Beginning August 1st, everytime you refer a friend who signs up for a year membership at The Fitness Factory, your name will be entered to WIN $500!  So the more people you refer, the more chances you will have to WIN $500!

It’s Simple, here’s what you need to do:

1. Refer a Friend to join TFF for at least a 1 year membership (the more people you refer the better your chances of winning the $500).
2. Be sure your Friend mentions your name as the referral when signing up for a membership.
3. This contest begins August 1, 2010 and goes through December 1, 2010 just in time for Christmas.

This is NOT retro-active – so if you referred someone last month, we appreciate it a lot but it doesn’t get your name in the drawing for this contest.

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING THE FITNESS FACTORY

TO PURSUE YOUR HEALTH & FITNESS GOALS!

For instance, caffeine addicts might find it very difficult to limit or eliminate the intake of caffeine from their daily lives. Remember, caffeine can not only make your feel nervous, but can also lead to lack of sleep. What happens when you sleep poorly? Poor sleep can result into early tiredness, headache and muscle pain.

Working individuals might also experience a hit in their productivity. As long as you curb the intake of caffeine to a cup of two, you will be fine. Also, make sure that you supply your body with at least 8 hours of sleep on daily basis. Your cells will be completely rejuvenated once you wake up, thereby making you feel energetic for the rest of the day.

Next on the elimination list are alcohol, sugar and carbohydrates. It’s imperative that you cut back on these ingredients as our body does not respond positively to these substances. For instance, intake of carbohydrate and sugar leads to the release of insulin, which causes tiredness. It’s in your best interest to have alcohol in moderation. Your best bet over here would be to ensure that you do not consume alcohol after 8pm as this can affect your sleep.

We all live with the general notion that overweight people are lazy in comparison to an average guy. There is some real truth in this notion. Imagine carrying 20 pounds of weight on your body all day long. Won’t you feel tired? To experience a boost in energy, one needs to get rid of the excess body flesh.

Not many individuals out there realize that there is a direct relationship between our mood and diet. The food that you eat on day to day basis determines your energy level to a great extent. It’s advisable that you resort to natural foods for optimum energy level. Also, do not commit the mistake of skipping meals, as your body will feel really drained out, especially if you skip breakfast.

Feeling of tiredness and annoyance will creep in, thus robbing your body off its energy. This situation might also result into overeating in the later part of the day, and when we overeat; our body tends to get lazy and laid-back. It’s advisable that one breaks his/her meal in small proportions, rather than having a big meal at a time. Spreading your meals evenly will ensure that you are loaded with energy throughout the day.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in fibers and they are known to boost our body metabolism. Boost in body metabolism implies more flow of energy. Besides this, drink lots of water. Individuals who do not drink adequate water can fall prey to dehydration. Lack of energy is an apparent feature associated with dehydration.

Stress can also kill your energy. While you might want to burry several emotions within your mind and body, it’s imperative that you find a solution to curb or eliminate stress. Prolonged stress will deprive your body off the much needed energy.

Exercise and yoga are found to be great stress relieving tools. Devote sometime from your daily routine towards one or combination of these activities to reduce stress and to experience a surge in your energy level. Also, avoid the regular office rush stress. Proper planning would be the key over here. Listening to your favorite music, reading motivational books and indulging in hobbies can also shoot up your energy level. Basically, doing things that you enjoy doing will boost your energy level.

Recent studies have revealed the fact that walking speeds up our body metabolism, thus making us feel more energetic. This energetic feeling prevails for several hours after your finish walking. Your best bet would be to act first, rather than waiting for the boost in energy. Feelings will follow suit!

Source: Health Guidance

Ingredients

• 4 lbs watermelon, cubed
• 3 large tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced fresh basil
• 1/4 cup diced fresh mint

How to Make It
1.) Place watermelon and tomatoes in a bowl.

2.) Crumble feta over the top.

3.) Drizzle with olive oil.

4.) Season with salt and pepper.

5.) Toss gently and top with basil and mint.

Nutritional Breakdown
Per serving
Calories: 347
Protein: 9 g
Carbs: 59 g
Fat: 12 g
Fiber: 3 g
Serves 6

Created by Andrew Swallow, author of Mixt Salads: A Chef’s Bold Creations

These well-intentioned efforts to help us make wiser choices make sense, right? Unfortunately, research in behavioral economics shows that these measures often have the opposite intended effects. Paradoxically, people will eat less healthily, when they know what they’re eating. Ignorance seems to be bliss when it comes to indulging our taste buds as we step into a restaurant, whether it’s a local McDonald’s or New York’s posh Oyster Bar.

George Loewenstein, Professor of Economics and Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, has pioneered important and fascinating behavioral economics research on diet and health choices, including a NY Times Op-Ed. You can learn more about his work including a webcast and paper available online in which he discusses factors contributing to obesity, including the posting of calorie charts (these are lengthy but well worth your time if you want to explore the topic further).

Conventional economics assumes that our choices are made on the basis of rational consideration of alternatives. In behavioral economics, the foibles of human decision-making are brought to light. For example, we are easily led to buy products because they cost more, not less. Luxury marketers are already aware of this fact in practice, which is why some stores, even in hard economic times, never reduce their products (try finding Louis Vuitton purses on sale, for instance!).

The principles of behavioral economics are no more evident than when we are faced with menu choices in restaurants, causing us to throw rational decision-making to the winds. One of the big problems is that (surprise, surprise) when you go to a restaurant, you’re hungry. Your hypothalamus issues the demand “FEED ME!” Your hypothalamus is the part of the lower brain regions, structures not noted for their ability to perform complex mathematical calculations. All the hypothalamus cares about is getting nutrients of any kind into the bloodstream, and now.

So, there’s that lovely calorie chart posted on the wall, but our hypothalamus pays no attention. What about the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that does make wise decisions? Although some customers will give voice to their upper brain regions, these tend to be the people already motivated to watch their weight. If the calorie chart wasn’t posted, they would bring along one of their own, perhaps even one they downloaded ahead of time online (now that is the prefrontal cortex at work!).

