February 15, 2005

Join the Effort, Support is Key

The Fitness Resolutions article below is here because my resolution is about to start. My first weigh-in will be 9 March.

If you have yet to start or want some help getting started than maybe we can help each other out. The author of the last article stated "Surround yourself with supportive people". If you start with me we can help each other.

Just leave a comment below. You don't have to give a real name, but we do need to be honest about our weight and what works and what doesn't work. If you like I'll add you to this blog and you can post your own account of how it is going.

Hopefully by 9 March I won't be alone in my battle. To read up on how I plan to win this battle check out this post.

February 14, 2005

Fitness Resolutions

I found this article By Aimee Deak and reprint it here with permission.

The holidays are now officially over and it’s time to get back on track! January 1st is the day we all get to start over. A time to make the changes in our lives that we’ve wanted to make but got sidetracked along the way. So, you've had your fill of tempting treats. The holidays are always exciting and indulgent. Now that they're over, hopefully you'll never want to look at another piece of pumpkin pie or vat of mashed potatoes. Starting a healthy eating program will be a pleasure instead of a chore.

Maybe emotionally, you're ready for a change. For most Americans, New Year's is a time of new beginning and emotional rebirth. You may feel the desire to alter your way of life or spend more time focusing on yourself. There's no better time to improve your health.

Also, there's plenty of time to prepare for the next holiday season. You've got a whole year to adapt to a healthy lifestyle. The next time the holidays hit, you'll be better prepared to enjoy yourself without overindulging.

Approximately 90 percent of Americans make at least one New Year's resolution each year. Unfortunately, no matter how well intentioned they are, most people fail to keep their resolutions.

Here are a few ways you can ensure your success:

1. SET OBTAINABLE GOALS. It's reasonable to lose 10 percent of your starting weight within 3 months. The goal of the EVERY BODY LOSES plan is to help you learn how to make healthy eating choices that you can carry with you for life. Rather than focusing on losing as much weight as you can as quickly as you can, realize that, if you follow the plan correctly, this could be the last program you’ll ever need.

2. SET SMALL GOALS AND REWARD YOURSELF OCCASIONALLY. With the EVERY BODY LOSES plan, you may choose to set mini-goals. Once you reach your mini-goal, you can reward yourself and move on to the next mini-goal. Do not always give yourself food as a reward. Instead, treat yourself to new clothes that flatter your new body or a DVD of a favorite movie.

3. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE. You'll be more likely to succeed if you have friends or family offering you encouragement and praise.

TOP 10 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Here is an interesting list of most common New Year’s Resolutions. Whether you're starting a new diet, committing to a regular exercise routine, or promising to spend more time at home, chances are there's someone else out there with the same idea. Does yours make this list?
  1. Lose weight
  2. Exercise more
  3. Spend more time with family
  4. Get out of debt
  5. Work less
  6. Quit smoking or drinking
  7. Get involved in community service
  8. Read more
  9. Get organized
  10. Live life to the fullest
Be well & stay fit!
Aimee Deak
Personal Trainer & Nutrition Analyst
AIM 4 NUTRITION

Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, "Every Body Loses", an easy-to follow, step-by-step guide to fat loss.

You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her website.

