Unhealthy Behaviors and Emotions

Does psychology play a role in the ability to lose weight? For some people, the battle to shed extra pounds requires more than a good diet and exercise plan. There could be something much deeper going on. In fact, some experts believe that in the majority of cases where people struggle with their weight, there are unhealthy behaviors and emotions involved. If that’s true, then the best plan in the world won’t be able to conquer the problem. So it comes down to the heart of the issue. It may go beyond the lack of willpower to stop eating when … Continue reading →

Fit with Forgiveness

Have you ever considered forgiveness as part of your fitness plan? If you haven’t, you just might want to after reading this blog. In my view, a fit lifestyle is one that encompasses every area of an individual’s life. It relates to your physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and mental being. I liken it to a wheel with five spokes. If any one of those spokes is missing, the wheel becomes unbalanced. So in fitness you can’t just concern yourself with the physical aspect. You have to look at your overall health and this is where forgiveness comes in. Consider what … Continue reading →

How Do You Feel about Your Progress?

Every-so-often my personal trainer asks me, “How do you feel about your progress so far?” Of course, this is my virtual trainer through a Wii program I use, but I still appreciate the question because it causes me to take a step back and really think about how far I have come and how far I have to go. Measuring progress will depend on your goals. Sometimes when I think about progress, I think about the weight I have lost. Other times I think about the changes in the way I feel about myself overall. Or even the amount of … Continue reading →

Fitness Journal – Your Mood – Part 5

Continuing on with my series on creating a fitness journal, we are now going to look at the importance of tracking your mood and improving it. If you are keeping a fitness journal, you should have a section where you note how you are feeling. Your mood can change the course of your day. But there are ways to improve it. However before we get to that, let’s think about why we would want to keep track of it. Understanding your overall health includes how you feel on a daily basis. Are there certain days of the week where your … Continue reading →

Getting the Idea of Exercising from Your Mind to Your Heart

So you have probably polished off the last of the pumpkin pie and have hopefully awoken from your turkey coma. The mashed potatoes and gravy may still feel like they are sitting around your middle but you are determined to get a head start on a fitness routine. Why wait until the New Year? Why not get started now? There is nothing wrong with looking at certain opportunities as the perfect time to start a fitness routine. The fresh start of a new year, the day after your big Thanksgiving feast, or the day you celebrate a birthday…no matter what … Continue reading →

Using Rewards as Motivation

Rewards are very motivating. When I used to work as a preschool teacher, I found it to be a great way to gain cooperation. I have used it as a mother and in a variety of other settings. Children aren’t the only ones however, who enjoy rewards. Adults love to be rewarded for hard work as well. A raise, an extra day off or a promotion are great ways of being rewarded in our careers. At home we might find a reward being the one who gets to pick the family movie. There are all different ways that rewards can … Continue reading →

Why You Need to Take Time for You

There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to the idea of “me” time. You either believe you are deserving of it or you feel guilty if you take it. I used to play the martyr game. If I took time for me, I would lament how everything around me was going to fall apart. So others couldn’t really win with me. But the reality is that we really do need to take time for ourselves. When you think of taking time for yourself, fitness might not exactly be the first thing you think of. But fitness is … Continue reading →

A Fit Lifestyle Takes Time

I am now two months into my new fit lifestyle, which has included making changes to my diet and implementing a regular exercise routine. While I have lost weight (and inches) it has been slow going. This is the point where it can become discouraging. The other day there was a radio ad about the weight loss product Sensa, a product that I certainly would never try. After all, it supposedly helps you lose weight but you don’t have to change your eating habits or even exercise. That scares me. But I have to admit it tickled my ears to … Continue reading →

The Importance of Sleep and Rest

As I am writing this, I am basking in the fact that last night I got almost 8 hours of sleep. This is a big deal for me because it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes it’s because of my own foolishness in staying up later than I should and other times it’s just a matter of dealing with menopausal symptoms. So what does any of this have to do with fitness? Believe it or not, sleep is a vital component to a fit lifestyle. A lack of sleep can mess with your mind, your physical motivation and even you’re eating habits. … Continue reading →

Spirituality and Fitness

Faith and fitness has been on my radar screen the past few days and now it has become a news story in the army. Recently a concern amongst atheists was raised with regard to a mandatory spiritual fitness test given to recruits. The point of the spiritual fitness test is to determine how well soldiers can handle not only the physical challenges before them but the psychological challenges as well. It was created to help curb a common result of combat, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now I have always believed that the body and mind go together when it comes … Continue reading →