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Reasons Why New Year’s Fitness and Weight Loss Resolutions Fail

Every year millions, if not billions of people make New Year’s Resolutions to eat right, get fit & lose weight – and most have abandoned them by March 31st at the latest.

Here are the top reasons for their failure and how YOU can avoid making these same mistakes year after year.

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1) Fitness, Health & Nutritional Habits

Before you even set your fitness goals or weight loss goals for the new year, you first need to understand how you got into the shape you’re currently in. Unless you have a chronic condition or have suffered a major accident, you’re not a victim of anything – and no one else caused you to be out of shape or overweight.

It’s imperative that you understand it’s your personal habits that led you to your current state. You made choices all along the way, and the choices you made over and over became your default – your habits. Your habits led to your current lifestyle – what you eat, how much and how often you exercise, and what body-weight and fat percentage you’re willing to carry around with you every day.

That’s the bad news, so now here’s the good news: YOU created those habits, and YOU can change them starting right now, today! Changing your exercise habits or nutritional habits starts with small choices – and over time those choices add up. Plus, when repeated over and over they become your new habits. Yes, this means you need to put a little more thought into routine daily tasks. But you’re not satisfied with your current state of health, your fitness or your current body fat levels or you wouldn’t be making these New Year’s Resolutions. So put in that extra thought and make the choices that help you keep these promises to yourself!

2) Not MAKING Time To Exercise

When it comes to working out you don’t take the time – you MAKE the time. One of the few universal values we all share is that we all have the same 168 hours per week, and we all get to choose what we do with those 168 hours. Think of people Like Donald Trump, Richard Branson, Tony Robbins, Louise L. Hay or Les Brown and all they accomplish in any given week – yet they only have the same number of hours that week as you do. The busiest and laziest people you know have 168 hours a week too.

The only difference between them and you is priorities – you use your time in proportion to the importance you give each activity. So if getting in shape, being healthy and weight loss are sufficiently important to you you WILL make the time for sufficient exercise to accomplish your goal of getting back in shape and staying in shape.

Don’t try to tell me you don’t have enough time – we all have the same amount of time, and you already know people in your situation who have time to hit the gym, go for a run or take exercise classes, don’t you? What you really mean is your current activities already fill your schedule, right?

And that’s the biggest reason exercise resolutions get broken year after year – trying to fit 3 – 5 workouts a week into an already over-crowded schedule. It’s like trying to pour another cup of water into a full glass – it won’t go in, but instead will make a mess, right? And that’s what happens when people try to add in exercise time to a full schedule – it makes a mess of their week.

So how do you solve this one? Simple. Decide what to take out of your schedule to make time to exercise. Look for the obvious time-hogs first: watching television, spending too much time on the Internet, playing computer games, hitting the bars and clubs, etc. Everyone I know spends time at at least one of those four, and I assume the same can be said about you, right? So now you have to decide where you’ll trim the time for 3 or more exercise sessions per week.

Remember, the decisions need to be made based on your priorities – is your health more important to you than those reality shows, time on Facebook and Google+, beating the next level of WOW or knocking back a few drinks at the bar quite so often? For best results, don’t eliminate anything you truly love to do, or you’ll harbor resentment towards your workouts and your own subconscious will sabotage your workouts.

Instead, cut out what you really don’t care about and if you need to make more time still then trim back the activities you enjoy just enough to free up the time you need. Taking just 20 minutes a day from each of 3 leisure pastimes gives you that hour a day, as does skipping a single TV show a day. You already have the time… Now just free up enough of it for your exercising – and decide in advance where the time’s coming from so there’s no conflict each week.

3) Not Setting A Realistic Pace

Let’s look at a common pair of weight loss and fitness goals: losing 20 pounds of body fat next year and adding 20 pounds of muscle next year. Either one can make a major change in your health and body image while boosting your self-confidence and energy levels. The biggest problem is far too many people suddenly jump into the gym and start lifting weights life a fiend to build muscle fast, or drastically cut their calorie intake thinking they need to drop all 20 pounds in the first month or two. If you did either of these last year, how did you measure up at the start of this year? If you’re like most people, you were even further from your goals this year than last.

The issue here isn’t your goals – both are reasonably achievable. The issue is a sudden change in your diet and/or exercise routine. Why the rush? In most cases it took years to get to the shape you’re currently in, so don’t try to change it overnight! To lose 20 pounds next year, start with a single small change to a healthier diet each week. To add 20 pounds of muscle, start light with the 7 compound exercises and add 1 more rep to each set each week and add 1 new exercise a month.

Even if you didn’t start to see any weight loss or muscle gain in the first 7 months, you’d still only need to drop 1 pound of fat or gain 1 pound of muscle per week from August on to still meet your goals for the year. Put another way, gaining or losing just 1/2 a pound a week throughout the year would be 26 pounds for the year – you’d have surpassed your goal by 30%. Getting and keeping a healthy lifestyle is a life-long pursuit, so remember that health, fitness and weight maintenance are marathons, not sprints.

