticing her consistency and her progress and started giving her compliments and words of encouragement. She said that after a few months of walking, it went from painful to enjoyable.

About ten months into her walking program, she began her morning walk as usual, but she noticed people out in their yards. As she passed each yard they were clapping and cheering for her, "go Margie", "we're proud of you Margie", "congratulations Margie!" She said tears of happiness flowed through her entire walk that morning as over a hundred people cheered her on all along her route! Be encouraged!

3. The visible signs of progress in a weight loss program are often very slow to come. Healthy weight loss takes time, but that can be very discouraging. Be encouraged to know that for each day that you exercise and eat healthy foods in moderate quantities, you have made progress. It might not be measurable that day, but you have made progress and it will be measurable over a period of weeks and months. Be encouraged!

4. Katherine was 43 years-old and had
been sedentary for 20 years. The scale had not changed in those 20 years - she still weighed 136 pounds, but she knew she had lost muscle and gained fat. Her waist was bigger and she couldn't fit into the same size clothes that she did 20 years earlier. What bothered her most was that she was always tired and never had energy.

She decided to start walking and weight
training but quit after a week. She said, "it's too uncomfortable, I can't keep doing this." I encouraged her to continue and told her that it would get better. She "quit" three times during the next two weeks. We talked frequently.

Six weeks later she started to notice
some muscle tone and she noticed that her endurance and energy level had increased dramatically. She said, "I'm very encouraged!"

Eight months later she had gained two pounds on the scale but lost three inches in her waist - and she walked a marathon! Yeeeeeeesss! Be encouraged!

5. The whole idea behind physical training is that you push your body to do a little more than it's comfortable with and it responds by making physical and physiological changes. These changes make you capable of doing a little more with less discomfort. Be encouraged!

6. Gerald in New Orleans, Louisiana lost 85 pounds after he started walking and weight training. Once he had lost the weight, he decided to do something that would allow him to fully appreciate his weight loss. For an entire day, he carried around a sack that contained 85 pounds of metal weights.

Getting around during that day was a struggle and very tiring. At the end of the day he was exhausted! Life without the weight is great! Be encouraged!

7. Keep records of your progress. Every day write down the positive changes you've noticed and also keep a record of the exercise you do every day. Write down what you did, how long you did it, and any thoughts about your exercise that day. Keep a running total of your minutes. You can look back at what you've done with a great sense of accomplishment and you'll be motivated to do more. Be encouraged!

8. Daily exercise will change your life!
I believe God designed humans to be active on a daily basis. Why? because when you are, lots of good things happen..

- you are healthier

- you feel better and have more energy

- you are less likely to develop cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc.

- you sleep better

- you have a better outlook on life

- your relationships with people are enhanced

- your skin looks healthier

- you are sick less often

- your immune system is stronger

- you lose fat

- you gain toned, lean muscle

- you look healthier

Be encouraged!

9. Betty Jo in Tuscaloosa, Alabama wrote
to me.. "Greg, After 24 years of being married to a grouchy, pessimistic man who didn't enjoy life, I saw all that change over a period of about a year.

Harold was the classic 70 pound overweight couch potato when he was scared into exercising and healthier eating habits by the death of his 46 year-old friend."

Harold's doctor recommended that he start walking every morning and after a couple of weeks Harold told Betty Jo that he wanted to start eating better. Harold really took-off with this "health thing" and lost 72 pounds and become a new man - inside and out. In Betty Jo's words, "I have a new husband. He walks for an hour every morning and he is a joy to be around. His enthusiasm for life makes our marriage fun." Be encouraged!

10. Progress and improvement generate encouragement. YOU can progress and improve and be encouraged to do more. Tomorrow morning, put on your walking shoes and take a walk, even if it's just a few minutes. The next day, do it again - progress and improve. Be encouraged!

"The Metabolism System™ for Fast, Healthy Weight Loss"

Copyright 2001 by Greg Landry, M.S.

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"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe."

~~Anatole France

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10 Ways to Keep Your Fitness Plan on Track

(ARA) - The average American basically hibernates during the cold winter months. We eat more, exercise less and generally become increasingly out of shape.

"Winter is a challenging time of year for those who are trying to maintain healthy habits such as working out and eating low-fat, low-calorie foods," says Jeff Zwiefel, president, Health Enhancement Division of Life Time Fitness.

But complete deprivation is not the answer. "Life is meant to be enjoyed," Zwiefel says. "At Life Time, we think it's possible to balance healthy habits with enjoying special gatherings and foods. We encourage balance and moderation in all areas of your life," he says.

Here are 10 great tips, courtesy of Zwiefel, for staying fit and eating well all winter long.

1) Drink lots of water throughout the day. It suppresses the appetite and is something everyone should do year round.

2) If you're going to an evening party, don't starve yourself all day. It's a good idea to eat a smaller lunch than usual, but if you are starving by the time you arrive, you're more likely to make high-fat, high-calorie choices when you're at the buffet or table.

3) Snack on fruits, vegetables and high-fiber foods whenever possible. Dried fruits are healthy and a good alternative to many sweet snacks such as cookies and candy.

4) Limit alcohol consumption. Remember that alcohol contains almost as many calories per gram as fat. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or club soda while you're at a party.

5) At a party, eat healthy foods first. Use a small plate so you can't load up as easily, or have a friend who has healthy eating habits make up a plate for you.

6) Enjoy the outdoors as much as possible: bundle up and take the dog for a walk, and try skating or sledding; squeeze 10-minute walks into your schedule. Any extra activity helps.

7) Enlist the help of a family member or friend to help keep you on track with healthy habits. Choose someone who can provide not only encouragement, but a good example as well.

8) Acknowledge that you're probably going to miss some workouts from time to time and plan now to work around it. Schedule different times or substitute another activity, even if it's at home.

9) When you attend events or parties where there is a lot of food, leave at a reasonable hour. In addition to helping you get enough sleep, you'll also be removing yourself from the temptation to continue eating unnecessary calories.

10) Remember that balance, variety and moderation apply to celebrations as well as to most other things in life, so don't be too hard on yourself if you slip up. Keep your good intentions, spend time with family and friends and enjoy life!

Contact a Lifetime Fitness facility nearest you or log onto www.lifetimefitness.com

Courtesy of ARA Content

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"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."

~~George Horace Lorimer

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Article of interest on the internet:

Cross-Training: Giving Yourself a Whole-Body Workout

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"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use."

~~Earl Nightingale

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."

~~Aristotle

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"There isn't a person anywhere that isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can." ~~Henry Ford

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If you would like to submit an article, or place an advertisement In this newsletter, or if you have any questions or comments, send them to FitnessMotivator@exerciseyourwillpower.com. I value your feedback. I would love to hear from you.

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If you need more motivation and some group support, feel free to subscribe to the Exercise Your Willpower mailing list. To get more information, visit our website at: http://www.exerciseyourwillpower.com

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