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You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to it. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please see the instructions at the end of this newsletter. Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. This newsletter is published once a month, usually around the 15th.

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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.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Greetings from the Editor
2. Article—How to Break Out of a Weight Loss Plateau
3. Article—From Gym to Swim: How to Turn Indoor
                   Exercises into a Water Workout
4. Article—How Your Emotions Determine Your Weight
5. Inspirational Quotes
6. Web Sites Worth A Look

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Summer is in full swing now. The children are out of school for the summer, your activities are increased, and you may be planning your summer vacation. How do you accomplish all this and fit exercise into your schedule?

You must decide what you really want to do in order to enjoy the summer. Summer is supposed to be a little more laid back. Since a lot of us have families, children and obligations, we need to decide how we can make the most of our summer without sacrificing our fitness schedules and our peace of mind.

If you have children, think of ways to share activities with them where everyone will reap benefits of physical activity. You may be able to trade time with your partner or friends, where one will watch the children while the other gets to the gym or takes a run or bike ride; you may want to get up early, before the children are up, and get your exercise in; or you may use an exercise video while the children are napping or otherwise occupied.

There will be many opportunities for physical activity. Be sure to ask other mothers or fathers how they are able to work in their exercise time. You may also want to consider joining a mailing list or forum to share ideas. At Exercise Your Willpower mailing list, we encourage each other to fit exercise in on a regular basis, and we ask each other for suggestions regarding various challenges, such as exercising when you have a job, family, and many responsibilities.

You may not have the same schedule that you have during the school year, but make the most of what you have. If you have to cut back on your exercise, it won't be the end of the world. Just do what you can fit in and remember that September will be here before you know it, and you can get back to a stepped up routine again then.

Remember to fit leisure time into your schedule--this is as important as activity. You need to find a nice balance in your life. Enjoy your summer.

Stay healthy and happy!

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"For every person who doubts you, tells you you will fail, try twice as hard to prove them wrong."

~~Unknown

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What is a weight loss plateau?

You are on a diet, but you reach a period of time (two or more weeks) where you can't seem to lose any weight. Your weight may actually fluctuate 3lbs up or down, but you can't seem to break below this range.

You can experience a weight loss plateau for different reasons:

1. You are consuming too many calories for the amount of calories that you are burning off. 2. You are not consuming enough calories; your body defends itself by slowing down your metabolism.

First, you need to determine if you are experiencing a plateau or if your weight is in a state of normal fluctuation. Weigh yourself once per week. If you have not lost any weight after 3 weeks, you've hit a plateau. Remember, people lose weight at different rates. If you've lost even one pound after three weeks, you are still losing weight and probably don't need to change anything. The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it will be to lose weight.

Second, if you are experiencing a plateau, look at your current diet and exercise patterns. The NutriCounter can function as a measurement tool to see how many calories you are consuming each day. (http://www.nutricounter.com) It will also help you determine if you are eating the appropriate amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. You should also keep an exercise journal that will help you determine how much exercise you are getting each day.

Here are some patterns that you may need to break. (Note: before trying any of the methods below, get your doctor's advice. This is especially important if you have special dieting needs.)

1. You should be eating at least 1200 calories a day if you are a woman and 1500 calories per day if you are a man. If you restrict your calories too much your body will start stockpiling fat because it thinks you are starving.




2. You may try to break a plateau by decreasing the percentage of carbohydrates and increasing the percentage of protein that you intake each day.



3. Another common recommendation is not to mix your protein and carbohydrates. If you have a protein breakfast, wait 2-3 hours before resuming your balanced meals.



4. Generally speaking, you should be exercising no more than 1 hour per day. However, ask yourself if your fitness routine is intense enough? Simply walking around the block for 15 minutes a day may not be enough for you. Each person is different. Also, walking around the block may have been an excellent exercise when you first started to lose weight, but it may not be enough now that you've hit a plateau.



5. If you have recently added a fitness regimen to help you lose weight, you may experience a slight weight gain for the first few weeks, especially if part of that routine involves weight lifting. This can be a very frustrating experience. If you are engaged in an intense workout regimen, it may help to measure yourself with a measuring tape, rather than the scale. You will be putting on muscle and muscle will burn more calories than fat, but it's also heavier.



6. If you are already on a low calorie diet and you are sticking to it, then it is not recommended that you cut out any more calories. Increasing your activity is really the key to breaking out of a plateau. However, if you are "supposed" to be on a low calorie diet but you are not sticking to it, well, the answer is obvious: you need to stick to it.

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Vita-Mix® 5000 For Nutrition You Can Taste!

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"Always concentrate on how far you have come, rather than how far you have left to go. The difference in how easy it seems will amaze you."

~~Heidi Johnson

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From Gym to Swim: How to Turn Indoor
Exercises into a Water Workout

So it’s too hot to walk or run outside in the summer, you say? Don’t feel like riding a bike or playing tennis in the brutal heat? Do you want to enjoy your outdoor summer exercise without that sweaty, sticky feeling?