4) Not Setting Reasonable Goals

Sure, every woman at some point wants to be a size 0 and every guy wants to become a Herculean champion. But for most people that’s just not going to happen no matter what they do. We’re all born with pre-set genetics that, to one extent or another, predetermine what our ultimate limits are. But the good news is everyone can still do an awful lot to improve themselves before hitting those top limits – in fact, very few people, including pro athletes, never reach the point where they find out what their limits are.

So set reasonable goals, based on where you’re at now. If you’re planning to lose weight, find out what your body fat levels are and plan to lose 10% or 25% of that over the year. Notice I didn’t say a percentage of your weight, but a percentage of your body fat. This is important because your body has a lot of weight it needs – muscles, organs, skeletal bones, blood, brain and the like.

So for example if you have 30% body fat and you weigh 250 pounds, your fat weighs 75 pounds and your goal would be to lose 7.5 to 19 pounds over the year. If you weigh 120 pounds with 30% body fat, your fat weighs 36 pounds and your goal would be to burn off 3.6 to 9 pounds.

If you’re lifting weights to build muscle or build strength, the idea is even simpler. Don’t say ‘I want to gain X pounds of lean muscle’ or ‘I want to squat/dead-lift/bench X pounds’. Instead, aim for the best gains you can safely and reasonably achieve. The best you can do with no drugs, proper form, strict lifting without using momentum, etc.

To build the muscle, try to add 1 rep to each set each week while increasing the weight you’re using once a month. To build strength, add a bit more weight to each of your work sets any time you can while still maintaining proper form. Either way, don’t get hung up on the weight being used or drawn into comparisons with others – focus just on your personal progress as the year progresses.

5) Not Enough Self-Confidence

When one sets realistic goals to build muscles or lose weight and truly believes they can achieve and over-reach those goals it’s easier for them to stay on track. For others, though, it’s common for them to seek refuge in the ‘knowledge’ that they couldn’t reach their goals no matter what they did. How often have you heard someone say “I’ve tried everything and nothing works!”? The truth is NO ONE has tried EVERYTHING.

Overcoming this one is tougher since your self-talk programs your subconscious, which in turn controls your urges and confidence. If you’re one of these people, find an accountability coach such as a weight loss coach or a personal trainer. Knowing they’ll give you a hard time if you miss a session, that they’ll be expecting you to show up and that you’ll be paying for their time whether you show up or not will greatly increase the chances you’ll stay on track.

Another option is to find someone with similar goals to lose weight or build muscle and keep each other on track. You’ll still need some self-discipline to show up when they don’t – don’t use their actions as permission to slack off yourself! And be prepared to replace your partner, or add in another person, if you find they’re not as committed as you are – no one but YOU should be setting your pace or be in charge of your results.

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Five Steps To Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

What are your New Year’s Resolutions this year? To lose weight, buy a new house or car, further your education, or maybe meet that special someone? Whatever your New Years Resolutions are, you will be much more likely to achieve them if you set a system in place that you can follow on a daily basis.

Big dreams don’t manifest into reality overnight, but by taking small steps toward these dreams every day, little by little parts of the dream become reality.

Set Reasonable Goals

Every year you should begin by setting reasonable and specific goals. For example, if weight loss is a goal for you, you should start off by assessing how much weight you need to lose, and then setting a reasonable goal for the year, one that can actually be achieved. For example, given that it is healthy to lose a maximum of ten pounds per a month, no yearly goal should be set to lose more than one hundred and twenty pounds in any given year

. You should also set a specific amount of weight to be lost, although one hundred and twenty pounds is the maximum amount that can be loss, perhaps you want to lose only fifty, or twenty. A specific amount should be specified, don’t just have a vague, unspecified goal to lose weight vague.

The same is true for any other goal that you might set; you have to take into account, the time that you have to achieve your goal and the resources available to you in the pursuit of your goal. When you truly consider the time and resources at your disposal, you should be able to set a reasonable and specific goal in any area.

Break the Larger Goal into Smaller Ones

OK so, you’ve established your reasonable and specific goals for the year. Where do you go from there? Once the annual goals are set, next comes the process of breaking those larger goals down into smaller more manageable ones. Suppose a goal is to return back to school to further your education. A smaller goal, to be set for the first quarter of the year (January through March), could be collecting information on schools in your area that interest you and researching the various program offered at these schools.

It is very important to break the larger goal down into a series of smaller ones so that will progressively further the larger goal. If you set out a series of steps that need to be taken to reach the larger goal, the goal will seem less overwhelming, and much more manageable. Since this is a resolution for the year, it may be appropriate to break down the larger goal into twelve smaller goals for each month of the year. This is just a guideline; your goal may require more or fewer steps depending upon what the goal is.