Finding Time to Exercise

By Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP

Exercising During Commercials
I'm getting up an hour earlier these days. At first I said I'd never be able to do it: I was already sleep deprived rising at 6 AM how would I ever get up at 5 AM? I'd never be able to get to sleep earlier (this is still true), and a hundred other reasons why it wouldn't work. And then I tried it, and it does work. I'm still sleep deprived, but that extra hour in the morning is a Godsend. I love it.
How do you Present Ideas to Yourself?
So why did it take me so long to "just do it?" Probably the way I presented the idea to myself. Notice I used words such as "never" and "already" as in "I'm already sleep deprived." I kept telling myself it wouldn't work, that it was a bad idea and until the first time I actually tried it, I secretly believed when the alarm rang, I'd just turn it off and go back to sleep. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy getting up early. Mornings are my best time of day. I'm the most productive in the morning so it makes sense to give myself an extra hour.
I Don't Have Time to Exercise
Sometimes a small adjustment in how you run your day can help enormously in freeing up some time for things like exercise. "I don't have time." I hear that a lot, but if asked, "What's your favorite TV show?" most people can list a few -- hours spent sitting and watching. There's nothing wrong with enjoying some TV, but there's also no reason you can't exercise during the commercials.
When I was a kid and it was my turn to clean the house, I made a game out of it. I loved TV, watching probably six or seven hours a day then, so missing a show to clean was not going to happen. So I'd clean during commercials. Today there are over 20 minutes of commercial time during each hour of the show. That's plenty of time for getting things done. As soon as the show broke for commercial, I'd jump from my chair and dash to wherever I'd left off. I'd bring in laundry and fold it while I watched. I'd iron in front of the TV, I'd bring in piles of miscellaneous debris from other rooms and sort it into piles for where it belonged, then on the next commercial I'd go put things away.
I'd move from one room to the next, carrying things that belonged there with me, and returning with things that did not. Eventually the house was clean, and hadn't missed my programs.
If you enjoy TV, consider how much time there is available during the commercials and start using it. Whether for exercise or cleaning, or anything else you need to get done: responding to correspondence, studying, paying bills, grooming the cat - there are lots of little chores we need to do, no reason we can't carry them into our TV room and get them done.
Turn TV Time into "Get Fit" Time
You can turn your TV room into a fitness room easily. A cushy floor mat, if the room isn't carpeted. A pair of dumbbells or two. Empty bleach jugs make good dumbbells, but be careful if they are only partially full of sand, dirt or water (whatever you use to fill them with something to create the weight), as if the weight shifts during the movement you could injure yourself.
Canned food make good homemade weights. I have half pound and one pound cans, heavier can may be too difficult to hold. Go on a scouting expedition around your house and see what you find that could work as weights then store them behind the couch and start using them. Twice a week or three times, consistently, and you'll start noticing a change within a short time - usually in a month or six weeks definitely.
My first exercise equipment was a pair of dumbbells, a one pound and a five pound set. You don't have to have a fully equipped home gym to exercise at home.
Push ups are an incredible exercise, men's and women's style. No special equipment needed, just get on the floor and start. Standing squats (pretend you are going to sit in a chair, then stop at about or before chair level, and return to standing straight). There are even books written for exercising on the commercial breaks. I put together a page with a few of the books I've found which present this concept such as "The Commercial Break Workout: Trim and Tone Two Minutes at a Time" by Linda Buch and Seth Anne Snider-Copley.
Grab some Extra Minutes and Get Started
I wanted to get up an hour earlier so I could work out in the mornings. When I exercise first thing, nothing else interferes. No matter what comes up, it doesn't take away from my fitness program. Unexpected calls or invitations, traffic jams, "There's no bread," yells my son who still thinks it's my job to keep the pantry stocked, so I need to run to the store, nothing ruins my day's plan to ride my bike or lift weights. The consistency of a regular exercise program just makes me feel good - you might find it does the same for you, and if you have had a difficult time finding time - make time. Grab some extra minutes during commercials on TV, get up earlier, find whatever works for you. Write it on your calendar, make a date with yourself, and get started.
Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, and author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss. Visit OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com to learn how she lost 80 pounds over 20 years ago and kept it off, and how you can do the same.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The Beginning

Here I go again. I am currently sick with the head cold of the season. I just had my hours at work changed from a normal M-F day shift to every Sat and Sun from 7pm to 7:30 am with a normal Tuesday, Wednesday day shift. The plus of this is I'll be home three days a week when my kids get home from school.

I am hoping to start my next battle with an initial weigh in on 9 March (post Girl Scout cookie season, my wife is the cookie mom for the troop). Until then I will get some articles together that might benefit us all.

Personally I plan to use Weight watchers' point system. I had signed up for Weight Watchers at Home program previously and it worked well. I used a program called WW Calc on my palm to keep track of everything. When you add the restaurant databases to this program you can go to Red Lobster and look up the menu and points on your palm pilot then add it to your daily journal. To find out about this program go here.

While I'm at it if you are interested in losing weight I highly recommend Dottie's Weight Loss Zone as a site to gather info and share experiences.