Exercise Makes Me Happy

Benefits of a Regular Exercise Routine:

1.  Allows you to feel more confident with your body
2.  Improves your sex life
3.  Improves circulation
4.  Boosts your mood
5.  Prevents bone loss
6.  Helps you sleep better by falling asleep faster and sleeping more soundly
7.  Prevents and manages high blood pressure and cholesterol levels
8.  Helps manage stress by boosting good endorphins and regulating hormones
9.  Helps with pain management
10.  Increases muscle strength
11.  Helps in the battle to quit smoking
12.  Reduces risk of stroke and coronary artery disease
13.  Delays the aging process and maintains quality of life
14.  Allows seniors to maintain their independence longer
15.  Provides a way to share activities with family and friends
16.  Counters anxiety and depression
17.  Releases tension
18.  Improves memory and brain function
19.  Stabilizes blood sugar levels
20.  Burns fat and calories
21.  Improves learning
22.  Keeps Alzheimer's at bay
23.  Improves the complexion of your skin
24.  Lowers your resting heart rate
25.  Aids in weight loss
26.  Boosts the immune system
27.  Enhanced sport performance
28.  Reduce risk of some cancers
29.  Improves self esteem
30.  Allows you to meet new people
31.  Brings you to new places and locations
32.  Provides you with opportunity to explore
33.  You are able to try new activities
34.  It allows you to push your body to the limit
35.  Exercise makes you happy :)

Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy... happy people just don't shoot their husbands.  -Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Challenge Yourself: 2

This last week I focused on my physical features and my stats.  I wanted to see where I was starting and give myself a good idea of how much work I want to get done.  For me, weight is not currently an issue.  I am happy with my body, but I think everyone looks for improvements.  My dream body is one where I feel confident and happy in my own skin.  Now I understand this means something different for everyone; but for myself, I want to decrease my overall body fat while maintaining my weight.  I know this isn't something I will be able to do overnight, so I will track my progress once a week and assess where I may need to tweak my short term goals.

This week my focus is on Motivation.  Motivation is a psychological feature that arouses someone to act toward a desired goal, could be anything that elicits, controls, or sustains certain goal directed behaviors.  A perfect example is hunger.  Hunger drives and motivates you to eat.  But what motivates us to better ourselves when it isn't a natural response?  Competition and rewards are unarguably some of the biggest extrinsic motivators for individuals trying to reach a goal.  But what about those who have the goal of climbing Mount Everest with their son, or living long enough to see grandkids.  What about those who are trying to reduce their risk for Diabetes, or are just trying to look great in a swim suit... are these reasonable goals?  YES!  A motivator to you, may not be a motivator for someone else... but that is the beauty of what drives and moves you!  Find something that will be meaningful and long-lasting that will take you to the end.

What is your main motivation to make a change and better yourself?

My motivation comes from competition with myself.  I love to compete in events in order to improve previous times and to see how far I can push myself.  I enjoy running in races with the distance of 5k, 10k and I have even done 2 half marathons.  In the past year, I found myself with the opportunity to buy a road bike and the interest for a triathlon has sparked (as I used to be a competitive swimmer in high school).  8 months ago I moved from North Dakota to Massachusetts and it has been 11 months since my last race and it is definitely time to put my competitive edge to the test.  My motivator will be to compete in a half marathon in the next year and better my time of 1 hour:52 seconds.  Now that I've said it to you, it is real, and I am committing to the event.  I look forward to sharing this journey with you.  What is your main motivator to change?