Set Milestones

While you are setting goals it can’t hurt to also set milestones. Milestones are in between the larger goal that you’ve set for the year, and the smaller goals you have set for a shorter period of time. A milestone is an event that marks significant progress toward the goal. For example, if your goal is to lose fifty pounds, a significant milestone toward that goal could be twenty-five pounds. (Because you are half way there.) If you’re goal is to go back to school, as significant milestone might be completing all of your research and finally deciding upon a school and completing the admissions application. A milestone is a significant accomplishment that occurs on the way to your goal. You can revise your milestones (and for that matter your smaller goals) along the way. But what is important is always having some kind of plan in place. A plan that moves you along toward the goal.

Do at least Five to Ten Small Things Each Day to Achieve the Goal

This is probably the most important advice of all. Take small steps every day toward your goal. This is where goals are made or broken- in your daily routine! It is so easy to begin the New Year in full force, rushing toward your goals with such ambition and zeal! But then life happens. Other responsibilities get in the way-. Before you know it, you missed five gym workouts in a row and you are gaining weight because of it, or working late has prevented you from researching schools.

A slump in the housing market is hampering your house hunting or a glitch in your car loan approval process has gotten you frustrated! Once several days or weeks are missed, it is normal to become frustrated, and to want to abandon the goal all together! THIS YOU MUST NOT DO! It is human to fall off the wagon, but is even more important to get back on! Don’t waste time and energy putting your self down for opportunities missed. Just know that this is all apart of the process. Things do occur that get in the way of steady progress toward our goals. But these things can be easily overcome, if we get back on track as soon as possible and return to the daily habit of taking at least five small steps toward the goal every day.

Reflect Upon Progress

This is easy to do if you write down the small steps you take toward your goal every day. At the end of the week, or month, or whatever time period you are comfortable with, take a look at all of the work you have done toward the achievement of your goal. Evaluate the good decisions as well as the missteps. Perhaps you found the perfect house, made a bid on it, but lost it in a bidding war. Don’t be discouraged. Often times we can turn life’s disappointments into opportunities so long as we are willing to keep a positive attitude and learn from them. Stay focused and keep directing your positive energy to the achievement of your goals. Before you know it you will be reaching those significant milestones that you set earlier.

Reward Yourself for Reaching Milestones

This is very important! Celebrate each significant milestone you reach, don’t wait until you achieve the larger goal, milestones along the way are very important! Sometimes what ends up being even more important than the goal we set, is the journey that takes us there, the friends we meet along the way, and the growth we experience as a result of our efforts. Be sure to celebrate all of this! Following the five simple steps above, you just might even achieve your New Years Resolution before the years end. Wouldn’t that be cause for celebration? Even if you don’t, you will have learned so much just from the effort; enough to take you well into the next year’s resolutions successfully!

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The New You in the New Year

How many times have you told yourself that this year you’re going to finally lose that weight or quit smoking or look for a better job? How often do you carry over your New Year’s resolutions from one year to the next? If you’re like most people, you come up with a long wish list of things you want to improve and try your best to make them happen during the year.

The problem is that not even a month goes by before you’ve already forgotten about most of your goals and are back to your old habits again. There are a few simple things you can do though, to help you stick to your plan.

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Be Realistic

One of the biggest reasons we fail to accomplish our New Year’s resolutions is that we tend to set unrealistic goals. Wanting to lose 100 pounds and make more money and get organized and quit smoking all at the same time probably isn’t going to be very effective. To help you stick to your goals, you should pick one or two really important things you want to work on and focus exclusively on those, instead of trying to completely reinvent yourself in one year.

Also, be sure that your goal is actually attainable. If you have a heart condition and are in terrible physical shape and your goal is to climb Mount Everest before the end of the year, you may be in for some serious disappointment. This is not to say that you can’t set goals that really challenge you physically and mentally. It is simply important to be honest with yourself in regards to what you can and can’t accomplish. The last thing you want to do is set yourself up for failure.

Be Specific 

The next big problem is that most of our goals aren’t specific enough. While it may be okay to write “lose weight” on your New Year’s resolution list, this doesn’t tell you anything about how much weight or how you’re going to lose this weight. In order to make your resolution more effective, you need to be specific about what you want to accomplish. A better resolution may be “to lose 1 pound a month throughout the year,” or “to go to the gym at least twice a week before work.” The more specific you are about your goal, the more solidified it will be in your mind.

Be Task Oriented

It’s great to want to lose weight, but how are you going to accomplish it? I can almost guarantee you that the weight’s not just going to melt off of you on its own. So, what do you need to do to make this goal a reality? For each resolution you have on your list, write at least ten action items that you must do to accomplish your goal. Here is a sample list to help you get started.

