Category: Lose Weight

How To Motivate Yourself To Exercise

Struggling with lack of motivation for exercise?  If you are, you’re normal! Believe it or not, it’s simple to overcome. The trick is doing a quick evaluation to figure out what motivates you.

This simple formula will motivate you to exercise for life!

Your first step is to take inventory. What are the top 2 reasons you want to exercise?  There is no right or wrong answer. We are all motivated a little differently. For example, not everyone is motivated by health.

 

That doesn’t mean you don’t want to be healthy.  It just means you may be motivated by a different “why,” like staying healthy to support your family; or being able to live independently when you are in your golden years.

It’s critical that you discover what you value most in your life.  Once you determine why you want to remain healthy and strong, it is going to be much easier to motivate yourself on those days you just don’t feel like it.

Below is a list of the top reasons people are motivated to exercise.  These examples are based on my own experience as a personal trainer for over 22 years.

Take a few minutes to look at this list.  Use it to help you discover what your own personal reason for exercise is. You may come up with an answer that’s not even on this list.

Write down reasons from the list that resonate with you and any others you come up with on a sheet of paper.  Remember, there is no right or wrong answer.  It is what is!

Top motivators to exercise

 

1)   Maintain or improve your Health

2)   Increase life expectancy

3)   Lose weight

4)   Improve functional fitness

5)   Stay healthy for your family

6)   Travel with ease

7)   Improve appearance

8)   Have more energy

9)   Sleep better

10) Recreation/Fun

11)  Social activities/Meet people

12)  Remain independent and self sufficient

13)  Walking your dog or taking care of a pet

After going through this short exercise, you may be surprised with what you come up with. You may find you have been trying to motivate yourself with all the wrong reasons. Or, you discovered that it is worth it to you to stick to your exercise routine and you are motivated again!

If you discovered you have been trying to dangle the wrong carrot in front of yourself, that’s great news! You now have a brand new list with the top two things that will motivate you to exercise. Anytime you feel like “blowing off” your exercise you just go back to your list and read your reasons out loud to yourself. This will give you the motivation to get moving!

Make sure the exercise you choose serves your purpose.  For example, if your purpose to exercise is to be able to meet people, then I would recommend you look into joining group activities that are at your fitness level and seem fun to you.

The most important thing to remember to be true to yourself and the priorities for your own life. It’s human nature to get unmotivated from time to time. However, when you are clear on your purpose and following the true desires of your own heart, it’s much easier to motivate yourself to just do it. You’ll be able to finally motivate yourself to exercise.

Next week we’ll be talking about the most common obstacles that prevent you from exercising and how to beat them!

I’d love to know what your top motivators are! Please let me know in the comments below. 

To your health and wellness!

Jennifer

How To Find Exercise You Like

Is exercise guilt haunting you?

Find it hard to motivate yourself to stick to your routine? Or, maybe you are feeling guilty about blowing off your workout for another activity you enjoy more. If you are struggling with your exercise routine, maybe it’s not right for you.

There are many ways to exercise. Unfortunately, formal and more restrictive workouts have been promoted as the way to get the fittest, healthiest, and best looking body.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Have you ever noticed how fit most surfers, horseback riders, or hikers look? These are examples of people who use recreation to stay fit. They usually spend very little time on formal exercise — just enough strength training per week to keep them in top shape for what they truly enjoy — their sport!

Choosing activities that are more recreational in nature is really good for your body. Recreational activities tend to move the body in more natural ways than some of the more formal “workouts” in the gym. Moving your body in a sport-like manner serves the purpose of improving function in your every day lifestyle activities.

So, while you are having fun and burning calories, you are actually improving your functional fitness as well.  Functional fitness is really important because it trains your body for “real life” situations.

Find exercise you like — the best exercise for you!

1) Ask yourself what you  enjoy. What do you like to do that’s physical? Give YOUR answer. Avoid saying what you think your friends or personal trainer wants to hear. It’s usually something you either did in the past or have a desire to try. I’ve had clients tell me everything from paint ball to line dancing. The most important thing is finding something physically active you will do consistently.

2)  What do you REALLY want? So often we let the media influence us to think we should look like the model on the cover of a magazine. Remember, they get paid for it. While most of us love our work, we all have a “chore” that we endure because it’s part of our job, or part of creating a better product. This is the same for celebrities. Many of them look at their formal workout as “part of the job.”

Copying another person’s life isn’t very motivating! Try different things and see what you gravitate towards. What exercise makes you feel the most energized? Evaluate anything that feels like a chore to see if it’s worth doing.

3)  Just go for it! The most important thing is that you get moving. No matter what you choose, if you know you can stick to it than it is the right exercise for you. The ideal exercise program will feel more recreational in nature and less formal.

4)  Do not feel guilty! We all have that friend that does marathons or bike rides 100 miles. That’s great! They’re wired that way! Do NOT feel guilty that your idea of “working out”is a stroll around the waterfront and picking up a coffee. Focus on your own health and fitness goals and be a cheerleader for them. That type of intense activity is not for everyone.

It’s important to remember that it doesn’t matter what the latest and greatest workout fad promises. The best workout for you is the one you will actually do. Finding something you enjoy — or can at the very least stay consistent with is key.

I encourage you to get creative. Step outside the box and have some fun!

Have an exercise routine that you enjoy and would like to share? Please comment below! I enjoy hearing from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer

 

How To Snack And Lose Weight

Like to have your mid morning or afternoon snack? Good! Having a snack or two during your day will help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

Eating small and mid sized meals throughout the day is a great way to stabilize your blood sugar, avoid over eating, and keep your mind alert. So here’s how to snack and lose weight.

Snacking Wisely

The number of calories you will want in your snacks is going to vary depending on your weight loss goals and the amount of calories consumed during your daily meals. Pairing a carbohydrate and a protein gives your body the short and long term fuel it needs to sustain you until your next meal.

Ten healthy snacks to help you lose weight!

1)  Fruit.  Fruit is low in calories and makes a great snack when paired with a slice of cheese or a tablespoon of peanut butter.

2)  Tortilla Chips and Salsa. Yes, this can be a low-cal snack if you check the bag to determine a serving.  Since Salsa is very low in calories, I like to have 1/4 cup of yoghurt with it.  This is a great snack in the afternoon.

3)  Cheese and crackers.  Sounds fattening?  Not really when you eat a single serving. Pre-sliced cheese is a great way to control the calories.  Break it into pieces and eat with whole wheat crackers.

4)  Yogurt.  Yoghurt with fruit or a small amount of honey makes a great low-cal snack.

5)  Whole wheat toast and a tablespoon of peanut butter or slice of cheese.

6)  Leftovers.  A 1/2 serving of a low cal meal makes a great snack.

7)  Frozen Yoghurt.  Make sure it’s small and go light on the sprinkles.

8)  Shakes.  I don’t endorse meal replacement shakes as I prefer to make my own low cal smoothies. But for people on the go, shakes can be a great option for a low-cal snack.

9)  Hummus.  Whole wheat pita chips and hummus is one of my favorites! Hummus is great for satisfying hunger, and a good whole wheat pita chip will give you the complex carbs you need for energy.

10)  Cottage Cheese.  Pair  1/2 cup cottage cheese with fruit or crackers for a great snack.

While cookies, candy, and potato chips are labeled as “snack foods”, they have a high calorie count and do not keep you filled up for very long.  It’s best to think of these foods as “treats.”

Have a low cal snack you’d like to share?  Please leave a comment below.  I’d love to hear from you!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer