Stay Motivated to Exercise

How Do I Stay Motivated To Exercise?

The reasons for exercising vary person to person. Studies have indicated that individuals motivation is either driven from within (internal), or driven from outside influence (external). This must be identified to create strategies for oneself to stay motivated to exercise. Individual's can become demotivated from exercise for various reasons:

• Boredom
• Lack of Results
• No support system
• Program not appropriate for the user
• Pain

Possible Strategies:

Variety is the spice of life!
Suggestions for either internal or externally driven individuals is variety. Your program should be built to create modifications in your program either daily, weekly, or monthly. Both types of individuals could benefit from incorporating environmental changes (outdoor, indoor, at home, at health club or PT studio are examples.)

Go for a check-up!
For the externally driven individual, hearing your doctor give you positive or negative feedback can motivate you.  Most people have higher regards for their doctor. If the doctor tells you to move more or eat less that will most likely get you moving. The same can be said if the doctor says great job, keep it going.

Seek A Pro!
Hire a professional coach to help guide and design a program that is just for you. There is no one program that fits all, a coach can match you, your goals, and tasks to the appropriate program.  For the externally driven individual, another voice is in your ear.

Jay Morgan, FAFS

Dynamic Health and Fitness/

My Dynamic Life

Better Bad Food Choices 

Dieting is hard so we recommend that you do not do it! 

Most diets are focused on restrictive methods of calorie control, or tout eliminating certain foods or food groups to achieve desired weight loss.  Most individuals cannot be successful with these methods long-term. The “Better Bad” system is designed to enable you to make better (relatively) food choices and control your food intake in a Realistic, Progressive and Maintainable way.

Trimming a little bit of calories here and there can do wonders for your weight and health.  It is not always about eating less; sometimes it is about eating smarter.  Skimming off calories is easier than you think.  Challenge yourself to implement one new strategy everyday for eating and one for exercise. All it takes are several small efforts to help trim excess calories. Choose a few strategies and you will eat approximately 100 calories less daily. Burn 100 calories more daily by walking for 20 minutes and that adds up to ½ pound per week.  This may not sound like much, but, it all adds up to 20 pounds in a year.

The more BBFC’s you incorporate the more calories (pounds) you will lose.  Small changes will yield HUGE results.

A few methods of a BBFC are:

Portion Control – Eat the same foods that you have been but reduce the amount by 10%

Food Switch – While at a restaurant or fast food establishment make a different selection based on taste, health needs and calorie needs.   A great example would be if you are in the habit of choosing an 800 calories Double Cheeseburger, your choice would be a Fried Chicken Sandwich at 600 calories.  This is not a perfect choice, but it is BETTER by 200 calories and most likely lower in sodium and Total Fat.

Food Frequency - Track the poor food choices you make and the frequency that you eat them.  Your goal is to eat fewer poor choices and decrease the frequency of their consumption.

This can be performed for liquids too.

Application: What can you choose differently while eating away from home this week?

Better Bad Food Choices

Surprise Exercise

Minimize Damage

90 Days to a New You 2012 - Includes the BBFC System.

Measuring Fitness and Weight Loss Success

How can I measure my fitness success?

The most successful people I have seen in fitness and weight loss plans fully understand that weight loss is a slow process and that their patience muscle must be flexed regularly.  Inevitably, weight loss will slow down and/or stop.  It will always happen at a slower pace than you wish it to and if you do not have numerous methods to gauge progress you will end up frustrated, demotivated and even potentially give up before you achieve your success. Also, I have found that most people are successful when the focus is not fat/weight loss but complete wellness/fitness improvement.  Weight loss can be part of the goal, but, if it is the sole focus, failure is imminent.

There are multiple ways to measure success. The more way someone uses to recognize progress the better.

• The physical methods will be:
• body weight and body weight range
• body fat percentage
• circumference measurements
• how your clothes are fitting 
• your ability to perform your workout activities 
• more efficient activities of daily living.

• The psychological measures will be:
• how much better and more confident you are feeling about yourself
• the improvements to your self esteem and your quality of life are endless when proper eating and exercise become a part of your life.