Resolution: “Lose 1 pound a month throughout the year”

Be Strong

One of the reasons people fail with their resolutions is that they don’t adequately foresee the obstacles they may face along the way.

Be Forgiving

You won’t always hit your mark on the first try. As soon as you realize that you’ll most likely have some good days along with some bad days, you can stop beating yourself up when you’re in a slump. Forgive yourself when you stray off the path and find ways to encourage yourself to get right back on. Blaming or feeling negatively towards yourself will only make matters worse and make it harder to finish what you so boldly started. Instead, figure out what got in your way and come up with a revised plan of action to achieve your goal.

Be Happy!

This is the most important thing to remember. All that we do in life is in vain if we’re not happy. If you’re absolutely miserable doing your resolution, you’ll not only find it more difficult to stick to, you’ll also build up more resentment towards it. This in turn, will make you even less likely to ever finish the goal. Of course, some times we have to do something for health reasons that may seem terrible in the short term, but that will bring happiness at a later time. I believe strongly that to accomplish anything in this world, you have to have the right attitude. Life is short and you should choose resolutions that will enhance your life by making you healthier and happier.

As the Vulcan saying goes, “Live long and prosper.”

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Run In A New Year

As we enter a New Year, weight loss will be at the forefront of many people’s resolutions. And why not? It is very healthy to help keep away heart diseases and diabetes for many. It raises people’s confidence and thus increases self-esteem. Participating in a cardiovascular activity will also increase the shape in which one is, as well as lower blood pressure. The feeling of running is great!

After I have gone on a run, I have a tremendous feeling of confidence. Confidence I can carry onto my other activities I in which I want to participate. The juices are flowing, my energy is up: I can take on the world.

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For the non-runner who is thinking of taking on running, that sounds very counter-intuitive, but running increases energy. You are not exhausted throughout the day. Healthy body, healthy mind. Why not go for a quick run in the morning to get your day off right?

Running is one of the most intense aerobic workouts in existence. Other than cross-country skiing, running does the most to improve one’s cardiovascular system through exercise. However, unlike cross-country skiing, one does not have to wait for a certain time of the year, at certain locations, and spend a certain amount of money to partake in running.

All one needs is drive, determination, and a pair of shoes (and even then, running barefoot is becoming more popular!). Depending upon a few variables, we burn around 130 calories per mile ran. That is an insanely high amount of calories burned! Now think: you run 3 miles in about half of an hour. You have burnt about 400 calories! Now that of how easy it could be to start running to lose weight!

The most important part of starting to run is to stay focused and believe you can. At first, it will not be tremendously easy, but soon you will learn to enjoy and look forward to your next run. Running requires mental toughness, and with the right plan and mentality everyone can succeed as a runner.

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Will Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution Fail this Year?

Many people make their New Year’s resolution to become super fit but fail to achieve their fitness goal because of the obstacles they encounter.

When people think seriously about getting fit one of the first things they think of is attending a gym. Now this is fine, but just getting yourself to a gym involves time and trouble. Typically you need to get your training clothes ready, travel to the gym, park, wait to use the equipment, shower, change and then travel back home.

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After a while many people reach the conclusion that all this just takes up too much time and their fitness dreams are dashed. If you could have a training facility in your home, however, all of the time that you waste going to and from a gym would be saved and you could spend more time in pursuance of your goal i.e getting fit.

An exercise treadmill provides the perfect facility for exercising at home. Running and walking are the most pleasurable and natural forms of exercising and build up stamina, help reduce weight and promote overall good health. The fact that you can indulge in this exercise in the peace, comfort and security of your own home by exercising on a treadmill is a huge bonus.

A key point to remember with regard to achieving your fitness goals with treadmill training is that the probability of you continuing with your fitness regime will be high. You are not subject to the vagaries of the weather and you can even watch the TV or listen to your favorite music at the same time.

When looking for a suitable home treadmill it is a good idea to steer clear of some of the cheaper products that you often see in the fitness sections of many department stores. Many of these budget models are lacking in quality and may see you looking at a repair bill in a short space of time.

Setting a goal to become fit is a major personal commitment and buying a treadmill for most of us is a major financial commitment, so buy wisely. When looking for a suitable treadmill try looking at some of the treadmill reviews which provide independent reviews, ratings, and pricing information for most models.

The first thing to consider when buying a treadmill is how it will be used. Will just one person be using the treadmill or many? Will these users be using the treadmill for walking, jogging, running or incline training?

Do not make the mistake of buying a cheap department store bargain and hope that it will meet the needs of your wife who just needs it for some gentle walking and your daughter who belongs to an athletics club and needs it for running. One size does not fit all here.

The next thing to decide upon is your budget. As stated earlier, for most people a treadmill is going to be a major investment so you need to spend wisely. A good quality treadmill should provide you with many years of use and will pay you back many times over in terms of overall fitness, healthy weight control and just sheer pleasure! As with most things in life you get what you pay for, so set your budget accordingly.

