Studies show that people who exercise consistently are much more successful long term with weight loss than those who don’t exercise.
If you haven’t noticed, a lot of people go on a diet, lose a little weight, then go right back to their old habits. They sit on the couch, eat Doritos and ice cream, and feel lousy. They gain all of their weight back (or more).
When someone is exercising consistently, even if they struggle with their food, they’re keeping their weight and health in focus. They may have a period of weight loss then a plateau, but if they keep exercising they can hang on to their weight loss. Usually they can return to a weight loss phase because they are exercising.
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When I begin working with someone who is significantly overweight, I hear a lot of negative self talk: “I don’t think I can ever lose this weight. I hate the way I look. I feel so big.” And so on.
How they think about themselves eventually comes out of their mouths and shows what is in their minds. How they think about themselves and their weight will direct their course when it comes to weight loss.
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I babysat several kiddies yesterday so my mom wanted to be a help by bringing some food over. This included a plate of icing-covered cupcakes and a bag of homemade cookies. She placed them on my counter for easy access.
I had to look at these things all day. I had to handle them and serve them to the children. And I had to NOT eat them!
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After working really hard to lose weight, the last thing you want to do is gain some back. Unfortunately this is easy to do because you get comfortable. So you start getting a little sloppy with your eating and lax on your exercise.
Before you know it 10 or 20 pounds have crept back on.
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Few people can lose weight alone. Even if they know what they should do, it’s hard to do it without someone alongside cheering them on.
If you’re feeling discouraged and frustrated with your weight loss progress (or lack of), try building a weight loss support system. This support could be the key ingredient to your success.
Here are 5 ways to get your weight loss support system in place: [More]
It’s really tough to see others excel in an area that you’ve been doggedly trying to get ahead in. Trying, but not succeeding.
In one of my groups, one lady has lost nearly 200 pounds. Another lady in the group has been trying to lose weight, but has suffered many setbacks. She felt very discouraged tonight after working out with her friend – happy for her friend, but down about her own lack of progress.
I can understand. I’ve only been allowed to do light exercise and have felt very frustrated that I cannot run. I had originally planned on doing a marathon this fall. A friend from work has been in training and recently completed two triathlons. I am so proud of her and I am amazed at her journey. Though I rejoice with her, on the inside I feel discouraged about my own lack of progress.
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Whether you never exercised regularly or have been off for awhile, it’s important to ease into exercise. Your body needs time to adjust – and so does your mind!
If you’ve been inactive, going for a one mile walk may feel tough. Your feet may ache or your legs may get shaky. You may have negative thoughts about hard how it is and how far it is.
When I first started, I went on a one-mile walking route that took me over a big hill. I thought I’d never make it. My legs were so tired and I got out of breath.
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When you can’t do what you want – the ideal diet and the perfect exercise – do what you can!
One of my clients injured her knee this week. She had been experiencing great results in weight loss and fitness. With her injury she was unable to exercise for several days.
This injury seemed like a huge setback for her. She thought she had to skip training because of it.
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I have a dear friend who has completely changed her health picture over the last six months. I’m amazed by her and so proud of what she’s done.
I feel that her story is worth sharing. I hope it will encourage you to make healthy changes and take control your life.
Char’s Story:
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Some people are born thin. Other people have to work to be thin. Some people eat just when they’re hungry. Other people eat all the time, hungry or not. Some people are natural movers and exercises. Other people have to force themselves to move.
For those of us who struggle with our weight, we are the “others.” The ones who have to work so hard be thin, to keep from overeating, and to stay committed to exercising.
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Have you worked really, really hard all week expecting a great number on the scale – only to find out you lost one measly pound?
This is frustrating and disappointing. All that hard work should’ve earned you more than a pound!
When this happens, I’d like you to consider a few things. First of all, when you go to the grocery store pick up a pound of butter. Hold it on your hand and look at it. Imagine the equivalent of that pound of butter coming off your body in fat. Pretty impressive, right!
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Did you have a calorie-laden weekend like I did? Too many special dinners and celebrations knocked me off course – but I’m ready to hit it hard this week!
If you had too many extras this weekend, don’t despair. Move on. Put it behind you and do what it takes to burn those extra calories off this week. You may not have a weight loss for the week, but if you work hard you can have a zero gain!
First, make sure your home is purged of all leftover junk food, sweets, snacks, cakes, ice cream, etc. You don’t want any temptation food hanging around.
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When you start comparing yourself to others, it can be a dangerous game.
One, you can always find someone who looks better than you, has more stuff than you do, can do more than you can, etc. if there is a weak area in your life or an area you’re not happy with, it’s easy to look at someone who “has what you want” and see your lack. This causes discouragement and feelings of insecurity.
On the flip side, you can always find someone who has more weight to lose than you, has less money than you, and doesn’t exercise like you do. This makes it easy to say, “Well, at least I’m not like so-and-so.” This causes apathy, excuses, and lack of motivation.