• I would strongly urge you to take ‘Before and After' photos. Photos can be an extremely positive way to provide positive feedback. The day to day changes are incrementally small but when seen over the course of 1, 2 or more months, the visual aid can be staggering.

The improvements to your self esteem and your quality of life are endless when proper eating and exercise become a part of your life.

How long will it take before I start to see results (i.e., changes in my body composition)?

• You should begin to feel better and more energetic within a week or two.
• You should begin to see results in the way your clothes fit and measurement changes within a month.
• Each pound of body fat is 3500 stored calories. If you create a deficit of 500 calories daily, you will lose about 4-5 lbs. monthly for the first few months.

Create your "success" list.  Your motivation and commitment will be much greater.

If you need one, grab it here:

90-Days-New-You-Transform

Are you a Scale Watcher?

Scale Watching

Many people are guilty of watching the scale every day, or even a couple of times a day, when they are following a diet and exercise regimen because they want to see immediate results. However, the effects of changing your eating habits and being more active are not instantaneous. It usually takes a couple of days or weeks before you can see a significant drop in your weight if you follow a healthy diet plan. If you weigh in everyday, there is a big chance that you will be disheartened because of the slow progress when it comes to shedding pounds.

Additionally, most people do not have a steady weight but rather, a body weight range.  It is normal to fluctuate +/- 2-5 lbs every few days.  This is extremely important information  for a dieter to understand as you are in control of some of the factors that cause the fluctuation and not in control of many others.

Keep in mind that there is 3500 calories in 1- pound of body fat. So, if you gained or lost 2 pounds from day to day it is HIGHLY unlikely that you created a 7000 calorie surplus or deficit to achieve the weight fluctuation.

Scale usage should be utilized for watching your weight trend.  The best method is to begin by finding your body weight range.  To do this - weigh daily for 5 days and mark the lowest and highest weights.  This is your natural body weight range.

As an example if Monday you weigh 167 lbs, Tuesday 164 lbs, Wednesday 166 lbs, Thursday 167 lbs and Friday 165 Lbs. Your body weight Range is 164 - 167 lbs.  Every time you step on the scale you should expect to see a number in that range.

While creating better food and fitness habits you will lose weight slowly.  If your are losing 1 lb of fat per week your body weight range would shift at the end of 1 month.  That means it would go from 164 - 167 lbs down to  162 - 165 lbs.

If scale watching has you in a good mood because the scale moved down or worse... a bad mood because it rose, you need to recheck how you are defining success.  The scale will move regardless of how well you are eating or working out.  Put the #'s in perspective by understanding the components of body weight.
Be aware of your weight range and watch your BW trend for true. long-term results.

Get the 2012 Edition of 90 Days to a New You

If you think like this - you WILL NOT succeed.

Critical Thinking or Thinking “Critically”

I have found that most of the successful people that I know are

critical thinkers, while most of the people that consistently struggle for success think critically of themselves, others and circumstances.

Critical thinking is using your Knowledge, Experience and Common Sense to create a SOLUTION for challenges and obstacles. Thinking Critically is the opposite.  The type of person that consistently finds the challenge in the challenge and always seems to find him or herself embroiled in controversy at home, with friends and at work is Thinking Critically.  They have trained themselves to find the worst in people. Chances are high that this person spends a great deal of time trying to convince people, that their way is best and that everyone else is either bad or wrong.  You cannot be focused on the issue and the solution simultaneously.

Begin to notice when you are Thinking Critically and then apply critical thinking to the situation.  Discover your patterns and obstacles and break them.  Critical Thinking delivers solutions from a logical standpoint.  

Critical Thinking allows you to view a situation of its own accord, without interference from past feelings or biases. 

If you are the type (or know the type) of person who is exceedingly difficult to please, that never can find the positive in what they have done, that always belittles everything and everyone (finding fault), and generally is unpleasant and dissatisfied with life then THIS person is THINKING CRITICALLY.