Another factor to consider is the weight of the heaviest person who will use the treadmill. Most treadmill review sites will include this in their product write ups and is usually shown as the maximum “user weight” for the treadmill. It is important to pay attention to this as the “maximum user weight” is stated for a good reason. If you weigh 300 lbs do not buy a treadmill that has a maximum user weight of 250 lbs and expect it to perform as it should for very long!

Give some consideration as to where you will locate your treadmill in your home. If you are fortunate to have a room where the treadmill can enjoy exclusive use then this will not be a problem but, if you intend to place it in a lounge then you may be interested in a “space saver” or folding treadmill.

These can be folded up into an upright position when not in use and so occupy a much smaller floor space. There are now available “ultra compact” treadmills that are highly portable and can be stowed under a bed or inside a closet when not in use.

Walking and running although excellent ways of exercising can produce stress on the feet and joints. For this reason you should look at treadmills with a good quality shock absorption system. Some treadmills now have quite sophisticated shock absorption systems.

Many treadmills have a bewildering array of electronic features to attract buyers. These include displays that measure calories used to the amount of energy expended in a fitness workout. Look for features that can stimulate and motivate.

Of course selecting then buying your treadmill is only the start. The key to keeping fit is implementing a workout routine, get started and keep going. You’ll find that after a month, your treadmill fitness session will become part of your normal routine and you will be well on your way to achieving your New Year’s fitness goals!

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3 Tips on What Not to Do to Achieve New Years Resolution Goals

It is January and what is heard around the world is talk of ‘losing weight’ and ‘going to work out again’. Many of these goal setters will quit after a few short weeks or never make it to the gym or to their basement in an effort to reach their goals.

There are many reasons why they will fail. Ridiculous advertisements promising unrealistic results is at the top of the list as well as an old philosophy that one has to workout 2 hours a day and eat less to reach their goals.

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Tip #1 – Do NOT set unrealistic goals

The majority of goal setters have never worked our or have not worked out for quite some time and when they set their New Years Resolution goals of ‘losing weight’ and ‘getting in shape’ they set their goals to high.

Setting a goal of ‘working out 5 days a week’ or ‘going to lose 20 pounds by February’ are not realistic, especially for someone who has not worked out in years. When we set goals like this from the start we are only setting ourselves up for failure.

Start slow and work your way up to four or five days. I suggest getting to the gym 3 days a week for 20 minutes a day. Doesn’t that sound realistic? Isn’t that much more than what the goal setters were doing previously?

Tip #2 – Do NOT just ‘hit the weights’

Although I am a firm believer in resistance training for everyone I highly recommend that you do not head to the gym and do a typical body builders workout routine. Meaning, chest and back on Monday, legs on Tuesday, shoulders Wednesday etc.

This is not only boring, but also the the kind of workout that you will not look forward to. Total Body workouts are the most effective workouts that take less of your precious time and are very enjoyable.

In an effort to have fun while you workout, at any age, I highly suggest you participate in classes at your local gym. Look for the following types of classes: ‘basic training’, ‘total body workout’, ‘boot camp’ and yoga or pilates. If you do not have the time available to attend the classes then I suggest finding a ’20-30 minute’ total body workout DVD that you can do at home or in the gym.

Rest is good as well. Monday, Wednesday and Friday is a good way to start if that fits your lifestyle. When you get to 4-5 days per week I suggest the following: Workout days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Rest days are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

You can do some form of ‘active rest’ on Saturday and or Sunday. This is in the form of hiking, walking, tennis, golf etc

Tip #3 – Do NOT diet

This is a biggie and one that makes you go, ‘hmmmm?’ First, the word ‘diet’ is one we associate with eating less to lose weight. The real and more simplistic way to describe diet is that is is ‘nutrition intake’ which more simplistically means, eating.

There are way too many diet books out there with all kinds of tricks and gadgets to lose weight. Your body is the most sophisticated machine on this planet and it does not like to be tricked. Treat it right and it will treat you right. Provide it the foods and fuels it needs and you will be very happy with your results.

Here are a few recommendations to help you on your way to achieving goals and creating tons of energy throughout your day:

Eat your carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are you number one source of energy. Now that you are working out your body needs that fuel to get you through your day and your workout. The goal would be to eliminate ‘white carbohydrates’. White rice, white breads, white pastas etc. Replace with the ‘browns’. Brown rice, whole grain/whole wheat bread, whole wheat pastas, yams, oats etc.
Please take note in the above: ‘replace’ not ‘eliminate’

You will see a drastic change in energy by simply replacing, NOT eliminating these foods.

Eat less protein.

Unfortunately, we all grow up hearing that we need to eat more protein. Where has that taken us? To a country with the highest obesity rate on the planet.

