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Article Series: Motivation
What Will It Take To Motivate Me?
Get
Off Your Ass and Lose Weight
What
will it take you to be motivated to lose the weight you
keep saying you’re going to lose? Will illness
be the motivator? Or how about that high school reunion, or
that long dreamed of vacation cruise. It could be that you’re
tired of being out of breath while climbing stairs, cleaning
house or shopping at the mall. Whatever it takes, there are
benefits for losing weight. It doesn’t matter if you’re 20
pounds overweight or 200, you still need to get motivated to
get off your keister and lose that weight.
My body hates the “Diet” word. If I even think the word diet,
my body goes into starvation mode and stores everything I eat
in the fat cells in my thighs. So, I don’t diet, I eat healthy
and make good food choices. Am I playing mental tricks? Sure,
but it works for me.
Healthy
eating of course is the beginning of losing that weight,
but you also need to exercise to help it along. Why is getting
off your butt and exercising important? There are several reasons.
Exercise
or physical activity will help burn the calories
you are taking into your body. The more you move the more calories
you burn; it’s as simple as that. You are burning calories
by doing housework or running after your children. The trick
is to get your body moving in different ways.
Exercise can help you get off that plateau you may be on in
your weight loss program. Sometimes, no matter how hard you
try, you are stuck at a certain weight. The temptation is to
give up at that point. You can breathe through that plateau
point by increasing physical activity. Especially recommended
is strength training. Working with weights, helps build muscles
and muscles burn fat.
Increased physical activity enhances your metabolic rate and
that rate stays high for some time even after you’ve stopped
exercise.
Sleeping
patterns improve when you are getting more exercise.
Do not exercise right before bedtime because it can keep you
awake. Experts recommend at least three hours between exercise
and bedtime. Moving that body and stretching your limbs is
also good for both the body and soul. It improves mood and
releases endorphins in the brain that increases your feeling
of well being. By the way, you get the same rush when you’re
in love, or eat chocolate. I’m not recommending eating chocolate!
More importantly, getting the proper physical exercise can
reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, breast
cancer, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis. Physical exercise
is recommended in treatment of certain mental issues such as
depression. How can it not help when it produces those feel-good
endorphins?
Here
are some hints to get motivated to exercise. Set small
goals and be sure they are measurable. Take small steps and
once you’ve met that goal, set a new one. Always be sure your
goals are practical. It isn’t realistic to make a goal of losing
50 pounds in one month. With that decision you’ve set yourself
up for a crushing defeat. So don’t set your expectations too
high or you’re likely to be discouraged and quit.
Set up a regular schedule and stick to it. Even if you are
only exercising three times a week, be sure to get those three
times in every week. You can try marking this schedule down
in your calendar which will make sticking to your plan easier.
Be sure to make exercise fun. If you used to love to dance,
put on an oldie and just move your body. Dancing is wonderful
exercise. Include your children, they will love dancing with
Mommy or Daddy, and it can be fun for the whole family. Join
a water aerobics class or any other class. By planning ahead
and sticking to a schedule, you will gain valuable support
in your diet and exercise plan.
Get ready for that vacation, reunion, or special event you’re
looking forward to. You can do it, set small goals and reward
yourself with a new outfit every time you reach your goal.
Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you for it.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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