How do I start exercise? What exercise is for me?

Don't make it too difficult for yourself choose an exercise - it doesn't have to be something too hard to do.  Just choose something that you enjoy and do it more.  


Like everything else everyone is different and likes very different things.  So whilst someone might enjoy the latest "zumba" craze or run around the neighborhood another will be just as happy, walking. 


Try one or more of these ideas:

• Start by walking everyday- around the house, park the car far away from the mall door and walk all around the mall, walk to pick your kids up from school. 
• use the stairs not the lifts, 
• Start skipping, 
• try walking up and down the stairs a few times at your house, 
• get off the couch and get what you want - don't ask other people to get things for you. 
• Walk the dog or get a dog and then walk them,
• try a local gym,
• try zumba, 
• pilates, 
• yoga, 
• walk at lunch at work.  
• Don't phone or email people at work- go and find them and speak to them face to face.  
• Try jogging, 
• play with your children
• join a running group, 
• walk your new baby to the park
• wash the car

You get the idea - get up and move! 

Even if you haven't exercised for years and are stuck in a bigger body than what you want.  Invest in a pedometer then you can check your own progress.  Eventually aim for 5,000 to 7,000 steps everyday.

Just start today, right now...every step you take adds to the next one.  
The important thing with exercise is move more than you did yesterday, move everyday.

Kick Starting your metabolism!

 Permanent weight loss is due to several life style changes not just one!  

You need to:

• move more, 
• change how many times you eat during the day, 
• the quality of the food you eat, 
• build up your self esteem.  

Today we will be looking at kick starting and maintaining your metabolism.  If you have your metabolism burning at a higher rate it will help you to lose weight & keep it off.  (Don't forget that your metabolism is the process in your body that converts food into either energy for muscle use now or energy stores for later)

Forget about skipping breakfast or other meals because you are too busy or you ate too much on a previous meal.  Make time - plan ahead... 

If you skip meals this will actually SLOW your metabolism which will result in your body not burning it up as it normally does - it will simply store it as fat.  It is a primitive response by the body for survival- when it does not receive regular meals it thinks that we will not be eating for a while and so stores the food as reserves in the body instead of burning it and using it.

 We don't want the body to do this...so eat at least every 3 hours during the day. I know this sounds like a lot but after some practice you will get used to it and you will feel like eating.   

• Ok, start by reducing the size of your breakfast, lunch & dinner serves- try to have a plate in the following proportions try this:1/2 your plate as water vegetables (salad,spinach,broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, beetroot, asparagus, onion, carrot), 1/4 your plate as meat & 1/4 as carbohydrate (bread, rice, potato).  eat as many water vegetables as you can at these meals - as these fill you up and keep you from feeling hungry.
• Eat fruit, yogurt, vegetables, crackers, nuts, or milk at morning tea, afternoon tea & supper. 
• Choose the best exercise program for you...or as i like to think about it...MOVE MORE!!!  Have you started moving yet? Did you move more today than you did yesterday. Good on you!! 
• Is there any sort of exercise that appeals to you- as exercise works hand in hand with boosting your metabolism - try walking, water aerobics, pilates, yoga, running club, riding a bike, take the stairs instead of the lift, park further away from the mall door, whatever gets you to move more than you did yesterday!

 If you decide that you would like to help your metabolism burn faster, you may like to look at the products below.  They work for some people and not others, either way these are a short term solution to help with a long term problem.  Whether you use diet pills or metabolism boosters or other weight loss pills - you will need to change your lifestyle to keep any slimming benefits you get with these tablets.

   

Plan to Lose Weight Today!

How did you go over the Christmas / new year break?  With the endless parties with family and friends to attend.  I love this time of the year because everyone is in good spirits and they make the time to get together, but it is SO HARD to maintain your weight and It is very hard if you are trying to lose weight.

    

Between the too much food and the too much alcohol – I think people trying to lose weight (or at least trying to maintain what they have previously lost) at this time of year should be given medals. 

Welcome to 2011- it should be a great year!  Now is the time to start to set up realistic goals for yourself this year.

What do you want?  Is it to lose weight or just to become fitter?  Once you know what you want- start to plan it.  My goal is to lose 33lbs this year. 

If you have just decided that it is time to lose weight – I would like you to think about something else.  I believe that you need to look at your whole life- and see what’s working and what’s not.  If your life is not how you want it to be – you can change it. 

It’s time to start thinking about you…after all you are always thinking about your friends, spouse, kids, dogs, work, colleagues…it’s time for YOU!  The more happier you are with yourself, your weight and your life – there will be more of you to support all of your family & friends much better than you can now.

 I hope I didn’t lose you in the last paragraph- but I am really passionate about self improvement, after speaking with many friends, attending conferences, speaking with psychologists and watching plenty of news articles- there is a HUGE link between how you feel and how you look.  Ie: there is a reason why u are overweight, think hard & try to find the reason, if you find it & can deal with it-then the weight loss will come. 

If you deal with your other issues and you change your thinking and your outlook – this is the path to losing weight.  This is not an easy path and you may fall off the path every now and again, but let’s lose weight one small step at a time.

Re-establish your purpose in life

What are your new years resolutions? Maybe set a day & time for exercising (or move more than you did yesterday), drink more water, enjoy life.