Plain and simple:

The more active you are the LESS protein you need, the less active you are the MORE protein you need. This all goes back to the carbohydrates. If you have too much protein and not enough carbohydrates your body will use protein as an energy source. This is not what you want. You need protein to serve its main purpose: repair and build muscle in turn increasing your metabolism so that you can burn fat and calories at rest.

The goal: Raise your metabolism

Drink plenty of water throughout your day.

Eliminate the sugary drinks and replace with good old H2o. One reason to eliminate sugary foods is that sugar creates hunger. If you are drinking sugary drinks throughout the day you will eventually have a starvation feeling. When this happens you will look for the junk foods which include more sugary foods.

Here are a few more reasons to crank up your water intake:

Water serves as a lubricant, forms the base for saliva, forms the fluids that surround our joints and regulates our body temperature as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
Water also helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent. Water also regulates metabolism

There you have it. Follow these 3 simple steps and you will be on the right path to success. Remember you are not eliminating anything, just replacing.

Set realistic goals, have fun with your workouts and DO NOT ‘diet’.

‘Your Body is a Temple, please be sure to treat it like one’

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Tірѕ For Sticking Wіth Yоur New Yеаr Fіtnеѕѕ Gоаl

Mаnу people mаkе fіtnеѕѕ rеѕоlutіоnѕ with thе bеgіnnіng оf a new уеаr tо gеt healthier аnd gеt іn ѕhаре. Some dесіdе tо eat bеttеr аnd exercise a lіttlе mоrе, whіlе others mаkе their gоаl switching from walking оn a treadmill tо trying an еllірtісаl mасhіnе.

Althоugh mоѕt реорlе ѕtаrt оut strong wіth their nеw уеаr fitness gоаl, many еnd up bеіng broken dауѕ оr wееkѕ later. It іѕ іmроrtаnt to realize thаt gеttіng іn ѕhаре оftеn іnvоlvеѕ a tоtаl lіfеѕtуlе change, nоt only еаtіng bеttеr while using treadmills, ellipticals, оr an exercise bіkе fоr a соuрlе оf wееkѕ. If уоu’rе hаvіng a рrоblеm sticking wіth іt, kеер thе fоllоwіng tірѕ іn mіnd.

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Mаkе Your Goals Realistic

Sоmе реорlе wake uр оn Nеw Year’s Dау with аn unrеаlіѕtіс рlаn. For example, іf уоu hаvеn’t еаtеn a healthy dіеt оr еxеrсіѕеd fоr уеаrѕ, іt isn’t rеаlіѕtіс tо ѕеt a tаrgеt оf runnіng fіvе mіlеѕ per day whіlе fоllоwіng a low саrbоhуdrаtе diet. The fаѕtеѕt wау to failure is mаkіng an unrеаlіѕtіс fіtnеѕѕ gоаl. It’s bеѕt tо start wіth small ѕtерѕ lіkе wоrkіng оut fоr twеntу mіnutеѕ every other dау on аn exercise bіkе, treadmill, оr еllірtісаl whіlе аlѕо grаduаllу improving уоur diet.

Sеt Sресіfіс Gоаlѕ

It іѕn’t еnоugh tо say уоu wаnt tо bе healthier, уоu hаvе to set ѕресіfіс tаrgеtѕ. Make a lіѕt оf the ѕресіfіс thіngѕ you wаnt to ассоmрlіѕh. Fоr еxаmрlе, using уоur trеаdmіll three nіghtѕ a wееk while уоu watch уоur fаvоrіtе television ѕhоwѕ, riding уоur ѕtаtіоnаrу bісусlе fоr fіftееn mіnutеѕ bеfоrе lеаvіng fоr wоrk оn Monday, Wednesday, аnd Friday, or even аѕ ѕmаll аѕ exercising оn аn еllірtісаl machine for fіvе mіnutеѕ реr dау. In addition, set specific diet gоаlѕ lіkе сuttіng back or еlіmіnаtіng soda or passing bу fast food.

Chооѕе Indооr Equipment – Trеаdmіllѕ, Ellірtісаlѕ, Or An Exercise Bіkе

Since реорlе ѕеt nеw уеаr fitness gоаlѕ іn Jаnuаrу whеn the wеаthеr іѕ cold, many people use thе wеаthеr as аn еxсuѕе to nоt еxеrсіѕе. Bу сhооѕіng іndооr еԛuірmеnt like trеаdmіllѕ, ellipticals, оr аn еxеrсіѕе bіkе, you саn’t lеt the wеаthеr оutѕіdе ѕtор уоu from getting your workout.