If they are emotional, reactive, persist in unhealthy behaviors and generally just are a real downer - then THIS person is THINKING CRITICALLY.
In nearly 20 years of practice, I have not know many people that are able to attain and maintain any type of progress and satisfaction in their lives.

The type of person that is successful in achieving and maintaining success and happiness are those that do find the progress in the progress, that are process driven (not outcome driven), that set high standards for themselves but also understand the necessity of flexibility and that setbacks exist. The type of person that is truly successful long-term is persistent and tends to FIND reasons to smile.

The person who stops to think of the path to the outcome they desire and sets off on that path is the person that succeeds.

How are you behaving?  Which behaviors need to be continued and which need to be discontinued?

(excerpt from Personal Development Made Simple)

Critical Thinking is Solution Based Thinking.  
 Clear thinking = Good Outcomes.

Personal Development Made Simple

Getting out of a "rut"

A question posed recently from an attendee at a Personal and Professional Development seminar that I was honored to speak at was "How do I get out of a rut?"

The answer is a simple one: Do something/anything different than what you are doing now. Upon further discussion we came up with a few challenges that this person faced in attaining a level of satisfaction and happiness in life:

1. They were either without goals in some areas of life or had made such monumental goals that they were overwhelming.
2. They were falling into an "excuse machine" habit. This person could justify inaction for just about anything. 
3. The goals that were set were not attached to a reason or purpose.  They were very general and hence, not stimulating.
4. When this person took action they simply repeated what they had already done and expected a different result.
5. The very general goals (What) were not attached to an Action Plan (How). 

The solution presented was for the individual to get a clear sense of what they wanted and to create a list of their habits (Helping and Hurting) so they could clearly see what they were and were not doing.

Second was to create an environment for success by choosing an Action Plan that is stimulating, achievable and rewarding.  By deciding to alter 1-2 habits at a time, succeeding and then choosing more habits to change you gain momentum.

Remember:  Action precedes Motivation.

Your duty to gain the success you desire is to figure out if it is a skill that lacks, desire that is missing or knowledge/information to help get you there.

If you need guidance and support to achieve your goals then come visit us!

Just Do It! by: Karen Welby

Just Do It!                                                       Meet Karen  

Everyone knows that regular exercise is essential to living a healthy life.  But look around – how many people do you know with endless excuses about why they don’t work out and can’t remember the last time they worked up a sweat?  Working out doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym lifting heavy weights or running miles on a treadmill.  Small exercises, or simply 10 additional minutes of activity per day, will have a positive impact on your health.

As personal trainers, we have to look deeper to identify what is holding people back.  Doesn’t everyone want to live a healthy life style with more energy and less pain?  The answer should be a resounding “YES!”  Unfortunately, until something big happens in their lives, simply “knowing they should” is not enough to take action.  A hundred excuses can be made and justified before someone commits to an exercise plan.  When they finally run out of excuses, a personal trainer is there to motivate them and support their exercise goals.

The sooner you decide to take action, the sooner you will begin feeling better.  The first couple exercise sessions may leave muscles achy and sore, but like anything else, you have to start at the beginning.  Before you know it, you’ll feel revitalized and have newfound energy to take on the day. Regardless of age, anyone can benefit from moving more!

  

Initial One on One Session

I witnessed an initial “One on One Session” between Robert and a new client.  She explained that she has had her fair share of negative experiences with trainers and gym memberships.  So Robert started small – no intimidating equipment, no nitpicking her stances, no having her do an exercise until failure.   The goal was not to kick her butt and leave her feeling sore for 3 days.  The goal was for her to gain confidence performing basic exercises (that anyone at any age or fitness level can do) and enjoy doing them.  The 1-hour session flew by and in the end she burned calories, increased her heart rate, stretched neglected muscles and left with a sense of accomplishment.

Personal trainers are available to create customized workout plans according to your individualized needs and simply hold you accountable to get the work done.  As Robert’s new client becomes more efficient at the “easy” exercises, her workout plan will be adjusted to continue increasing her fitness level.

Bottom Line

Any movement, no matter how small, outweighs the alternative of no exercise.  Stop making excuses and just do it!

