Road to Weight Loss ( Part 2 of 6 Weeks )


How did the first seven days on the road to weight loss go? Did you use movement for inspiration? Did you go for a long walk or hike, or take an exhilarating bike ride? If not, it is not too late to find inspiration through movement. Remember you are seeking progress, not perfection and that it is most important that you live joyfully while losing weight and getting fit.

A little perspective
We are inundated with snippets of health information. This overload of information, designed to enhance weight loss and healthy living practices often has the reverse effect. Don’t let this happen to you!

Get focused Last week I suggested you post five mind connections that are powerful instigators for not only losing weight but for living a healthful and vigorous lifestyle. Here are those five mind connections that are so beneficial for losing weight and implementing a smartly designed lifestyle change. If you have not posted them yet, go ahead and do so.

Review
Use movement as inspiration.
Think progress not perfection.
Focus on what really matters in weight loss.
Weigh Yourself Daily
Live Joyfully While Getting Fit

Movement as Inspiration On the opening day of my healthy living seminars, I encourage clients to begin their daily routines with exercise. The act of moving our bodies makes us feel better about ourselves It has the capacity to inspire a vision of how we want to live. It makes us feel better about our lives in general. Movement sparks in us a desire to do better at whatever we do!
One client of mine illustrates this ability of exercise to enhance her life when she tells the group, “I went for a walk yesterday and without even trying I ate less at dinner.” This is the power of what exercise can do.
“It makes me feel more alive”, says another member, “It makes me realize there are other things to do besides eating.” Don’t get me wrong”, she continues, “I still enjoy eating, and I know it’s ok to like to eat, but I am beginning to feel more satisfied and in control of how much I really need to eat. Eating is more enjoyable when you know you did a little work for it.”

This Week’s Plan Focus this week on finding an exercise plan that works for you. Remember, a little experimenting is in order. Do what you think might work, and tweak it as you go along. There’s nothing wrong with changing exercises or times of day you might implement them. Think of this time period as experimental. It’s impossible to know what works until you start.

What to Include in your plan Cardiovascular exercise
Aim for 30 – 60 minutes 3-4 days a week.
Includes exercises that work the heart muscle at an accelerated rate. Examples – biking, walking, rowing, skating, elliptical training, stairmaster. Aim for a minimum of 70 % of your THR by taking 220 – age and multiplying by .seventy five.

Muscular Strength and endurance exercise Aim for 2- 3 times a week hitting all the major muscle groups.
Includes exercises that enhance strength and endurance within various muscle groups. Examples include push ups, chair squats, back rows, over head shoulder presses, bicep curls, tricep extensions, and abdominal plank holds.

Stretching Exercises
Aim for daily stretching routine that hits all the major muscle groups. Examples include hamstring stretch, quadricep stretch, chest stretch, calf stretch, and torso side bends. For a more complete listing go to the bodysmart blog.

For this entire week, start designing a plan implementing the 3 types of activity mentioned: cardiovascular, muscular strength/endurance, and stretching. Remember that this is just a beginning. There’s no hurry to figure things perfectly. You’ll figure it out as you go along. Just get started. Realize you won’t be perfect. Have fun. Eat less. And I’ll see you back here in one week.

Road to Weight Loss ( Part 1 of 6 Weeks)

Stop the nonsense! Today’s top health coaches believe the smart person’s way to fitness and weight loss is all about making meaningful connections. It appears the days are short lived for the “Do this – don’t do that kind of mentality.”

Healthy living, fitness, and weight loss are about bringing meaning to our lives. We are, I am happy to report, stopping the vicious cycle of nonsensical diets and exercise regimens that are so pervasive in our TV dominated culture.

Keyed to today’s consumer’s new attitude, this weekly six week series will get you feeling good, looking good, and losing weight. Created to put you in charge, this non-gimmicky approach is for those savvy readers who are weary of the tidbit dieting approach and are ready for a more authentic method called lifestyle change!. Here’s how we start.

Read the rest of today’s article to get an overview of the new attitude practices you’ll be using. Then for the entire week put no pressure on yourself other than reading the recommendations daily and allowing them to seep into your consciousness. Osmosis dieting? No! However, we have to set the stage for you to get your head on straight and thinking clearly. If you really feel compelled, make a few lifestyle changes but set no strict guidelines today.

Use movement as inspiration. The act of moving our bodies makes us feel better about ourselves. Movement has the capacity to inspire a vision of how we want to live. Movement makes us feel better in general. It sparks a desire to do better at whatever we do. This is the power of movement. Why not use it rather than some weight loss shake offered by promoters who know if they divert our attention long enough, they’ll make some sizable cash.

Think progress not perfection. Coach Kate Larsen said it best when she titled her book Progress Not Perfection: Your Journey Matters. Often seeking perfection in attaining weight loss sets us up for failure. Perfectionism should never be used as an excuse to stop trying. Do what is attainable and reachable realizing the goal is not to be perfect but to be persevering. After all, isn’t perfectionism just another word for quitter?.

Focus on what really matters in weight loss. Don’t be sidetracked about whether you should eat celery or carrots, more protein or vegetables. Don’t get hung up on dieting details. Here’s the only detail you need to know: You will lose weight if you eat three quarters to half of what you normally eat during most meals of the day. That’s it. Don’t clutter your minds with information that will not significantly cause weight reduction.

Weigh yourself again and again.
It’s OK. A daily “weigh in” compels us to be aware. You will hear different opinions on this, but those who weigh themselves daily, lose weight. And the reason they do is that it forces them to be aware and make the necessary lifestyle changes. Weigh daily. Don’t be an afraidy cat.

Live joyfully while losing weight and getting fit.
Sounds a little hokey but it’s true. Do not discount the impact positive living and attitude has on one’s ability to change. Make your life beautiful. Have a good time with family and friends! Cultivate a positive attitude. Your happiness will be your reward. Your positive attitude will ensure success

Next week I’ll expand on movement as inspiration. For this entire week make, lifestyle changes only if you feel compelled. Don’t worry about specifics. Just get going! And don’t get all-anxious. Fake it until you make it. We’ll take it one week at a time. I am confident you will be feeling good, looking good and performing great in much less time than it may have taken you in the past to lose weight – gain it back – then lose it again. You’ll look better too!
Until next week…

Our Wealth is in Our Health,
Kim
www.bodysmartinc.com