Sometimes the prefrontal cortex thinks it is making a good decision through that wonderful defense mechanism of rationalization. “Hey,” it says, “that Big Mac has 704 calories, but the Caesar salad with dressing has 510.” Rationalization leads you to decide that it’s not even a 200 calorie difference, so what’s the big deal? Behavioral economists talk about the fact that these small decisions on one occasion don’t seem “that bad” (especially when your hypothalamus is jumping up and down screaming for sustenance). Over time, of course, these little 200 calorie decisions do add up. But at the moment, you’re not into the business of projecting far into the future. As Freud would say, the id trumps the super-ego.

Of course all this is based on the premise that people actually read calorie charts, and as we know, they don’t. You can bring a hungry person to a restaurant but you can’t make that person read past the menu. Now, here’s where there is some potential to change behavior.

Behavioral economics tells us that people will often revert to whatever the default choice is when given options. Big Macs automatically come with cheese and a mayo-based sauce. What if those calorie boosting add-ons required you to make an additional request? Going with the default principle would mean that your 704 calorie indulgence now has closer to what that Caesar salad would offer. In fact, what Loewenstein and like-minded behavioral economists are suggesting is a policy whose name might scare some people: paternalistically assymetry. Or, if you prefer, choices of convenience. Make the default option the healthy one, in other words.

There are many factors contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United States, but fast food meals with their low price tags and ubiquitous presence in the highways and byways of the land, loom large in the list of causes. We’ve learned recently from a University of Buffalo study that living near convenience stores and restaurants rather than grocery stores may also contribute to weight gain in women. We have to be careful here in that, as I’ve pointed out in previous blogs, correlation doesn’t equal causation. Your street address doesn’t cause your weight gain. Instead, a third factor, most likely economic status of the neighborhood, is the big culprit here. There are more convenience stores and fast-food restaurants in poorer neighborhoods. If people don’t have cars to drive out to the suburbs where the large supermarkets with healthier alternatives, hypothalamus or not, they’ll eat what’s close by. And many of these healthier food stores aren’t cheap.  Whole Foods isn’t nicknamed “Whole Wallet” for nothing.

Turns out that even these healthy-sounding bills of fare are not such great news for our bodies. When you stop to read the small print, you’ll wonder if “whole food” might not mean “whole lot of bad stuff.” Let’s say you’re going to browse around for a nutricious breakfast or morning snack. What could be better than the “Morning Glory Muffin”? You see visions of lovely little blue flowers as you wander around the meadow, pouring wonderful nutrients into your health-food craving prefrontal cortex. Clouds loom overhead once you read the fine print about what is actually in that mere 99g innocent-sounding delight: 310 calories (160 from fat), 18g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 4g protein, 36g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 13g sugar), 70mg cholesterol, 310mg sodium. Sure this stacks up better than some McDonald’s breakfast offerings, but it’s not much of an improvement over some options including a warm cinnamon bun (mmm…).

The principle of convenience or least effort in decision-making applies to many other health-related areas. Consider the default shoe options now being offered by retailers from Jimmy Choo to Target.  Teeteringly high platforms and stilettos are now the rule of the rack. The healthy (and fashionable) alternatives with their humdrum names (“Naturalizer” to name one), are either not advertised or available (or cheap, for that matter). Similarly, the elevators in many buildings gleam brightly and temptingly at front entrances with their polished steel and glass surfaces. Staircases are hidden behind imposing doors that appear to lead only to emergency exits (and could sound an alarm). Stairwells are ugly, dirty, and poorly lit.  In restaurants and bars throughout the world (less and less in developed countries), we have to ask to be seated in a non-smoking section. The list goes on and on.Consumers are constantly being tempted to slide into unhealthy default options that over time cause our health to deteriorate.

How can you avoid the trap of the easy but unhealthy default option? Here are five suggestions:

1. Make the commitment to engage your prefrontal cortex. No matter what sorts of unrealistic demands your hypothalamus makes for quick and easy decisions get started on effortful processing. Think about what you’re doing, project your decisions into the future, and imagine the outcomes.

2. Be a non-conformist. You’re out with your friends for a good time and those cheese-covered nachos that they order are sounding awfully good. Don’t be afraid to get a veggie plate instead (and I don’t mean a deep-friend veggie plate). Go ahead and have ONE or two nachos to go along with the gang. Chances are, though, that once you buck the nachos trend, your friends may also be mooching off your platter.

3. Read the fine print. It’s annoying how small the “nutrition facts” charts are on packaged foods. Never mind- read them and be sure to read the serving sizes as well. If you’re afraid of looking uncool because you need to whip out your reading glasses, so what? No one will care (revert to principle #2, above).

4. Support paternalistic assymetry. Start a campaign at work to beautify the stairwells. Suggest that retailers make healthy alternatives more prominent. When you cook meals for your family, don’t add the salt or butter ahead of time to those green beans but make them ask first. You can adopt the Bloomberg principle and gradually reduce the additives such as sugar so that over time they’re not missed as much.

5. Question what’s in a name. We are all so easily duped by euphemistic names that we rarely question what’s being offered to us. Make sure that the so-called healthy alternative you’ve selected isn’t loaded with sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fat substitutes. Here’s where healthy skepticism can really be “healthy.”

It’s not easy to resist the trends of society, our friends, and even our brains when it comes to making good lifestyle choices. But with some effort and a few simple steps, you can make that all important start toward healthy self-fulfillment.

But whatever you do, please don’t take this advice with a grain of salt!

You can access free interactive resources, personality quizzes, and articles at: www.searchforfulfillment.comSusan is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the author of 21 books including her most recent book, “The Search for Fulfillment.”