If running ѕоundѕ gооd tо уоu, lооk for trеаdmіllѕ thаt allow you to соntrоl thе іntеnѕіtу and pace оf your run whіlе monitoring уоur heart rate, pulse, аnd mоrе. A treadmill offers уоu a grеаt іndооr wоrkоut аnd mоѕt of these mасhіnеѕ еvеn fоld аwау for out of ѕіght storage.

Ellірtісаlѕ provide a grеаt саrdіоvаѕсulаr lоw impact workout that doesn’t ѕtrаіn thе jоіntѕ оr muscles. An еllірtісаl mасhіnе аllоwѕ уоu tо wаlk or jog without hitting against a hard ѕurfасе аѕ wіth a trеаdmіll.

A ѕtаtіоnаrу bісусlе аlѕо оffеrѕ a low іmрасt wоrkоut whether уоu сhооѕе аn uрrіght оr a rесumbеnt mоdеl. Yоu саn gеt a grеаt cardio workout wіthоut ѕtrеѕѕіng уоur feet, knееѕ, or ankles.

Regardless оf whеthеr уоu сhооѕе treadmills, еllірtісаlѕ, оr an exercise bike, уоu саn kеер уоur new уеаr fіtnеѕѕ gоаl bу using аnу оf these ріесеѕ of іndооr equipment аlоng wіth bеіng rеаlіѕtіс, ѕеttіng ѕресіfіс gоаlѕ, аnd starting ѕmаll.

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Goal Setting Fоr the Nеw Yеаr

Anоthеr уеаr іѕ uроn uѕ аnd millions worldwide wіll make уеt again аnоthеr Nеw Yеаr‘ѕ Resolution rеgаrdіng thеіr сurrеnt lеvеl of health and fіtnеѕѕ, mоѕtlу pertaining tо weight loss. This іѕ thе ѕаmе rеѕоlutіоn that most have made fоr the раѕt 10 уеаrѕ аnd will continue tо mаkе thrоughоut lіfе, unlеѕѕ thеу tаkе drаѕtіс mеаѕurеѕ, think outside оf thе bubblе and lеаrn to specify a goal оr twо thаt will hold thеm ассоuntаblе аnd give thеm ѕоmеthіng to strive towards. Without a truе goal set, majority wіll lоѕе іntеrеѕt аnd ѕtор gоіng tо thе gуm bеfоrе thе first wееk оf February.

Gеttіng a mеmbеrѕhір tо a lосаl gуm оr buying a piece оf fіtnеѕѕ equipment аrе great іdеаѕ and wіll mоѕt dеfіnіtеlу help you оn уоur wау tо a hарріеr and healthier lіfеѕtуlе but none оf the аbоvе mentioned set уоu up with a truе goal іn mіnd аnd something tо work уоur butt оff to achieve.

Nеw Yеаr

Yоu nееd a light аt the еnd оf the tunnеl оr a роt of gоld аt the еnd оf the rainbow ѕо-tо-ѕреаk. Thаt іѕ why ѕеttіng achievable, rеаlіѕtіс аnd mоtіvаtіng gоаlѕ for уоurѕеlf is crucial tо уоur ѕuссеѕѕ towards a bеttеr bоdу аnd mind.

Whеn I say thіnk outside the bubblе hеrе, I mеаn іt. Surе уоu соuld ѕеt a wеіght loss of -20lbѕ аnd bесоmе obsessed with daily wеіgh-іnѕ on thе drеаdеd ѕсаlе. But thіѕ can be ԛuіtе dеtrіmеntаl tо not оnlу оnеѕ hеаlth but overall state оf mind оnсе it bесоmеѕ аn obsession. Let’s thіnk of something fаr mоrе practical and еаѕіеr tо measure. Hоw аbоut that fаvоurіtе pair of hір huggіng, tight fіttіng jeans you uѕе tо fіt into 10 years аgо?

Or іf уоur сlоthеѕ are all hideous аnd hоrrіblу outdated why nоt go to the mаll аnd рісk out a nеw ѕummеr оutfіt you are аbѕоlutеlу іn lоvе wіth. Trу it оn, fіnd one thаt fіtѕ…. PERFECT! Nоw, іf уоu сhоѕе a lаrgе, gо рut іt bасk on the rack and grab a medium. If you grabbed аn XL gо grаb a lаrgе. Gоt іt? Thе роіnt is to сhооѕе аn аrtісlе оf clothing оr entire оutfіt thаt you dоn’t currently fit іntо, but wоuld love to wеаr by ѕummеr. This іѕ уоur NEW GOAL!

Fоrgеt аbоut thе ѕсаlе.

It’ѕ аll аbоut specification. Sеttіng gоаlѕ thаt relate tо your іntеrеѕtѕ аnd are easy аnd fun wауѕ for уоu to trасk уоur progress. Cоuрlе more еxаmрlеѕ.

