"Diet"/Exercise Help
Tuesday, January 5, 2009
It is hard to believe we are already into 2010! Many of you are continuing on your health & weight loss path, setting out new goals & challenges for the new year. Others may just be starting out on this roller coaster ride! We all know that January 1st is the time of year that so many people start out with good intentions to lose weight & eat better. Unfortunately a high percentage stop too early!
Let's think this through. How long did it take to put on that extra 25 or 50 or even more pounds. Did it creep up on you year by year. Maybe it was 25 pounds in 1 year or 50 in 2 years. I don't know BUT WHY IF IT TOOK THAT LONG TO PUT IT ON, DO YOU EXPECT IT TO COME OFF QUICKER THAN THAT! Honestly, it always takes longer to take it off than to put it on! I know that from personal experience!
So, one of my main pieces of advice is - PATIENCE! Don't expect miracles to happen in 1 week or even 4 weeks. It takes time & there will also be times when you see no poundage loss on the scale (if you are a scale person) but you may have lost inches. OR, there just may not be movement that week. This is very common & you have to BE PATIENT!!!! It takes time!
Right along with this is CONSISTENCY! You have to be consistent. Try stop all this on & off stuff! Even if it is 3 times per week OR you have to shorten up a session a day or two due to other things.. JUST DON"T CANCEL ALL TOGETHER! You can fit in 10-20 minutes somewhere. Studies show that even breaking up your exercise into 3 shorter sessions a day works! If you keep going on & off a "diet" (which by the way is NOT a lifestyle change for life), you will never learn to "listen" or understand your body & how it reacts to
certain food choices AND exercise. I have been able to keep this up so long & keep it off because I LISTEN TO MY BODY & MAKE CHANGES BASED ON WHAT MY BODY AND LIFE ARE TELLING ME. I have made more changes than I can count high.. OK that is an exaggeration! Each choice is one I know I can live with life long or until my bod tells me otherwise. A fellow blogger asked me to provide a piece of advice to him & this is the one I provided because even though food is at least 70-80% of the equation & mixing it up is important & portion control & logging food & all the rest, this is the one that really has helped me the most: LEARNING TO LISTEN TO MY BODY & MAKE CHANGES BOTH WITH MY FOOD & EXERCISE ALONG THE WAY TO FORCE MY BODY TO CHANGE. Without consistency, I would not be able to know what my body is telling me LIFE LONG!
Too busy, again, do shorter sessions & increase the intensity. OR how about fitting it in while watching your fav TV show. We all know everything is starting up again in the new year! Idol, Biggest Loser & all the series shows. I have done endless posts on making use of your TV time but in case you want more, how about this workout from Joy Bauer of The Today Show, Hey, couch potato! Try Joy’s TV workout. Turn your favorite 30-minute TV show into a living-room workout routine: Read the full article for tips!
It is hard to believe we are already into 2010! Many of you are continuing on your health & weight loss path, setting out new goals & challenges for the new year. Others may just be starting out on this roller coaster ride! We all know that January 1st is the time of year that so many people start out with good intentions to lose weight & eat better. Unfortunately a high percentage stop too early!
Let's think this through. How long did it take to put on that extra 25 or 50 or even more pounds. Did it creep up on you year by year. Maybe it was 25 pounds in 1 year or 50 in 2 years. I don't know BUT WHY IF IT TOOK THAT LONG TO PUT IT ON, DO YOU EXPECT IT TO COME OFF QUICKER THAN THAT! Honestly, it always takes longer to take it off than to put it on! I know that from personal experience!
So, one of my main pieces of advice is - PATIENCE! Don't expect miracles to happen in 1 week or even 4 weeks. It takes time & there will also be times when you see no poundage loss on the scale (if you are a scale person) but you may have lost inches. OR, there just may not be movement that week. This is very common & you have to BE PATIENT!!!! It takes time!
Right along with this is CONSISTENCY! You have to be consistent. Try stop all this on & off stuff! Even if it is 3 times per week OR you have to shorten up a session a day or two due to other things.. JUST DON"T CANCEL ALL TOGETHER! You can fit in 10-20 minutes somewhere. Studies show that even breaking up your exercise into 3 shorter sessions a day works! If you keep going on & off a "diet" (which by the way is NOT a lifestyle change for life), you will never learn to "listen" or understand your body & how it reacts to
certain food choices AND exercise. I have been able to keep this up so long & keep it off because I LISTEN TO MY BODY & MAKE CHANGES BASED ON WHAT MY BODY AND LIFE ARE TELLING ME. I have made more changes than I can count high.. OK that is an exaggeration!