Published on Psychology Today (http://www.psychologytoday.com)

Created Jul 20 2010 – 10:11am

Links:
[1] http://www.consumerfedofca.org/article.php?id=977
[2] http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3420655&page=1
[3] http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/31/nyregion/2010criticb-chart.html
[4] http://sds.hss.cmu.edu/src/faculty/loewenstein.php
[5] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/opinion/15loewenstein.html
[6] https://admin.acrobat.com/_a934360949/p22312150/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal
[7] http://sds.hss.cmu.edu/media/pdfs/loewenstein/PromotingHealthierChoices.pdf
[8] http://www.answers.com/topic/hypothalamus
[9] http://neuro.psyc.memphis.edu/neuropsyc/np-l2-pref.htm
[10] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100702152403.htm
[11] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201003/the-sole-fulfillment-keeping-the-bounce-in-your-walk
[12] https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/personality
[13] http://www.searchforfulfillment.com/
[14] http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/teaser/2010/07/calorie.jpg



What would it mean to you if you could automatically just eat the right foods and automatically carry out your workouts every day, without straining… without even having to think about it?

How would your body and your health change if you just automatically did the right thing everyday… as effortlessly as you shower, brush your teeth or get dressed?

Would you agree that the most challenging part of losing weight and getting in shape is taking the right actions every day? (Not “talking”… but “DOING”?)

• It’s easy to say, “Eat smaller, more frequent meals.”
• It’s easy to say, “Eat natural foods, avoid refined food and sugar.”
• It’s easy to say, “Eat ample amounts of healthy, essential fats.”
• It’s easy to say, “Eat a lean protein with each of your meals.”
• It’s easy to say, “Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day”
• It’s easy to say, “Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day”

Yes, easy to say… easy to talk about… not always so easy to do.

Why is it such a challenge to DO the things that you know you must do every day to get results? Why do we say one thing, and then do another?

The answer lies in your subconscious mind and in the awesome force known as HABIT, which has enormous power to pull you in a certain direction… positive or negative.

Your subconscious manages and carries out autonomic functions of your body, including digestion, circulation and respiration, so you don’t have to think about them. If you’ve ever studied human anatomy and physiology, then you can appreciate the importance of this. The complexity and number of human bodily functions is staggering.

Can you imagine if you had to consciously think about or “will” your body to digest food, release hormones, beat your heart, circulate blood and all the other countless functions that are going on in your body at the same time?

It would be impossible. And that’s where your subconscious mind comes in. It handles all this stuff for you on an un-conscious level so you don’t have to be overwhelmed.

In the same way, your subconscious handles many ordinary behaviors every day so you don’t have to be overwhelmed.

A habit is simply an automatic behavior. The behavior has become automatic because it has been repeated frequently and thereby, turned over to subconscious control.

A habit, then, could be described as a behavior pattern fixed in your subconscious mind as a result of repetition.

Habits are a result of behaviors repeated… but they begin with a single act.

Orison Swett Marden, founder of Success magazine, once wrote,

“The beginning of a habit is like an invisible thread, but every time we repeat the act we strengthen the strand, add to it another filament, until it becomes a great cable and binds us irrevocably.”

I often advise my clients to become very aware of the behaviors they repeat on a regular basis and never to do things daily that they don’t want to become habits.

Take the habit of drinking for example…

You often hear the advice that drinking in moderation is okay, and that moderation is defined as “one or two drinks a day.”

I’ve had many clients say that they enjoy one or two drinks every night. They defend their behavior by arguing that “research says it’s good for you” (especially red wine), and that they’re even getting good results from their workouts.

I tell them that this may be true, but I warn them to consider the long term consequences because any behavior you repeat every day is HABIT-FORMING.

We are all forming and reinforcing habits every day of our lives. Some are positive habits that move us towards our goals and some are negative habits that move us away from them. Some behaviors which appear relatively harmless as a single act are extremely negative in their cumulative effects, eventually causing much pain and anguish. Their opposites, if identified and cultivated, would bring us health, happiness and all else that is good.

Your subconscious mind is a machine. It functions exactly like a computer. In fact, your subconscious mind is the most magnificent and powerful computer ever created.

“Behold I set before you both a blessing and a curse” is not just a famous quote from the bible, it is a perfect description of the law that governs the function of your “subconscious computer.”

Your subconscious does not care what instructions you program into it or what habits you choose to develop. The subconscious is completely impartial and will carry out your “commands” – whether intentional or by default – to the letter, without question, 100% of the time.

Whatever thoughts you impress upon your subconscious repeatedly will eventually express themselves in your body or through your behaviors, and whatever behaviors you perform repeatedly, will eventually become habits.

Once a habit is established, it will require no conscious thought or effort to repeat in the future, and in fact, will take enormous strength to break… very much like swimming upstream against the current.

Knowing that your subconscious is your unquestioning servant, wouldn’t it be easier to harness the power of habit in your favor and be swept towards your goals by the current of positive habit?

I started working out at a very young age, and I’ve now been training non stop for over 20 years.

How have I become so consistent in my training? Pure habit force! There is never a “discussion” in my head about whether I should go to the gym… I just put on my gym clothes and go… automatically.

It’s HARD to miss a workout!

I guess you could say that me skipping a workout is like a drug addict skipping his fix. Odd analogy, perhaps, but isn’t it true that people become “addicted” to exercise?

What are you addicted to through force of habit? Are your habits positive or negative? Did you ever consider that you can harness the power of positive habits?

You can!

The question, of course, is HOW?

It seems so hard to form new positive habits, and maybe even harder to break bad ones.

Well, it takes a method… you need a strategy. People have written entire books on this, but let me offer you 4 quick and simple tips you can use right away to harness the power of positive habits in your life:

1. Cultivate Awareness

Ignorance is not bliss. Awareness is bliss. You are on auto pilot and probably don’t even realize it. 99% of the actions you take every day are habits. Some are positive, some are negative. All are carried out automatically without conscious thought required. You don’t have to think about how to tie your shoelaces anymore.

That “skill” has long since been filed away in your subconscious mind. You don’t have to think about how to drive your car… that function too, has long since been filed away in your subconscious (but do you remember the first time you tried to drive… especially if it was a stick shift?)

And so it is with dozens of other behaviors you carry out every day. And thank God that they’re automated… can you imagine if you had to think about them? (your brain would explode!)