How about hopping in the pool and doing your workout the luxurious way? The pool just might be the only place where you can do cardiovascular work, toning and stretching without even feeling like you’ve broken a sweat!

CARDIOVASCULAR: THE WARM-UP

Swimming laps is one of the best things you can do to strengthen your heart and lungs. If you’re a decent swimmer and enjoy lap swims, spend a few minutes a day at it to warm up for toning and stretching.

Otherwise, walking or running in the pool is just as effective. It may sound easy, but just try it! If you go in up to your shoulders and run, you’ll get your heart rate up with no problem. It may be very difficult to sustain at first, but try to build up your time to at least twenty minutes. One very important thing to remember is to keep your feet as fully planted as possible while you do your pool exercises, especially when walking and running. If you tiptoe (which people tend to do without realizing it), your calves will be killing you the next day. Keep those heels down!

TONING: EIGHT GREAT MOVES YOU CAN DO IN THE POOL

The wonderful thing about water is that it gives you natural resistance with absolutely no impact to the joints. For those with severe arthritis or other joint problems, it offers the perfect alternative to lifting weights. You really can tone up in the pool. Just like weight training, your muscles are contracting against resistance, becoming stronger with each session.

There are exercises you can do for every muscle group, and your risk of injury is extremely low. Think about exercises you do with free weights. The beauty of resistance training is that it is very easily modified. Anything that you do with dumbbells can be translated into a water exercise. If you already have a routine with free weights, you have a license to create your own water move that does the same thing.

Be creative, but also be mindful at all times of your body position (which can be thrown off in the water). Keep your weight distributed evenly and check your posture often. Keep your abdominals tucked in to support your back throughout every exercise. Don’t bend, stretch or reach any further than you do on land. It takes time to grow accustomed to the gravitational difference in water, but as your experience grows, your body will become more in-tune with the water. Here are a few examples of modified free weight exercises:

For the quadriceps (front of the thighs), hamstrings and glutes: Stand with your feet hip-width apart in shallow water with your arms bent at your sides, hands out flat with fingers together and palms up. Slowly bend your knees into a squat position, sticking your derriere out behind you (don’t worry about looking silly – you’re under water!). Do not allow your knees to extend beyond your toes, but try to simulate a sitting-in-a-chair position. Cupping your hands, keeping your back neutral (not arched) and abs tucked in, exhale and stand up straight. Turn your hands to return to the starting position. Be very careful to maintain perfect form throughout this exercise.

For hips and glutes: Facing the edge of the pool, hold on with both hands and slowly bring one leg out to your side, keeping your back straight. Exhale while you bring it up as high as you comfortably can without turning at the ankle (this probably won’t be as high as you could if you did turn your ankle). Bring it back down and repeat, doing a full set for each leg.

For glutes: KICK! You can breeze around on a kickboard or hold onto the side of the pool, but the scissoring motion is great for the buttocks and hamstrings, and it indirectly tones the abdominals. What could be more fun than this?

For the back, shoulders and arms: Do pull-ups. Grasp the side of the pool and lower your body as far as your arms will allow. Keeping your knees bent, exhale and pull yourself up as high as you can (the range of motion for this will vary greatly from one person to another). For the chest: Standing in water up to your neck, reach your hands out to each side, with your elbows unbent and your palms forward. Slowly bring them together, clapping your hands, and then turn your hands to return to the starting position.

For triceps: Stand straight, with your open hands palms-down on the surface of the water. Keeping your elbows locked at your sides (pretend they’re glued to your ribcage), exhale and push down until your hands are beside your hips. Turn your hands and bring them back to the starting position.

For biceps: Bring your open hands to the side of each hip, palms forward, with your fingers close together. Exhale as you slowly bend at the elbow to bring your hands toward your shoulders.

For abs, you can simulate crunches, or here’s a toughie: stand with your back to the side of the pool, holding onto the rim with your elbows. Keeping your knees unbent, slowly bring both legs up to a sitting position and hold it for ten seconds. Do not hold your breath, though. Breath slowly throughout this exercise. Then bend at the knee to bring them down, repeating this as many times as you’d like to. Be careful to keep your back straight throughout this exercise. There are lots of gadgets available for toning; you can get these at most department stores or athletic supply stores. They make the work a little more challenging and possibly give you speedier results, but it’s better to begin water exercise without them. Once you feel like you need to push yourself a little harder, go ahead and use them. They’ll add a new flavor to your old workout, keeping you motivated and interested.

STRETCHING: THE DESSERT

Just about any of the stretches you do on land can also be done in the water. When you’re finished with your toning, hold the side of the pool with one hand, stand on one foot, bend the other knee and grasp your ankle with your free hand to stretch your quadriceps and hip flexors. Hold the side of the pool with one hand and turn your body by pointing your toes away from the wall to stretch your biceps and pectorals. There are many, many stretches that you can do. Just make sure that you’re properly warmed up (this takes a little longer in the pool) and keep your feet flat on the floor at all times.

Finito! You’re done. Remember that your perceived exertion is a little off in the pool – you may feel like you didn’t work that hard, but you did. You also may be a little sore the next day, so don’t push yourself too hard until you know how much you can handle.

IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU ARE NOT A FISH!

You don’t have gills to keep your body hydrated, and it is possible to become dehydrated in the pool, so make sure you drink water before and after your workout. Once working out in the pool becomes a part of your summer lifestyle, you may begin to think you’re a fish, but that’ s only because pool exercise is so fun, it has you hooked!

Please see Shape Up Shop's aqua section www.shapeupshop.com/aqua with water exercise equipment for the summer of 2003!

Maia Appleby is the President of Ideal Fitness, Inc., offering a group of health promoting websites including www.inch-aweigh.com and www.mightyvitamins.com. Please visit her sites for hundreds of articles on fitness, nutrition and weight loss.

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"Aim not for what you are, but for what you could be."

~~Lucas Hellmer

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Workouts For You

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How Your Emotions Determine Your Weight

Have you ever had a time in your life when everything was going well and you felt really good about yourself?

Chances are, you were hitting the gym with regularity and getting your daily walk or run in as well.

You felt confident and happy and as a result, you enjoyed the process of getting fit.

On the flip side, has there ever been a time in your life where things were going so badly that the last thing on your mind was working out and getting in shape.

The physical shape you are in is a direct result of your emotional shape.

Trying to achieve optimum physical fitness when you are not happy with your life is like trying to dig yourself out of a hole:

You do not get very far.

How you feel at any given time about yourself and what's going on in your life influences what type of physical shape you are going to be in.

When you are sad or depressed, often times food is a comfort that allows you to forget about the problems for a brief time.

Unfortunately, when all the food is consumed, you are still left with those same problems.

When you are happy and feeling like things are great, food is just thought of as fuel and sustenance and not comfort.

When you're generally happy, you do not eat just to fill a void, you eat just enough to satisfy your hunger.

When you are sad, you eat just to feel better.

So how do you get yourself on a roll and have piece of mind that allows you to enjoy the process of getting in shape?

You have to start focusing on all the areas of your life that need improving and be willing to take the steps to change them.

When you start feeling better about other areas of your life, you also start thinking of ways to get into shape.

You're also more likely to start doing those things and keep doing those things that will help you reach your fitness goals.

When you're happy, you actually enjoy the process of working out or going for a run.

When you're sad, exercise is the last thing you feel like doing because your body is in a depressed and sluggish state.

You need a period of time in your life where you're willing and able to workout regularly and invest in your fitness.

You must also have piece of mind and be generally happy about where your life is.

Take out some blank pieces of paper.

At the top of one, write FINANCES.

Another write CAREER.

Another write RELATIONSHIPS.

Yet another write HEALTH & FITNESS.

Another write SPIRITUAL.

Of course, these are just a few of the headings you can have, but at the top of each piece of paper, write out the important areas of your life.

Now, under each heading, write out what you want to achieve in each area and what you would have to do to accomplish it.

For example, if under CAREER you wrote "Find a new job" you then would write down "Typing out resume, sending out applications, going for interviews, etc.."

What you're doing is identifying the areas in your life you're unhappy with and you're taking the steps to change them.

When you begin to take action to change the areas of your life you are unhappy about, you'll soon start to feel better about yourself.

When that happens, you'll also start to make better choices about your fitness approach and what you have to do to change your body.

When you're happy in most of the areas in your life, the process of getting into shape will not be far behind.

Trying to get into shape when you are depressed and unhappy is virtually impossible.

If you do achieve it, it most likely will not be long-term.

So make the commitment to yourself that you're going to look at the areas of your life that you want to improve and start taking action to change them.

As you gather momentum, you'll also begin feeling better about exercise and eating better.

It's so much easier to get in shape, lose weight, or be healthy when you're generally happy and feeling good about yourself.

Shawn Lebrun Fitness has one mission--to help you lose fat, gain lean muscle, and get your best body ever! Sign up for the web's most informative fitness FREE newsletter! http://www.shawnlebrunfitness.com/weight-loss-plan.html

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"Above all, challenge yourself. You may well surprise yourself at what strengths you have, what you can accomplish."

~~-Cecile Springer

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Web Sites Worth a Look

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Subscriber Needs Your Support

We have a subscriber who is going to be running a marathon in Alaska to help raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She has a long way to go in order to reach her goal. She will be heading to Alaska in about a week from the time I am writing this.

No donation is too small. All donations are greatly appreciated. Click on the link below to find out more about Jann's quest.

Janns Run For Leukemia

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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 a great group of people who help motivate each other. To get more information, visit our website at: http://www.exerciseyourwillpower.com

Check out the many online fitness and health tools.

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