Hаvе аn іntеrеѕt in runnіng but can only mаkе іt аrоund thе trасk for a quarter of a mіlе оnсе bеfоrе ѕlоwіng down to a walking расе? Whу nоt еntеr yourself in a hаlf mаrаthоn соmе spring? This should be рlеntу еnоugh mоtіvаtіоn fоr a runnіng enthusiast.

So уоu lоvе gоlf, but fіnd уоurѕеlf оvеrwеіght and оut оf ѕhаре? Last уеаr уоu соuld bаrеlу drive thе cart аrоund the соurѕе fоr 3 holes before gеttіng tired frоm аll thе steering аnd gеttіng іn аnd out оf thе gоlf cart? Sоundѕ lіkе a рrоblеm. A ѕресіfіс аnd rеаlіѕtіс gоаl fоr уоu might bе to be able tо WALK thе еntіrе 18 hоlе course аѕ oppose tо using a golf саrt, соmе spring.

Thеѕе goals аrе аll ѕресіfіс tо уоur іntеrеѕtѕ аnd wіll kеер уоu mоtіvаtеd bесаuѕе оf whісh. Thеу аll аlѕо give уоu vеrу еаѕу tо mеаѕurе wауѕ оf trасkіng уоur рrоgrеѕѕ. Wаtсh as thе ѕummеr drеѕѕ fіtѕ nісеr аnd lооѕеr by thе mоnth. Trасk уоur progress running ԛuаrtеr mile laps without ѕlоwіng dоwn, around thе trасk. 1 lар the first wееk and maybe 4 lарѕ bу the 4th wееk. Or fоr thаt fіrѕt round of golf mауbе уоu wеrе able tо wаlk thе front 9 аnd take thе саrt the bасk 9. Thаt’ѕ a huge іmрrоvеmеnt…. оnlу 9 more holes to go!! Yоu саn dо іt.

Wіth specific, rеаlіѕtіс аnd асhіеvаblе gоаlѕ in рlасе, wоrkіng out wоn’t bе juѕt another сhоrе wіth nо еnd in sight. It will bесоmе a fun аnd mоtіvаtіng асtіvіtу wіth grеаt rеwаrdѕ juѕt аrоund the corner. Try іt fоr уоurѕеlf аnd ѕее thе rеѕultѕ.

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5 Tips to Help You Lose Weight in the New Year

Many people worry about putting on weight over the Christmas period. If you find yourself weighing more than you did after the festive season, then getting back in shape is probably going to be your new years resolution. This year, losing those excess lbs does not have to be an uphill battle with our tips on new year weight loss.

We will try to help you discover how to lose the Christmas weight and stay in control of your weight loss goals all year round.

weight

Below you will find some weight loss tips that can be used for all occasions and will help you achieve your new year weight loss goals.

New Year Weight Loss Tips:

1. Eat small and often

We are often led to believe that eating 3 meals a day is a good way to break up your daily meals. In reality, studies show that by eating 5-6 small meals a day, we keep our metabolism fired up which promotes effective weight loss and stops sugar levels from dropping. Try to spread your calorie intake out evenly over these meals and you will find that you will feel fuller for longer and avoid snacking.

Make sure you are eating a balanced diet of 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbohydrates.

2. Vary your workout 

If you are hitting the gym, working hard and seeing little benefit, it might be time to change your workout. In order to successfully lose weight, you need to ensure that your whole body is being worked hard. Incorporate strength training into your routine. Many people believe that hours on a treadmill is the most effective way to burn calories. Your body will soon adapt to your workout so keep it on it’s toes by mixing it up.

3. Drink more fluids

Taking this simple, but effective step, will help you lose weight. Your body is composed of 70% water so it is important to keep yourself hydrated. Try to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day as this will help to prevent water retention and also help you feel fuller. Remember that tea, coffee, fruit drinks etc. all contain calories, so make sure you don’t exceed your daily intake.

4. Keep an eye on your meal portions

One of the easiest ways to cut down on calories is to eat smaller portions. It may sound obvious, but it is often overlooked. We often cook more than we need and end up eating more than we need. It takes a while for your body to feel full after eating so eating smaller portions slowly will give the body time to realize it has been fed. By cutting down on your portion sizes, you are cutting out huge amounts of calories that you do not need.

5. Eat only when you are hungry

Another tip that may sound obvious but this is easier said than done. It is easy to confuse the feeling of being thirsty for the felling of being hungry. More often than not, having a drink will hold these hunger pangs off until it is time for your next meal. The next time you feel hungry, have a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. A lot of the time, the feeling will subside. If not, have a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit.

Losing weight in the new year does not have to be hard. If you are fully prepared and fully committed to losing weight then you will find it is easy. Once the weight starts dropping off, you will feel motivated to continue with your healthy lifestyle. Try the tips above and you will find just how easy weight loss can be.

Make this New Year one to remember by taking control of your weight loss and achieving the body you have always wanted.