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Exercise is great. It surely does help you burn calories. It improves your fitness and health. It boosts your metabolism. It shapes your body.
But as great as exercise is – it doesn’t beat your food.
You can have a great exercise session and wash it down the drain with one bad food choice.
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The people we hang out with, live with, and work with all influence our behavior. These people are close to us and we often do what they do and go where they go.
When it comes to weight loss, this can be tricky.
Our inner circle of friends and family are the people we love the most. But they can also be the most detrimental to our health.
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Making changes is uncomfortable. It requires you to make conscious choices – and this takes effort. You have to think about what you want to do and then do it. You can’t just keep operating out of habit.
For example, if you’re always too rushed in the morning to eat breakfast, but realize you need to eat breakfast, how are you going to make this change? You’ll have to think about it the night before. Maybe you’ll set your alarm 10 minutes earlier so you have time to eat toast with peanut butter. Maybe you’ll place a banana and a packet of almonds on the counter with your keys. Whatever you decide, it’ll take extra effort to make this change happen.
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If you’re a fan of “Anne of Green Gables” you are familiar with this saying. Miss Stacey encourages her pupil, Anne, and star of the movie series, that every day is fresh with no mistakes in it.
As we push ourselves to better our health and lose weight, we have to remember that every day is a new day. We can feel very disappointed with our behavior when we don’t make the right food choices or we skip out on exercise.
But despite the ice cream yesterday, or the nap instead of the walk, we have to look at each day with fresh eyes.
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People who accomplish great things don’t do it by happenstance. They do it intentionally. They plan it out step by step. They work at it doggedly day after day. Maybe year after year. There’s perseverance and tenacity and hard work involved.
On the other hand, did you ever meet someone who talked a big talk but never got anything done? Like they say in Texas, “They’re all hat and no cattle.”
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Weight loss is a pretty simple principle. You have to burn more calories than you take in. In response, your body taps into its fat stores for fuel.
Two ways we accomplish this: 1) Eat a healthy diet within our calorie range, and 2) Add daily exercise.
Now, weight loss can happen with diet alone, but it is much more efficient to add exercise. Not only are you using up more calories by adding exercise to your day, but you are adding cardio and muscular fitness.
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Sometimes it’s easier to work with new clients than with ones I’ve had for a long time. Why?
Enthusiasm.
When people first start working with me, they are anxious to see results. They want to lose weight, get stronger, develop some muscle, increase their endurance, etc. They are so eager to exercise. They try hard and the push themselves. They follow everything I say. They are enthusiastic and motivated.
As time passes and clients experience results, they become comfortable. They lose weight, become fitter, and increase their strength. With this comfort level, I often see mediocrity creep in. They don’t push themselves as hard as when they first began. The intensity of their workout drops. I have to prod them along and try to be their motivation – because their internal motivation isn’t high anymore.
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Don’t get stuck in a rut! With exercise that is easy to do. Same walk, same class, same DVD, etc.
Your body adapts to exercise. Before you know it, you’re exercising at a lower intensity – even though you’re doing the same thing you did three months ago and it was hard back then. Your body has just gotten used to it.
So now it’s time to throw the challenge back into exercise. Try these 7 ways to ramp it up: [More]
“My husband says to me, ‘Are you sure you should eat that?’ and it just makes me want to rebel,” one client told me. Another client shared a similar experience about her dad. When they sit down to eat together, he comments on what she’s eating and how much she’s eating. It makes her feel bad inside and angry.
Moms and dads, siblings, spouses, friends – our loved ones mean a lot to us. What they think means a lot to us. When they comment about our weight, it can be devastating. They may think they are helping by “encouraging” us to do better, but they are actually driving us in the other direction.
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Don’t you love it when you have a great day? Everything moves along like clockwork, you get your exercise in, and you eat healthy. You feel so good.
Then there are those days that just stink. Your curling iron breaks and your hair is frizzy, your car runs out of window washer fluid and there’s pollen all over your window, you drip coffee on front of your shirt, and your sister-in-law calls you because she’s mad about the family dinner.
When we get exhausted physically and tapped out emotionally, we look for something to make us feel better. We want to relieve our stress, frustration, and tiredness. We need “something” to help us feel like we’ll be okay.
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Someone said, “Exercise is my Prozac.” (That’s an antidepressant in case you didn’t know.)
I totally agree. I’ve often said that I exercise more for my state of mind than for my fitness. Of course I want to be fit, but exercise totally affects my noggin. When I have a good exercise session I feel good, have a more positive attitude, and am in better control of my food.
Exercise is also my stress relief. It mellows my emotions. If I didn’t exercise, I’d be pretty high strung.
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I had a conversation with someone at the gym about the health club business and personal training. He made an interesting comment: “I’m surprised more people don’t use trainers.”
“Well, it costs money,” I responded.
“Yeah, but so do doctors and medicine,” he said.
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