Each choice is one I know I can live with life long or until my bod tells me otherwise. A fellow blogger asked me to provide a piece of advice to him & this is the one I provided because even though food is at least 70-80% of the equation & mixing it up is important & portion control & logging food & all the rest, this is the one that really has helped me the most: LEARNING TO LISTEN TO MY BODY & MAKE CHANGES BOTH WITH MY FOOD & EXERCISE ALONG THE WAY TO FORCE MY BODY TO CHANGE. Without consistency, I would not be able to know what my body is telling me LIFE LONG!Too busy, again, do shorter sessions & increase the intensity. OR how about fitting it in while watching your fav TV show. We all know everything is starting up again in the new year! Idol, Biggest Loser & all the series shows. I have done endless posts on making use of your TV time but in case you want more, how about this workout from Joy Bauer of The Today Show, Hey, couch potato! Try Joy’s TV workout. Turn your favorite 30-minute TV show into a living-room workout routine: Read the full article for tips!
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I am going to provide more tips through the weeks but this is a start & the post would be way too long if I kept on going! We all know we have to eat better, eat less if we are eating too many calories, move more of course! And always remember this, if you "fall off" one day, it is no biggie! Get right back to it. I wrote this post a while ago, Eating & Weight Loss Reality - Tomorrow Is NOW.
Also Don't do this:
OR
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing year after year and expecting a different result." From my Insanity post.
Be patient, be consistent and never let those tomorrows get away from you! How is it going so far???
Also Don't do this:
TOMORROW IS THE DAY THAT THIS DOES NOT GO ON ANYMORE AND I KEPT LETTING THE TOMORROWS GET AWAY FROM ME.......
OR
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing year after year and expecting a different result." From my Insanity post.
Be patient, be consistent and never let those tomorrows get away from you! How is it going so far???
It is going great so far Jody!
Great post with great advice!
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Thx Steve. Keep up the good work!
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Patience is something I'm working on big time. But it's the key...consistency and discipline is key. Not to mention worth it!
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Joanna, thank you for visiting & commenting! Yes, it is so worth it!
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Patience is key, especially to those out there who thrive on instant gratification!
I can't wait to try the couch potato work out tonight when I'm catching up on my Tivo'd shows
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Amanda, so many want that miracle pill or quick fix & it is just not that way. Hope you like the TV workout!
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The last line from a poem of mine, Jody:
"The future behind you from where it once lay, serves to remind you, see the moment, seize the day!"
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Dr. J, I love that! Did you write that yourself???
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I need to print a banner that reads CONSISTENCY and post it on my wall.
While reading I was thinking, "How am going to listen to my body?" Then you wrote, "Without consistency, I would not be able to know what my body is telling me LIFE LONG!" Ah Ha.
Great post.
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Gina, hope this helps you. It is an easy concept but hard to do. Took me a few years to figure out how to listen to my bod!
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I love your blog! I'm working on getting fit, and so far I'm down 64 pounds. Thanks for all the great advice. Keep it coming.
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thin100, thx so much for stopping by! You certainly have done a great job.. down 64 pounds! WOW!
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Jody - you are so right with the patience thing. I think that is the most important thing you can advise anyone to have!
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Lori, a lot of us struggle with patience in so many parts of our lives but without it, we are not going to get far.. we would be po'ing people off right & left!
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I've tried to incorporate this philosophy into my life as well. I take the stairs at work. I have to stand to use my computer at home. I've given up TV etc.
Little things add up and make a big difference.
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Andrew, thank you for commenting! Looks like you are on the right track! YES, little things add up for big results!
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a TV workout! I love it! Let me look this chick up.
I can do this. It would be awesome and perfect for me in the evenings as the kid play and tear up the house. I can stand in the middle of the mess and do knee lifts!
I'm serious.
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Josie, you go & do that! Maybe the kids will join you & it can be a family affair of getting fit & healthy!
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Yes, Yes, Yes! It's so true that we all (me included) want instant results even though logically we know that it took us longer than a day to gain 20 pounds. Thanks for the reminder Jody!
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Diane, yes, logic says one thing, our crazy minds say another! Battling that mind is key!
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