Category: Obstacles that keep you from exercising

The Backbone of a Successful Weight Loss Plan

Successful Weight Loss PlanIt’s no secret that diet and exercise are two of the most important things you can maintain when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off for good.  The formula is simple but, for some, can be hard to maintain.

After twenty seven years in the fitness industry I’ve learned that one of the number one reasons people have trouble losing weight is a lack of consistency.  The reasons that cause people to be inconsistent can vary.  One of the more common reasons is a lack of structure with their time.  Time is fluid and will always find a place to go.  So if it’s not assigned to the tasks that help you reach your goals, it can slip away from you quickly, making it very difficult to add something new like exercise and/or meal planning.

In today’s four minute video I share how structure combined with consistency can help you lose weight.  I also offer valuable tips on how to organize your time and create more structure in your week.

the backbone of a Successful Weight Loss Plan

Structure and consistency are the backbone of a successful weight loss plan and any other goals you’ve set in your life.  When you organize your time and stay consistent with the tasks that get you closer to the finish line, you’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and productive week!

Shared with love,
Jennifer Ledford

How To Avoid Weight Gain When Your Exercise Routine Is Interrupted

Making it Happen

 

It’s no secret that a successful long term exercise routine takes effort and planning.  Planning when and how you will exercise ahead of time increases your chances that you will stick to your routine.

However, if you are human then you know that “stuff” happens. Things like a new job, an injury, a new baby, starting a business, or the illness of a family member can easily put your carefully planned exercise schedule on the back burner. It’s normal and it can happy to anyone!

It’s important to be aware that these interruptions can lead to weight gain.  However, with the right back up plan, you can keep weight gain at bay!

Four Strategies for Dealing with Interruptions in Your Exercise Routine

 

1)  A little goes a long way!  Do your best. Incorporate as much lifestyle activity into your day as you can. Activities like walking to get a meal, or to run an errand; taking the stairs,’ or standing rather than sitting will help you burn extra calories.

If you’re recovering from an injury or illness, find out what exercise your doctor will allow and do as much as you can while waiting to go back to your normal routine.

2)  Don’t be afraid to ask for help! It seems like ‘do it yourself’ has become more and more common these days. If your exercise routine has been interrupted due to additional responsibilities, consider out sourcing daily tasks to free up some of your time. Look for ways you can out source in your personal and/or professional life.

3)  Cut the calories! When your exercise routine gets interrupted, you normally burn fewer calories per day. Unfortunately, the tendency is to increase caloric intake when you should be cutting back. Some of the more common reasons for this include stress, lack of time, and the inability to cook for yourself.

If you are unable to meal plan and cook for yourself, consider having healthy meals delivered. You can use a service like Magic Kitchen or an in-house personal chef who prepares meals in your home.

When eating out, try to check the menus online ahead of time and use sites like healthydiningfinder.com or loseit.com to check the calories in your choices. By planning ahead, you’ll be able to choose the lower calorie options and avoid the weight gain that is caused by eating out often.

Pay attention to emotional eating. If you know that stress triggers you to over eat, avoid buying high calorie snack foods just to have around. Come up with a plan for redirecting the cravings to a different behavior. Activities like taking a short walk, meditating, praying, reading a book, checking email, or listening to music can take your mind off the craving until it disappears.

Boredom can also cause you to snack. Boredom can occur while recovering from an injury or illness, or when caring for a loved one who is recovering. Just like with the emotional eating, find other activities to occupy your time and keep the high calorie snack foods out of reach.

4) Tell guilt to take a hike! Interrupting your exercise routine to take care of important priorities in your life is sometimes necessary. It happens to everyone, so give yourself some grace and move on knowing you’ll start back up with your normal routine as soon as you are able.

Guilt is a potential trigger for binging and can cause additional weight gain. So tell it to leave if it tries to enter your mind!

With today’s fast paced lifestyle, it’s work to juggle all of your priorities. Make sure to include your health and self care as one of them! 🙂

Please let me know if you have any questions by using the comment section below.  I really enjoy hearing from you!

To your long term success!

Jennifer

 

How To Beat The Obstacles That Keep You From Exercising

Whether you have been exercising for a long time or you’re just getting started, obstacles (aka life’s circumstances) can cause you to fall off track from your exercise routine. This is normal and it doesn’t have to sabotage your efforts.

When life throws you a curve ball don’t beat yourself up. Guilt can cause you to become depressed which will make it harder to start back up again. Instead, take a look at the circumstances and identify the reason you haven’t been exercising.

Common obstacles that sabotage exercise and how you can overcome them:

1)  It’s painful.  It’s really difficult to stay motivated to exercise if you are experiencing pain.  Make an appointment to see a doctor to address the issue. Once diagnosed, you can take the necessary steps to eliminate the pain and start exercising again.

2) You’re burning the candle at both ends. Today’s fast paced lifestyle can contribute to a very full calendar. This pace can result in leaving you little, and at times no time to exercise. If that’s you, read I Agree You Are Too Busy To Exercise for tips on how to overcome this challenge.

3) You don’t like it. Is the only thing on your mind, “I can’t wait for this to be over”? If so, you probably don’t like the exercise you’ve chosen. Make a list of the physical activities you enjoy and decide which ones you want to pursue.

For example, you may not like hiking but you really like line dancing. Go for the one that you know you can stick to, not what the current exercise fads are telling you is best for you.

4) You’re exercising to please others. This is a biggie! Often times well meaning family and friends will convince you to engage in an exercise program because they care about your health or want your company.

If you are only doing it to please others, you risk resenting the exercise — and it could potentially strain your relationship. Make sure the exercise routine you choose is the right one for you. Here are tips on how to pick exercise YOU like.

5)  It’s a new season in your life or a schedule change. We all have seasons in our life that can affect our routine. Things like a new job, business, baby, move, or injury can require you to readjust your current exercise plan.

When you are going through a new season in your life that affects your schedule, it is necessary to look at your exercise plan and determine what adjustments will need to be made to maintain your fitness levels while you adapt to your new schedule.

Goals of advancement in fitness may need to be put temporarily on hold to avoid frustration and disappointment. The most important thing is that you maintain what you have already achieved!

I’ve been a personal trainer for over 22 years and I’ve listed the most common obstacles and the solutions for you. If you are experiencing an obstacle that I haven’t covered please feel free to ask me about it by leaving a comment below. If you have a tip you’d like to share on how you have overcome an obstacle that was holding you back from exercise, please share. I’d love to hear what you did!

To your health!

Jennifer