I want to leave you today thinking about what motivates you, no matter what your goal may be.  Here is some great advice to setting your goal and finding motivation that moves you.
oxox, Em

•  Make mini milestones. Break your weight-loss goal into 10-pound blocks. 
• Keep your eye on the prize. Tape a list on your fridge of what you want to accomplish, like fitting into your size-8 jeans or running a mile without stopping. 
• Create incentives. Give yourself a dollar for each pound lost. Use the money to treat yourself to a new sweater or spa treatment. 
• Buy fitted clothes. Avoid expandable elastic waists that don't let you feel or see those extra inches creeping up on you. 
• Know you're not alone. Don't be afraid to join a health club because of your size. You'll find a range of body types at the gym. 
• 
  

  Get an affordable personal trainer. Hire one with a group of friends and split the cost-- you'll save money and learn how to burn more calories from a professional. 
• 
  

  Join a gym near your office. Exercising during your lunch break or after work will be much more convenient. 
• Pay for a 10-pack of workout classes upfront. That way, you'll have to go or your money will be wasted. 
• Seek motivation on the Internet. Get 24/7 support with an online weight-loss group.  Exchange messages, recipes, even exercise tips with other readers at sites like sparkpeople, loseit, caloriecoutner, etc...
• 
  

  Power up with a partner. Enlist the help of a friend to cheer you on when motivation gets tough. 
• Don't be deprived. Treat yourself to a small portion of something sweet each day so you won't crave it and binge later. 
• 
  

  Crunch the numbers. Know the calorie counts of your favorite meals, snacks and drinks. Resolve to make your daily calorie intake a healthy 1,500. 
• 
  

  Make smart eating easy. Start your own file of healthy recipes you've created or picked up from books and magazines. 
• 
  

  Save the best for last. If you taste food while making dinner, you can take in a huge amount of calories without realizing it; wait until you sit down to eat. 
• Write before you bite. Keep a journal of everything you put in your mouth. You'll think twice before you eat if you know you have to write it down. 
• Sign up for a run/walk event or bike race. The competition will help you work harder and you'll make fitness-minded friends. 
• 
  

  Change with the seasons. Snowshoe in the winter, swim in the summer and bike in the spring. Different workouts will keep you challenged. 
• 
  

  Cultivate your green thumb. Burn 254 calories per hour by doing your own yard work. You can also stock up on veggies by growing them in your garden. 

*Advice and comments from readers of Shape that have found great success in reaching their weight-loss goals.

Think Slim | Part 1

To start on the right track you need to get your head in the game.  It ALWAYS starts at mind over matter. When you start thinking a certain way of life, you start living that way of life.  When you start living the thin, healthy, fit way of life, you will see the results (even if it takes a little time).  So here are some tips to start thinking slim.

1.  Dessert is best on a full stomach - This course is eaten last for a reason: Fill up on nutrient-rich foods first, so we don't hungrily take down a hunk of "empty calories" after.  So just take few bites of that treat to satisfy and push it aside.

2.  Swaying is for Trees - A report from the Journal of Consumer Research stated that if a thin pal orders a big meal, her table mates are likely to follow suit.  Lock in your healthful choice first so there is no changing your mind.

3. Food is NOT a trophy - "You deserve a cookie for that!"  We often eat a treat as a quiet celebration instead of tooting our own horns.  Let me tell you, satisfying yourself with say a brownie will be quite short lived (and is often followed with guilt and stress).  Pick a reward that will still feel like a prize the next day... say putting money into that vacation fund! :)

4.  "Because it's there" is a fine reason for climbing Mount Everest, not for eating a treat - Before you reach for the stale donut in the conference room or the sample cookie in the supermarket, ask yourself if you truly want it; and if not... skip it!  Most of the time we don't register these little nibbles as calories, but they do add up!  Create your own motto and rules for these certain occasions.  "I splurge only on dark chocolate  or "Only 5 sweet treats a week".  

5.  If it's sweet, but not fruit, it's NOT breakfast - Doughnuts and danishes and anything of the such may provide a whooping 500 + calories, but they most definitely don't deliver on the energizing protein which will leave you asking for more.  Like to start your day with something sweet?  Try scrambled egg whites with fruit salad.

This will be a great start to the healthier you... watch for more tips and tricks to thinking slim!

oxox, Em