                                                                               Meet Karen

Stay tuned for information on our 5K running program beginning in September.

Successful People

Character Traits of Successful People

1. They are hard working.
There is no such thing as easy money. Success takes hard work and people who are willing to do it. Successful people realize the sacrifices that they must make in order to achieve the results they truly desire.

2. They are honest.
Those who are successful long-term are the honest ones. Successful people are honest with themselves regarding their strengths, needs, opportunities and true production.  Successful people realize that lying only delays results.

3. They persevere.
How many success stories will go untold because they never happened? And all because someone quit. Successful people outlast everybody else. Successful people prepare for the hurdles to come, accept that there will be hurdles, plan for the ones they know will arise and plan to overcome the unforseen hurdles.

4. They are friendly.
Have you noticed that most successful people are friendly and people oriented? This endears them to others and enables them to lead others to accomplish the task.

5. They are lifelong learners.
Successful people are people who stretch themselves and grow continually, learning from all areas of life, including from their mistakes. Successful people surround themselves with people that will support and challenge them, they will seek out advice and education from the people they admire.

6. They over-deliver.
The old statement of under-promise and over-deliver became famous because it made a lot of people successful, including the richest man in the world - Bill Gates

7. They are Positive.

Successful people do not allow themselves to be dragged down by small problems.  they realize that life is filled with challenges, that there is good, bad and ugly that occurs to everyone in differing amounts at different times. Successful people put negativity in perspective and rebound quickly from setbacks.

8. They seek solutions in the face of problems. 
Problems are opportunities to do the impossible, not just complain. Successful people are the ones who
find solutions. Successful people do not view the issue/obstacle as the end.  They are solution based and action oriented.

9. They seek assistance when it is needed.

The most successful people I know seek out the guidance of a coach to get a different perspective, ask the right questions and aid them in getting "un-stuck".

10. They BRING IT ALL. EVERYDAY.

Successful people do more and give more than the average person.  Successful people have set goals and have created a plan to achieve them.  Successful people wake up and TAKE ACTION.

Thanks to Thomas Plummer for teaching me this years ago.  




                                    

How to move a mountain

Here are a few steps to maximizing your potential:

1. Reflect on your life: Spend 10 - 20 minutes daily eflecting. Open up your mind and just think, analyze, consider, ponder, contemplate, imagine, visualize and dream. Capture these thoughts by writing them down so you can re-read later. As Albert Einstein said –“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
2. Become an optimist: If you’ve been stuck on negative thinking, you’ve only created an anchor in your life that’s keeping you down. Always look for the positive in every situation.
3. Set a goal: Set a lofty goal that stretches you outside of your comfort zone. As Napoleon Hill said – “A goal is a dream with a deadline”
4. Define who your role models are: Once you’ve identified them, model yourself after them. If you don’t, you’ll pick up bad habits from all the wrong people.
5. Be grateful: Having an attitude of gratitude invites even better things to come into your life. Life cannot be fun if you are angry and emotional all of the time.
6. Become a life-long learner: Let your mind be the sponge it was created to be – commit to learn something new every day. Read a book and/or watch an entertaining and educational TV show.
7. Embrace change: It’s impossible to reach your full potential if you’re not willing to change. Come to the realization that change is good!
8. All you need is patience (yahh ahhh): Change takes time. Take responsibility for your choices and know that you choose to become part of the process or fight the process.  Either way, change will STILL take time.

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line: Move more, eat less.
Turning off the television and skipping the sugary drinks can help.

Weight is a tough issue. Most people know how important it is to keep weight in check yet struggle to do so. And it's understandable in today's world where calorie-packed food comes fast and easy. But, the health benefits of staying at a healthy weight are huge and well worth the effort.

Because most people put on a pound or two every year, the first, and easiest, goal should be to stop any more weight gain, which has big health benefits itself. After that, getting weight down to a healthy level should be the next step.

Quick weight control tips? 
Get active, choose smaller portions, and eat more s-l-o-w-l-y.

Learn about the IFS Weight Loss Education and Support Program HERE