Motivated? You better be.

       Time to get motivated.  You’ve kicked around with the idea of doing something healthy for some time now.  Maybe you’ve been working out for a while and have lost some steam.  Or perhaps you are just about ready to give up on fitness all together…Whatever the case may be you probably could use some motivation.  The problem is there is not a whole lot I can say to actually motivate you, only you can motivate yourself.  What I CAN do is help guide you through the process.

       The first thing we need to do is remove the word “can’t” from your vocabulary.  There is no such thing as “I can’t”.  Only “I don’t want to” or “I will not”.  You CAN make it to the gym.  You CAN take time out of your day to better plan healthy meals.  What you need is to prioritize.  How far up on the list is your health?  Do TV shows and other activities take up too much time.  Keep in mind that poor health will severely limit your time to do anything.  You need to decide right now that proper nutrition and exercise are BIG priorities in your life.  You will need to put them ahead of some things.  You may just have to put that tuna salad sandwich (On whole grain bread, of course) in front of that burger.  You might have to put your workout ahead of the TV.  The rewards will far outway the inconvenience, I guarantee it.

       Simple choices, that’s all it takes.  As often as you can you need to say yes to the good foods and no to the bad foods.  Yes to your workout and no to laying around. 

        A crucial step to ongoing motivation is goals.  You need to make specific goals on where you want to be physically.  Whether it is your body fat percentage or muscle mass you need goals.  “losing fat” is not a goal.  “Losing 10 pounds” is.  What is your goal, and what will it take to achieve it.  If you a struggling to decide whether or not to drink that soda instead of a glass of water, think of it like this.  That glass of water is getting me one step closer to my goal.  Not just simply that the soda is bad for you (and it is).  Does that mean you can NEVER drink soda? No.  It does mean that you should hold off as often as possible.

       So the number one thing to do is prioritize.  Decide today that your health is very important.  It deserves special attention and only needs to be put on the backburner when absolutely necessary.  Make some specific goals of where you want to be physically.  Put them in writing.  Break each day down into individual steps to reaching that goal.  The mind is master over the body.  Don’t let negative thoughts get you down.  Force yourself to think positively.  If you make a tough but good decision today, it will be easier to make in the future.

      

      

       

Welcome to my blog

       Hello out there to all you “fitness fans”!  This is my first post on my new blog entitled “Health and Fitness”.  This blog is a means for me to help you in your understanding of the fitness world.  You may have already listened to my podcast entitled “Fitness Renaissance”.  If not, check it out on Podomatic.com or on itunes. 

       My post today is going to overview tonight’s podcast.  I am going to go over some tips to help you with your daily workout.  If you are not currently going to the gym or have not been in a while, my first recommendation would be to go!  That may seem obvious but if you do not have workout routine, all the information in the world is useless.  If you find it difficult to get up the motivation, invite a friend.  Studies show that people who have a workout partner are much more likely to stick to ther routine than those that dont.  So find a friend, relative, or coworker and make a commitment to go to the gym. 

       You dont have to go seven days a week.  In reality doing so is very unhealthy.  Keep in mind that the body needs its rest.  I would reccomend three days a week to start out.  If that means a brisk walk on a treadmill all three days then so be it, for now.  I just want you to focus on making a habit of going.  In my podcast in the near future I will be going over some sample workout routines.  Including rep ranges, sets, days to go and so on. 

       Also remember to eat some healthy carbs 45 minutes or so before you go. Did I just say EAT CARBS? In fact I did.  I am going to drop a bombshell on some of you with this. Carbs Are Healthy.  You just have to eat the right amount and the right kinds.  A great choice would be 3/4 to 1 cup of cooked oatmeal.  The plain kind, no sugar.  If you are on the go, grab a banana or a couple slices of WHOLE GRAIN bread.  Make it your goal this week to go to the gym.  Eat your preworkout food.  And tune in to the podcast for more advice and tips to fuel your workouts.