The question is, do you have yourself programmed on auto pilot with negative habits or positive ones? If you don’t know the answer, you’d better take an inventory of your habits, and identify any limiting habits that you weren’t even conscious of until just now. As the old self help maxim says, “You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know you have one.”

2. Begin with your mind, and your body will follow

U.S. Anderson once wrote, “Success isn’t the result of hard work, it is the result of right thinking.”

At first, this may not appear to make sense, because obviously you must take action (work hard) in order to succeed. However, by examining this statement on a deeper level, you realize it is 100% accurate because actions are a result of our thinking and our mental programming. Therefore, the logical place to begin when you want success, is in your mind, by changing your thoughts and changing the programming that causes your habitual actions. Success begins in your own mind.

The thought always gives birth to the action. Too many people focus on “forcing” behaviors, but force negates and willpower fails you in the long term. The real power lies in your thoughts which create the habitual behaviors. To change the behavior, you DON’T USE WILLPOWER alone, you simply trace the behavior back to the thought patterns that created it and change the thoughts.

3. Replace negative habits with positive ones

Nature abhors a vacuum. If you manage to simply remove a negative habit, it leaves a vacuum begging to be filled. Often the bad habit returns to re-occupy its old space or another bad habit simply takes it’s place.

The way to get rid of a bad habit forever is to replace it with a positive one. This is especially easy and effective when it comes to food choices. If there is a particular food you habitually eat and know you shouldn’t, don’t just try to eliminate it. Instead find a better choice to replace it with. Each time you feel the urge for the old food, reach for the new one instead. It’s a simple process of substitution.

4. Never repeat a negative behavior if you don’t want it to become a habit; repeat, reinforce and reward positive behaviors you DO want to become habits

Suppose you’ve managed to haul your butt to the gym a few times a week, but you hate training legs. So you gleefully finish your upper body, then say to yourself, “Ah, I don’t need to do my legs today… I’ll do them next time.” Sure enough, next time rolls around and the same urge pops into your mind… “My legs are fine… It’s my chest and arms I really care about most.” So you blow off legs again.

Right there in the moment, you must become aware of what’s about to happen, and catch yourself. What’s “about to happen?”  A negative habit is about to begin forming.

Forming a brand new positive habit is not all that difficult – all it takes is about 21 days of conscious effort for the behavior to be turned over to subconscious control.

Getting rid of negative habits is more difficult, so the best way to avoid falling under their influence is to stop them from forming in the first place. If you do something once… no problem. But if you’re tempted to do it twice… kill it, before it grows roots.

By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide

You already know how to lose weight…At it’s simplest, you need to burn more calories than you eat, right? And exercising and eating healthy is the healthiest way to do that, right? But, successful weight loss doesn’t start with your body–it starts with your mind.

As we’ve all discovered, the mind is a powerful thing–it can take you to success or failure, depending on your attitude. What you think about yourself can make the difference between reaching your goals and quitting before you even get close. So how do you get your mind right to make exercise and healthy eating a part of your life? Below are some key ingredients you can rely on to reach your goals.

Commitment

You already know you have to commit to being healthy, but what does that actually involve? It’s more than just shouting from the roof tops “I’M COMMITTED TO BEING HEALTHY!” Being committed means you have to wake up every day and decide you’re going to make healthy choices. Being committed is a choice and something you have to reinforce each day. So how do you do that? Use these tips to help you commit to your goals:

• Plan and Prepare. The night before, plan your workout for the next day and get all your stuff (gym bag, clothes, etc.) ready to go. Decide what and when you’ll eat and get your meals ready. Make it as easy as possible to follow through with your plans.
• Motivate Yourself. Remind yourself throughout the day of your workout plans–send yourself a reminder or have a friend call and ask about your workout, so it’s always in the front of your mind.
• Hold Yourself Accountable. What will happen if you skip that workout? You need to have consequences so that missing your workout isn’t an option–maybe you can’t watch your favorite TV show until you exercise. On the other side, you can also reward yourself for working out–just make sure you don’t reward yourself with food.
• Remember Your Goals. As you’re getting ready for the day, remember what your goals are. Weight loss? More energy? Whatever it is, that workout is an important step in reaching it. Remind yourself of the big picture–what you do today counts!

Discipline

Such an ugly word, I know, but discipline is a part of successful weight loss and just another way of saying self-control. Think of how you practice self-control in the other parts of your life. Each day you fulfill your obligations to work and family, even when you’d rather just lie in bed and sleep late. That takes discipline. The same can be true of exercise. Of course, it’s easy to make yourself go to work because there are consequences if you don’t–you won’t make as much money or you could lose your job. But if you don’t workout, the consequences aren’t as immediate, are they? Try these ideas to get more disciplined with exercise:

• Make Exercise a Habit. Part of being disciplined is creating a habit. You may not want to brush your teeth every night, but you do it anyway because you always do it right before bed…it’s a habit. You can do the same thing with exercise by keeping your workouts on specific days and times each week (if you can). Knowing that every Monday at 6 a.m. will find you at the gym will make it that much easier to show up for your workouts.
• Know the Consequences. You already know what happens if you don’t brush your teeth–cavities, gum disease, painful dental experiences, etc. But what are the consequences of not exercising? Make a list of all the things that could happen to your body and mind without exercise such as weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, to name a few.
• Get Some Help. One sure way to show up for your workout is to have someone waiting for you. One option is a personal trainer–someone who will hold you accountable for your workouts while educating you all at the same time. Another option is to get a workout buddy and have consquences if you don’t show up. Having that support will make exercise more enjoyable AND keep you on track.
• Make a Deal With Yourself. Don’t feel like working out? Promise yourself you’ll just do a warm up. If after 10 minutes you still don’t want to workout, you can quit and go home. The majority of the time, you’ll keep going…trust me.

