Goodbye, 2013. Hello, 2014.
Has the New Year gotten to you yet? You know what I'm talking about—that feeling of excitement in your gut as the New Year greets you with the promise that you can turn things around...that you can shake off past mistakes...that you can become better.
The New Year renews hope for your dreams.
And if you are like most people then your dream for the New Year has something to do with losing weight.
It makes sense, doesn't it? What better time is there than now to transform your body into the one that you've always dreamed of?
To get you off to a great start I'd like to share with you some food for thought:
Why do you eat?
Now I know at first glance the answer to that question seems painfully obvious—but I want you to dig deeper. You're probably thinking that you eat when your body is hungry to get the energy you need to sustain life. And you're partially right. But that's not the only reason that you eat.
The truth is that you (along with almost everyone you know) eat too much. Your body simply doesn't need all of the calories that you consume, and it shows in a physique that is less than svelte. If we only ate to fuel our bodies then we'd all have washboard abs. And that's clearly not the case, right?
So what drives you to eat when you shouldn't? Hmmmm. The answer to this question could be just what you need to see results in 2014.
Here are the four basic reasons that you eat:
This one is obvious. You eat when your body tells you that it's hungry and in need of fuel. Just like your car lets you know when it's time to head over to the gas station for a filler up, your body is great at letting you know that energy stores are low.
Eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full is a healthy thing. Too bad this isn't the only reason that you eat...
...but the truth is that you also eat when you are emotional. Think back—can you remember a time when you turned to food after a stressful confrontation? Or how about when you've soothed the blues away by treating your sweet tooth? And it's not just negative emotions that lead to emotional eating—most of us reward happiness with unnecessary calories as well.
Emotional eating adds an untold number of calories to your diet—all calories that are unnecessary and turn into fatty deposits on your body.
No one likes to eat alone, and so you feel obligated to eat with others. How many times have you filled up a plate just because everyone else was eating?
When eating becomes a social activity with no thought to the calories that are being consumed, only one thing will result: weight gain.
At the end of each day you relax in front of the television with a snack, and I'm willing to bet that it isn't because you're hungry. You simply associate sitting down to watch television with eating something. Or maybe you always visit the vending machine on your break whether you're hungry or not—it's just become a habit.
As humans we love to form habits, and when your habits involve eating extra calories then your waistline suffers for it.
Here is my challenge to you:
This small action has the potential to dramatically improve your physique in the coming year.
Remember that improving your diet is only half of the equation when it comes to reshaping your body. The quickest and most permanent results are achieved when good eating habits are accompanied by challenging exercise.
I'd like to see you transform your body in 2014 - simply call or email today and we will get started!
It's well known that stress contributes to fat storage. You don't need that. It's important to take a break from the daily grind to enjoy meditation and relaxation. Want to know another great way to relieve stress? You guessed it: Exercise.
Look, I get it. It's cold, you're busy and you don't feel like exercising.
Not today. Not on a Monday in December.
So I'm here to remind you of just how important exercise is and how great it makes you feel. Even on a Monday in December. Especially on a Monday in December!
These 5 Reasons to Motivate You will help you to stick with your exercise routine so that you'll enter the New Year feeling energized and excited.
There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer for motivation, since different things motivate different people, so explore all 5 motivators below…
Have you looked at the long list of health benefits that exercise delivers? Pretty impressive. Not only does exercise help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, it also helps lower bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, while improving the amount of good cholesterol in your body.
Additionally, exercise strengthens your bones and muscles, lowers your risk of cancer, decreases stress, helps you battle depression, and even improves your sex life.
If exercise hasn't been enjoyable for you, it's time to find a way to make it fun. Everyone likes doing things they enjoy. You might hate running but enjoy swimming or riding a bike. Perhaps you don't like being alone and would rather be social. So join a team! Or maybe you don't like the idea of driving all the way to the gym, changing out, and exercising with a crowd. Find out when your local gym is least populated, and hit the weights then. Do what's most fun for you and you'll be less likely to stop.
If you're out of shape or overweight, it can take a lot of courage to start an exercise routine. Remember to be confident in who you are, no matter what size or shape. Don't compare yourself to the skinny, toned figure strutting her stuff through the gym. Keep your eyes on your goal and don't expect perfection after just a week of exercise. Strive to have your best body—not someone else's.
If you're just getting started in the world of exercise, or if you've simply gotten stale, a good place to start is by setting goals. How much weight would you like to lose? How far would you like to run? Working towards a goal is a great motivator. However, don't set up for failure by striving after unrealistic goals. Do this and you'll soon feel overwhelmed and give up altogether. To avoid this, set realistic milestones. When you reach them, enjoy your accomplishment and then set new goals to take your good health even further.
Rewards are a great motivator. In fact, much of what you do in life is motivated by a reward of some kind, whether intrinsic or extrinsic. When it comes to exercise, a good reward probably shouldn't be an ice cream sundae, but it may be that new pair of jeans you've been eyeing, or perhaps a night out with friends. Maybe for you, weight loss and lowered blood pressure are reward enough. Just know that your hard work is paying off and deserves to be rewarded.
Never, ever trust the claims on the front of a food package. Claims like: heart healthy, whole grains, or fiber-filled are often smoke and mirrors to prevent you from reading the actual ingredient list.
The real truth about a packaged food item is hidden in the ingredient list on the BACK label, not in the bold claims on the front.
Scan that ingredient list for high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar, hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils – if the food contains these items then put it back and choose something healthier.