Fitness and Exercise for Women

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Staying Motivated

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Six Ways to Stay Motivated

I do not like the word “diet” because it implies a temporary state. Chances are that you are trying to improve your health permanently by eliminating bad habits and replacing them with good ones. Diets do not work because they deprive you of foods that you love as well as vital nutrients. Strive to find a healthy balance that will enable you to maintain your new habits as a way of life. That can be challenging so here are some tips to make it a little easier:

1. Do not deprive yourself of what you love. We all have cravings that we could do without – sugar, salt, etc. If you feel that you just cannot live without your bag of potato chips or that apple pie with that large scoop of ice cream, set aside a day of the week where you can indulge – NOT OVERINDULGE, in your craving. You may even find that you no longer have those cravings because of the infrequency of consumption. If you try to completely abstain, chances are you will ultimately binge and feel tremendous guilt afterwards.

2. Find alternatives to your cravings. Do you crave potato chips or other fried snacks? Why not try brushing floured tortillas with olive oil and either baking them or lightly frying them. You can then season them with a little Seasoned Salt and if you like hummus or salsa, you can have a tasty and filling snack that is much healthier than Doritos or Lays Potato Chips. Check out the “Recipes” page for healthy alternatives and recipe ideas. Please feel free to submit your ideas as well!

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3. Think your food through. This may sound strange but it’s actually a mind game that has worked for me many times. When faced with an urge to have that package of cookies, mentally walk through eating those cookies and how you know you are going to feel afterwards. You know that you are going to regret it and feel miserable so when you mentally go there, the cravings will sometimes subside.

4. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You are only human and are going to succumb to temptation from time to time. If you have a weekend outing with friends and down too many margaritas, allow yourself that day of “liberation” and the next day, resume your

healthy eating. You will find that if you do not beat yourself up when you backslide, you find it much easier to maintain your healthy lifestyle in the long run.

5. Exercise, exercise, exercise! Being active is such a vital part of achieving overall health, including weight control. We look for so many shortcuts to losing weight but if you take in more calories than your expend through physical activity, you are going to gain weight. Whether you walk for 30 minutes every day on the treadmill or workout to your favorite DVD, try to work out a minimum of 3-4 days per week for 30 minutes.

This should involve a moderate cardio vascular routine with some weight resistance training also.

6. Do NOT starve yourself. When you fast or go without food for extended periods of time, your body goes into survival mode.

As a means of protecting you from starvation, your metabolism will slow down drastically and try to hold onto every morsel of food that you consume. This is why people regain weight so quickly that may have been lost by crash dieting. When normal eating resumes, calories are now being burned at a much slower pace. Your metabolism will reach its usual level again once normal activity resumes but that will not happen immediately.

7. Find an active and enjoyable hobby. Aside from establishing a consistent workout routine, consider becoming involved in an activity that is fun and that you look forward to. What about a hip hop dance class or ballroom dancing? How about swimming or playing tennis several times a week? These types of activities are high-energy and keep your metabolism burning long after you have settled down.