Honesty

Being honest with yourself about what you’ll really do is a tough one. Many people fail at weight loss because they set their sights too high, planning so many workouts and diet changes, it’s impossible to follow. This is where a little self-awareness comes in and what that means is figuring out what you’ll really do to reach your goals. Take some time to ask yourself some crucial questions before embarking on another failed journey. Ask yourself:

• How much time will you really spend exercising? Forget the guidelines and decide what you’ll actually do…then plan your workouts accordingly. If you’re not going to spend an hour doing cardio, don’t set that as a goal–set a goal you can reach!
• Are you willing to do what it takes to reach your goals? If you want to lose weight, are you willing to change your eating habits? What if that means spending more time cooking and shopping? Preparing your meals in advance? Saying no those daily lunches out with co-workers? What if it means you have to keep track of what you’re eating and work on your bad habits? Decide if you’re really willing to commit to doing that every single day.
• Can you accept failure? A big part of weight loss is falling off the wagon…and it WILL happen. It happens to all of us! What happens if you flub up one day and give into those pizza cravings? What if you eat that extra piece of pie? Are you willing to accept your slip-up and get back on track or will you just quit at the first mistake? Be honest with yourself about this one because willingness to persevere in these circumstances can mean the difference between success and failure.

Flexibility

Maybe this has happened to you: You start an exercise program–you’re working out, eathing healthy and feeling great. Then, Something Happens–an injury, an illness, a mean boss heaping more work on you. Whatever it is, it throws you off and before you know it, you’ve completely stopped working out.

It’s important to realize that these kinds of things will happen on a regular basis. Your job is to be prepared and, to do that, you have to be more flexible. You need to be willing to…:

• Change your workouts when necessary. If you suddenly have to work late, decide you’re still going to exercise…just in a different way. This might mean squeezing in some stair walking or short, brisk walks whenever you can. Decide you’ll do something, even if it’s just a quick walk.
• Do shorter workouts. Many people quit exercise when they don’t have time to do a full workout. Remember this: Something is always better than nothing. If you only have 10 minutes, use it! It might mean getting up early and lifting weights for 10 minutes before work. Stay committed, but give yourself permission to do what you have time for until things calm down. Try these 10-minute cardio ideas and don’t forget strength training too.
• Be creative. Yes, there are guidelines for exercise, but when time is short, stop worrying about the rules and do what you can. This might mean combining cardio and strength workouts, spreading out your workouts throughout the day or making your household chores a workout, if that’s all you have time for. I have one client who runs around the ball field while she watches her son play baseball–now that’s creative!

Consistency

Consistency is what comes from all that discipline, commitment, honesty and flexibility we’ve been talking about. Why? Because being consistent with your eating and exercise is the only way to reach your goals. Exercising heavily for 3 weeks and then quitting for a month isn’t going to work. Your assignment?

• Find a program that you can live with for the rest of your life. Do something you enjoy and that fits into your daily schedule.
• Create, through trial and error, a workout routine that fits with your life, your goals and your needs.
• Find a way of healthy eating that you can live with for the rest of your life. You already know that diets don’t work–at least for the long-term.
• Give yourself a little leeway to make mistakes and, above all, don’t expect perfection. Be ready to screw up from time to time, acknowledge it and then use it to do better.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different workout activities and times. Try different ways of eating and preparing your food. Find what works for you!

In the end, losing weight requires you to draw on all of your strengths while acknowledging your weaknesses–not an easy thing to do. The good news is, you have many resources to rely on, most of them readily available right there in your own mind. And it helps to have some outside motivation as well. Don’t forget to reward yourself for your successes and don’t be afraid to count on yourself…you know what to do.

We all have goals. What are yours? To lose 20 pounds? Get in shape? Buy a new house? Make more money? Having a goal is the easy part. Reaching it? Well, that’s something else entirely. If you’re frustrated because you feel like you keep coming up short when it comes to realizing your dreams, maybe it’s time to try a different approach.

When setting a goal, ask yourself first of all if your goals are realistic and if you are really ready to make the changes in your life necessary to reach those goals.

“Most people don’t take into consideration whether they’re ready to do what it takes to achieve their goals,” says Steven Rosenberg, PhD. Rosenberg is a behavior therapist, the team psychotherapist for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, and author of I Hope the Hell I WIN! Turning Hope into Reality…How Winners Win! If you’re going through a stressful time at work, for example, this may not be the best time to start a weight loss program; maybe you’d do better to wait a few months and start on, say, your birthday.

Be realistic as well, says Rosenberg. You can’t lose 40 pounds in two weeks, or even a month. Set an achievable objective, such as 1 to 2 pounds a week; by the end of the year, you will have lost the 40 pounds.

Be Committed

“Goals that get reached are those that are firm, well-defined, and to which the individual is truly and completely committed,” says Susan Schachterle, director of the Denver-based Ahimsa Group, which provides consulting and coaching services to individuals and organizations worldwide. “Without that commitment, trying to reach goals is like grabbing Jell-O — you think maybe you have it, but there’s really nothing to hang on to.”

Schachterle suggests that you check your commitment. Ask yourself why you want to achieve that particular goal. What will that do for you? Why is it important? What will your life be like when you have reached it? How will achieving your goal change things for you?

“If you’re having trouble making a strong commitment,” says Schachterle, “make sure it’s the right goal and the right time for you.”

The Art of Saying ‘No’

Another reason many people don’t reach their goals is that they just can’t say no — to everyone else. “Many of us, especially women, put other things and people first,” says Susan Newman, PhD, a social psychologist at Rutgers University and author of The Book of NO: 250 Ways to Say It-and Mean It and Stop People-Pleasing Forever. We’re unable to refuse when asked for our time, our talent, our expertise, or merely our presence.

“Saying yes is a habit we’re not even aware of,” says Newman. “Think ‘no’ before you think ‘yes’ (not the other way around). By adding the word ‘no’ to your vocabulary, you open up vistas of time, not only to work toward a goal but also to think about how to reach it,” Newman says. “In short, you put boundaries in place and establish priorities in the correct order [for you].”

