{ no excuses } I intend to show you that it’s not true. That’s what this “No Excuses” column is all about. Letting go of your fears to achieve your dreams. And admit it right now… it’s FEAR that is holding you back. Fear of failure. Fear you won’t be good enough. Fear you’ll never be a size 4 so why even try to work out…
you need to show up for activity. Book some sessions with a personal trainer, so you will get to the gym no matter what. A personal trainer will help you set and reach realistic goals. A personal trainer will be your biggest cheerleader. A personal trainer will help you learn all the fitness equipment in the gym that you need to master to reach your goals. Find one. Every single gym will give you recommendations. Even if you can only afford 5 or 10 sessions DO IT. Ten is better to get you into a habit. That will be all you need to start seeing results so you can move forward on your own. That’s what my friend Christine did, and she toned up, firmed up and lost 43 pounds as a bonus and is sexier than ever! Be an active watcher. When you watch TV, make the most of it. Do some ball-crunches, planks, yoga poses, squats, lunges or pushups while you’re watching. Put a treadmill in front of the tv. Or keep fitness equipment, such as a kettlebell, resistance bands, a stair climber and a jump rope, near the TV. Get in a 30 minute workout while you are watching your favorite show. Or use the commercial breaks to mix in brief cardio intervals. Run in place or up and down the stairs; do some burpees or jumping jacks. You spend every minute of your life multi-tasking so make use of tv time. I promise you, if you do this you will have PLENTY of time to sit in front of the tv relaxing into old age because you invested in your health. Be a hot date. Dinner and a movie is so cliché. What if, instead, you took your date/partner/love-interest to a cycling class or a ballroom dance lesson, tried a tennis game, a bike ride, a yoga class, indoor climbing, went on a hike, walked along the beach or kicked a soccer ball around the park? Bonus: Research shows that shared activity builds attraction. Test 274
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it out for yourself. You’ll thank me later. Buy and wear a FitBit. It’s like having a tiny life and fitness coach on your wrist. Your fit bit needs to be on you everyday to remind you things like… why am I searching for a spot closest to the store when the spots furthest from the store are empty and I can get in a few hundred more steps? Why am I composing an
be naked ever after without it. Now I would be amiss to tell you people who make a fitness goal often do it to lose weight. As far as dieting goes, your goal should not be more than 7% of your current weight. (Multiply your current weight by .07 to get a goal weight loss number). Losing weight can be a perfectly good goal for starting a fitness routine, but remember, you will gain muscle. Muscle will burn more calories while you are at rest, but it also weighs more than fat. You absolutely cannot make losing weight your only goal. Because you won’t lose weight at first. You might even gain, which is muscle which will burn more calories than fat cells so you can eat more! Seriously, if you set your goal to lose 50 lbs you will get discouraged. If you set your goal to lose 10 lbs… now you have a chance and a motivational number. If you hit that goal and are motivated to keep going, set your new goal at another 7% weight loss. Just don’t say “I am going to lose 50 lbs” because that is a two year commitment if you want to lose weight and keep it off and you will get discouraged in a few weeks. THIN is not a goal. Healthy is.
email when I can walk over to my bosses office and ask the question in person? Did I do enough steps today to have a glass of wine with dinner or should I stick to water? Do your homework to find one you like. They range in price from $20 to $200 dollars depending on what features you like, but I guarantee it will change your thinking about fitness and exercise. Make it a habit for two months and you’ll
Where will you be in 20 years? Where will you be in 5 years? Where will you be next year if you stop making excuses to improve your fitness and start doing something TOMORROW? Find the time. You have the power in your hands right now to make it the best version of you possible. You only get one life and one body. Go out and take a walk right now. It’s the easiest, cheapest fitness regime ever. No excuses.