If you haven’t mastered the art of saying “no” and you think that’s derailing your efforts to reach your goals, Newman suggests taking these steps:

· Make a list of how many times a day you say ‘yes.’ “You’ll be startled,” says Newman.

· Pay attention to how you parcel out your time. “For most of us, it just disappears. … Who’s monopolizing the time you could otherwise spend on reaching your goals?”

· Set priorities. Who has first dibs on you and your time?

· Look at your limitations. When do you start to lose your stamina? “Don’t keep pushing until you run out of steam and collapse altogether,” Newman advises.

· Let go of control. You don’t have to do it all yourself. “If you’re doing everything else, there’s no time for you to get back to your goal.”

Be Specific

There are two tricks to properly setting your goals, says University of Alabama at Birmingham clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow, PhD. Klapow is co-author of Stop Telling Me What-Tell Me How: The Simple Answer to Better Health.

First, turn goals into specific behaviors, says Klapow. “To say that you are going to exercise doesn’t tell you which exercise to do, for how long and how frequently. If you don’t know what to do, you are less likely to do the behavior. Be specific. Saying that you plan to walk five minutes a day — and increase the time by one minute each week until you are walking 30 minutes per day — is better than just saying that you plan to exercise.”

Klapow’s second tip is to make sure you are successful at reaching your goals right from the start. “Resolutions need to be things you can actually do,” he says. “This is important because you are more likely to repeat the behaviors in which you are successful. Set short- and long-term target goals and make the short-term goals easy to reach.”

At this time of year, when many of us are making New Year’s resolutions, Klapow reminds us that resolutions are basically a set of new behaviors. Because the behaviors are new, and not learned habits, we have a tendency to slip back into our old behavior patterns.

“The best way to keep track of what you are doing every day,” says Klapow, “is to get a calendar and write down every time you perform your new habit. Don’t leave it up to your mind because your mind can play tricks on you. Three days without performing your new habit is your sign that you may be slipping.”

The Benefits of Intuition

Using your intuition can also help you reach your goals, says Lynn A. Robinson, MEd, author of Real Prosperity: Using the Power of Intuition to Create Financial and Spiritual Abundance. Robinson offers three tips for achieving a specific goal:

· Stay focused on the positive. Pay attention to what is working, not what isn’t. Perhaps a friend called to cheer you up, or your child got off to school this morning without a major tantrum, or you had a really nice lunch with a colleague. “Find those precious slivers of appreciation in each day.”

· Take small steps. There is a two-part trick of working toward a goal: No. 1, just begin, and No. 2, start small. Take a first step toward what you feel excited about and then take another one, and then another one. “Remain centered in the present.”

· Make your intuition your ally. Intuition is “quick and ready insight” and it’s one of the most helpful tools to use when faced with any kind of decision making. It’s also a skill that can be developed. The more you practice it the better you get at it. How does your intuition speak to you? Do you receive information in words, feelings, a flash of insight, a body sensation? Do you just know? “Intuition is the secret weapon of many successful people who describe it as knowing something directly without going through a long analytical process,” says Robinson.

Getting your friends and family involved can also help you reach your goals, says Sandra Beckwith, leader of “Finding the Courage to Change” workshops. “You need someone who will reject your usual excuses — ‘I can’t afford it,’ ‘I don’t know how,’ etc. — and help you see that there’s a way around every obstacle,” says Beckwith. “He or she can brainstorm with you. … This allows you to see a situation from a different perspective, through fresh eyes.”

Actually seeing your goal written down can also help you keep it in the forefront of your mind, adds Newman. “Tape reminders all over the house so your goal will always be in front of you — literally.”

Be Positive

Visualization and mindfulness (including approaches such as meditation and hypnosis) are also ways to help you achieve your goals. Mindfulness trainer Maya Talisman Frost explains that goal-setting is only one aspect of getting what you want. “It’s the intention that gets us where we want to go,” says Frost.

Goals tend to be arbitrary and number-oriented, says Frost, such as the number of pounds lost, amount of money earned, number of hours spent in the gym, and so on. Intentions, on the other hand, are “big-picture” statements about what fulfills you.

Yes, your goal is to lose 20 pounds in six months, but what’s your intention? How about, “I feel strong, healthy, fit, confident, attractive, and sexy,” says Frost. “The number on the scale isn’t what matters most — it’s how you feel each day.”

Positive thinking is often more effective than negative thinking when it comes to changing health behaviors. For example, people quit smoking more readily when the positive aspects of health are emphasized, rather than the negative side.

“Intentions allow us to picture ourselves — and how we’ll feel — when we are successful,” says Frost. “There’s no room for failure in the picture. We focus on the positive and powerful feelings we’ll have.”

Picturing Success

The most effective way to change our beliefs is to create a mental story of success, Frost says. We need to picture ourselves as we want to be, and we need to talk about it. Her basic formula: See it. Say it. Hear it.

· See yourself in the circumstances you desire. Picture it perfectly.

· Craft a one-sentence story that you would like to be true, and say it in the present tense, as though you are describing your life right now.

· Keep repeating yourself. Demand to hear that same story every night before you go to sleep.

“When it comes to achieving your goals, being positive is so important,” agrees Rosenberg. “When you see in your mind’s eye what you want to achieve, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

By Carol Sorgen

WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Sugar-free products have no sugar in them. Period. Instead, they use artificial sweeteners, such as Nutra-Sweet®, Splenda®, saccharine and other carbohydrate-free products. Carbohydrates are the key factor. Diabetics need to watch their carbohydrate intake, and sugar is just one type of carb. If you look at the nutrition label on a product, sugar-free foods will have a very low carbohydrate count—less than a half-gram per serving. That’s what a diabetic shopper looks for.

No Sugar Added (also called NSA) products do not use sugar as an ingredient, but there may be other natural sugars present in the food. Milk contains natural sugars (lactose), and vanilla, eggs and other ingredients have naturally occurring sugars. Other natural sweeteners include honey, fructose, corn syrup and dextrose. These ingredients aren’t sugar, but they will still raise your blood glucose levels. If you look on a nutrition label, No Sugar Added foods will have a higher carbohydrate count. If you’re looking for healthier types of sweeteners and don’t have a need to restrict carbs, then NSA foods are a great choice.

Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy

No doubt about it, exercise is a big plus for both you and your baby (if complications don’t limit your ability to exercise throughout your pregnancy). It can help you:

• feel better. At a time when you wonder if this strange body can possibly be yours, exercise can increase your sense of control and boost your energy level. Not only does it make you feel better by releasing endorphins (naturally occurring chemicals in your brain), appropriate exercise can:
  • relieve backaches and improve your posture by strengthening and toning muscles in your back, butt, and thighs
  • reduce constipation by accelerating movement in your intestine
  • prevent wear and tear on your joints (which become loosened during pregnancy due to normal hormonal changes) by activating the lubricating fluid in your joints
  • help you sleep better by relieving the stress and anxiety that might make you restless at night
  • look better. Exercise increases the blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow.
• prepare you and your body for birth. Strong muscles and a fit heart can greatly ease labor and delivery. Gaining control over your breathing can help you manage pain. And in the event of a lengthy labor, increased endurance can be a real help.
• regain your pre-pregnancy body more quickly. You’ll gain less fat weight during your pregnancy if you continue to exercise (assuming you exercised before becoming pregnant). But don’t expect or try to lose weight by exercising while you’re pregnant. For most women, the goal is to maintain their fitness level throughout pregnancy.

While the jury’s still out on the additional benefits of exercise during pregnancy, some studies have shown that exercise may even lower a woman’s risk of complications, like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

What’s a Safe Exercise Plan During Pregnancy?

It depends on when you start and whether your pregnancy is complicated. If you exercised regularly before becoming pregnant, continue your program, with modifications as you need them.

If you weren’t fit before you became pregnant, don’t give up! Begin slowly and build gradually as you become stronger. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes (that’s 2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week for healthy women who are not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity activity. If you’re healthy, the risks of moderate-intensity activity during pregnancy are very low, and do not increase risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, or early pregnancy loss.

Before you continue your old exercise routine or begin a new one, you should talk to your doctor about exercising while you’re pregnant. Discuss any concerns you may have.

You may need to limit your exercise if you have:

• pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• early contractions
• vaginal bleeding
• premature rupture of your membranes, also known as your water (the fluid in the amniotic sac around the fetus) breaking early

Exercises to Try

That depends on what interests you and what your doctor advises. Many women enjoy dancing, swimming, water aerobics, yoga, Pilates, biking, or walking. Swimming is especially appealing; as it gives you welcome buoyancy (floatability or the feeling of weightlessness). Try for a combination of cardio (aerobic), strength, and flexibility exercises, and avoid bouncing.

Many experts recommend walking. It’s easy to vary the pace, add hills, and add distance. If you’re just starting, begin with a moderately brisk pace for a mile, 3 days a week. Add a couple of minutes every week, pick up the pace a bit, and eventually add hills to your route. Whether you’re a pro or a novice, go slowly for the first 5 minutes to warm up and use the last 5 minutes to cool down.

If you were a runner before you were pregnant, in many cases, you can continue running during your pregnancy, although you may have to modify your routine.

Whatever type of exercise you and your doctor decide on, the key is to listen to your body’s warnings. Many women, for example, become dizzy early in their pregnancy, and as the baby grows, their center of gravity changes. So it may be easy for you to lose your balance, especially in the last trimester.

Your energy level may also vary greatly from day to day. And as your baby grows and pushes up on your lungs, you’ll notice a decreased ability to breathe in more air (and the oxygen it contains) when you exercise. If your body says, “Stop!” — stop!

Your body is signaling that it’s had enough if you feel:

• fatigue
• dizziness
• heart palpitations (your heart pounding in your chest)
• shortness of breath
• pain in your back or pelvis

And if you can’t talk while you’re exercising, you’re doing it too strenuously.

It also isn’t good for your baby if you become overheated because temperatures greater than 102.6° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) could cause problems with the developing fetus — especially in the first trimester — which can potentially lead to birth defects. So don’t overdo exercise on hot days.

When the weather is hot, try to avoid exercising outside during the hottest part of the day (from about 10 AM to 3 PM) or exercise in an air-conditioned place. Also remember that swimming makes it more difficult for you to notice your body heating up because the water makes you feel cooler.

Exercises to Avoid

Most doctors recommend that pregnant women avoid exercises after the first trimester that require them to lie flat on their backs.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it’s also wise to avoid any activities that include:

• bouncing
• jarring (anything that would cause a lot of up and down movement)
• leaping
• a sudden change of direction
• a risk of abdominal injury

Typical limitations include contact sports, downhill skiing, scuba diving, and horseback riding because of the risk of injury they pose.

Although some doctors say step aerobics workouts are acceptable if you can lower the height of your step as your pregnancy progresses, others caution that a changing center of gravity makes falls much more likely. If you do choose to do aerobics, just make sure to avoid becoming extremely winded or exercising to the point of exhaustion.

And check with your doctor if you experience any of these warning signs during any type of exercise:

• vaginal bleeding
• unusual pain
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• unusual shortness of breath
• racing heartbeat or chest pain
• fluid leaking from your vagina
• uterine contractions

Kegel Exercises

Although the effects of Kegel exercises can’t be seen from the outside, some women use them to reduce incontinence (the leakage of urine) caused by the weight of the baby on their bladder. Kegels help to strengthen the “pelvic floor muscles” (the muscles that aid in controlling urination).

Kegels are easy, and you can do them any time you have a few seconds — sitting in your car, at your desk, or standing in line at the store. No one will even know you’re doing them!

To find the correct muscles, pretend you’re trying to stop urinating. Squeeze those muscles for a few seconds, then relax. You’re using the correct muscles if you feel a pull. Or place a finger inside your vagina and feel it tighten when you squeeze. Your doctor can also help you identify the correct muscles.

A few things to keep in mind when you’re doing Kegel exercises:

Don’t tighten other muscles (stomach or legs, for example) at the same time. You want to focus on the muscles you’re exercising.

Don’t hold your breath while you do them because it’s important that your body and muscles continue to receive oxygen while you do any type of exercise.

Don’t regularly do Kegels by stopping and starting your flow of urine while you’re actually going to the bathroom, as this can lead to incomplete emptying of your bladder, which increases the risk of urinary tract infections.

Getting Started

Always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Once you’re ready to get going:

Start gradually. Even 5 minutes a day is a good start if you’ve been inactive. Add 5 minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes.

Dress comfortably in loose-fitting clothes and wear a supportive bra to protect your breasts.

Drink plenty of water to avoid overheating and dehydration.

Skip your exercises if you’re sick.

Opt for a walk in an air-conditioned mall on hot, humid days.

Above all, listen to your body.

Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD

1. Beginner Squats: for Thighs

   If you’re new at this, get started with a beginner version of squats using an exercise ball. Stand against a wall with the ball at your low back, feet hip-width apart and out in front. Slowly lower your body by folding at the hips and bending the knees, dropping glutes toward the floor; slowly move back to the starting position. Your knees should remain over your heels. Perform 10 challenging repetitions.

2. Squats: for Thighs

   Once you’re ready, try squats without an exercise ball. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down, keeping your knees over your ankles. To target more muscle groups in less time, add an overhead press at the same time. With a dumbbell in each hand, rise from the squat position and push weights overhead, palms out. Really focus on good form. Perform 10 repetitions.

3. Forward Lunge: for Thighs

   Standing with feet hip-width apart, take a big step forward with one leg, then lower your body toward the floor, front knee aligned with ankle, back knee pointing to the floor. Return to the starting position, and repeat by stepping forward with the other leg. For more challenge, hold a free weight in both hands and complete the lunge with a rotation in the torso, twisting the body toward the forward leg. Perform 10 repetitions on each side.

4. Romanian Dead lift: for Hamstrings

   To perform a dead lift holding a body bar or free weights, stand up straight with feet hip-width apart. Fold at your hips, moving the hips backward as you lower your upper body parallel to the floor. Keep the legs straight without locking the knees, and keep the back level and the spine in neutral. Lower the weight to just below your knees, then slowly return to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

5. The Bridge: for Hamstrings

   The bridge works the glutes (butt), hamstrings, and the core. Lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, peel your spine off the floor, starting at the tailbone, forming a diagonal line from knees down to shoulders. Slowly return to the starting position. Target your triceps at the same time by holding light weights, lifting your arms ceiling ward, bending your elbows, lower the weights towards the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

6. Push-Ups: for Chest & Core

   Now, let’s move on to the upper body. Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. Lying face-down, place hands a bit wider than your shoulders. Place toes or knees on the floor, creating a smooth line from shoulders to knees or feet. Keeping core muscles engaged lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows. To boost the workout, add an exercise ball under the hips, knees, or feet. Perform 10 repetitions.

7. Chest Press: for the Chest

   Instead of push-ups you can try the chest press with weights. Lying face-up on a bench, with knees bent or feet on the floor, spine relaxed, press a body bar or free weights from your chest toward the ceiling. Extend your arms but don’t lock the elbows, and move slowly in both directions, keeping shoulder blades on the bench. For an extra challenge, do the chest press with your head and upper back on an exercise ball. Perform 10 repetitions.

8. Bent-Over Row: for Back & Biceps

   The bent-over row works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps. Begin the exercise in a bent-over position with your back flat, one knee and one hand on the same side of the body braced on a bench. Hold a free weight in the other hand with arm extended. Lift the weight toward the hip until the upper arm is just beyond horizontal, then slowly lower weight to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

9. Shoulder Press: for Shoulders

   A shoulder press works the shoulder muscles and can be performed standing or seated. For extra back support, use a bench with a back rest. Begin with elbows bent and weights at shoulders. Slowly reach toward the ceiling, keeping the elbows under the hands and the shoulders away from the ears; slowly lower back to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

10. Cable Pull Down: for Upper Back

    For the last upper body exercise, do the cable pull down, which works the upper back. Using a cable machine, sitting straight with a neutral spine, slowly pull the bar down past the face and toward the chest. Only go as far as you can without leaning back, and control the weight on the way back up. Perform 10 repetitions.

11. Bicycle Crunch: for Core & Abdominals

    Lying on your back on the floor, fold knees toward the chest and curl the upper body off the floor. With hands behind head, slowly rotate upper body to the right while drawing the right knee in and reaching the left leg out. Then rotate left and pull the left knee in and extend right leg out. Focus on bringing the shoulder toward the hip (rather than the elbow to the knee), and keep the opposite shoulder off the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

12. Side Plank: for Core or Abdominals

    For another abdominal alternative, lie on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder, and use your torso muscles to lift the body up into a side plank. Then lift the hips higher, then back to the plank, then lower. Do as many as you can with proper form, then repeat on the other side.

13. Have You Completed 20 Minutes?

    Before moving on to the cardio portion of the workout, be sure you’ve completed 20 minutes of resistance training (You can reverse this workout as well by starting with 10 minutes of cardio, then circuit train). If you haven’t, go back and start the circuit over again until you reach the 20 minute goal.

14. Cardiovascular Training

    Once the 20 minutes of resistance training are up, move right into 10 minutes of cardio. Use intense intervals during your cardio session, taking about a minute to get from moderate speed to intense. Whether you’re on the stair-stepper, the elliptical trainer, or the treadmill, do:

    • 30 seconds of the highest speed you can tolerate.
    • Then 30 seconds of normal speed.
    • Then 30 seconds of the stiffest resistance you can handle.
    • Then 30 seconds of normal.
    • Keep moving back and forth between speed and resistance until you’ve completed 10 minutes.

Frequency of Workout

Perform this 30-minute workout routine every other day, or do it two days in a row if that better suits your schedule. These are not hardcore bodybuilding-style routines where the high degree of muscular overload requires full rest to recover.