Before you start an exercise program: Get inside your head!

How many times have you started an exercise regimen, only to stop after a few months, weeks, or even days? Trust me on this – you are NOT alone.  I’m using exercise as an example here, but there are myriad ways we start/stop something before reaching the goal.  Off the top of my head, I can think of several projects I’ve started, and not finished: a book proposal, re-organizing our closets, and giving the toy room a complete overhaul. Paralyzed by the enormity of the projects, the time they will take, etc., it is hard to stay on task. I’m going to follow my own advice below, using what I know about achieving fitness goals, to tackle my projects. I’ll let you know how it goes

Here are 3 Steps to take BEFORE you start an exercise program (or begin any large project):

Step 1: Know what you want to achieve

This seems like an obvious thing to consider before starting any project, but many times this crucial first step is overlook. If your weight loss journey is to be a lasting and successful one, it must become part of who you are, so sit down and really think about what you want to achieve. Not what you hope to achieve, what you want to achieve. What is your intention? Is to lose weight? How much weight do you want to lose? Is it to get in shape? What kind of shape do you want to be in – marathon-running shape, toned and more energetic, or would you be happy just getting up the stairs without getting winded? These are important considerations –  without a clear sense of what you want, you’ll become easily distracted en route to your destination and the journey itself won’t be nearly as efficient, productive, fun or rewarding.

When stating your intention, keep it broad and brief, at least in the beginning. Intentions that are too specific are difficult to achieve. So use the KISS philosophy: Keep It Simple, Silly

Example of a broad intention: “To develop a healthy body composition.”

Example of an intention that is too specific: “To lose 2 lbs per week for 8 straight weeks by running five times per week for 40 minutes and by limiting calorie intake to 1500 calories per day.”  Even if you feel and look better at the 8-week mark, if you didn’t lose 16 lbs as you intended, you’ll likely see failure rather than success, even though you did have success.

Step 2: Know why you want it.

In other words, who is behind the change (you, or something/someone else?) If you want to lose 30 lbs, why do you want to lose 30lbs? Is this your decision? Your spouses? Your physicians? Your mothers? Know why you want what you want. The most lasting and successful plan will come from clear reasons why you want it. Spend time fleshing this out – it is important. If the catalyst for change is someone/something other than you, your odds of being successful are slim.

Write it down now. Why do you want it?

Step 3: Know what you like to do.

This almost seems to obvious too mention, but I am frequently stunned at the blank stare on clients’ faces when I ask, “what activities do you enjoy most?” Participating in an activity that you enjoy increases the likelihood you will stick with your fitness plan, so spend a few moments on these next two points:

1. Consider the type of exercise you like to do and when you prefer to

do it (morning, evening, mid-afternoon).

2. Make a list of all of the activities you enjoy doing, even past sports

you participated in, and childhood activities that were fun. Why do (did) you like these activities?

I bet that you are your own worst critic. If you spent one week paying attention to your reactions, thoughts, comments, etc., many, or maybe most of them would be negative. It is challenging when we are bombarded day in and day out with negativity. I’ve made myself more aware of it now, because I want to think positive thoughts, but when I started to pay attention to the negative messages surrounding me everyday, then also the nasty little critical voice in my own head, I realized how much negativity I allowed into my life. I’m now much more guarded about what I watch, see, hear, pay attention to, and think. It has made a huge difference in my life, and it will in yours too.

Watch what you say. If you regularly hear yourself saying, “I’m not prepared…,” “I’m not good at…,” “I’ve never been able to…,” or “I always fail at…,” then you probably won’t get far if your health or fitness goal is to achieve something that requires these qualities. Verbalizing your weaknesses, fears, doubts and negativity, either internally or out loud, sets you up for certain disappointment. You are what you think about most of the time, so think positive thoughts. Tell yourself you can do it, even if you don’t yet believe it. This is the one time it is okay to pretend – “fake it until you make it.” Self-doubt and excuses have halted the progress of many would-be achievers. Don’t let that happen to you. Believe in yourself, keep working toward your fitness and health goals, and don’t stop trying until you get there.

Take a minute to record any negative thoughts you have on any given day, then put a positive spin on each one to turn it into a gem of an affirmation.

Here is an example:

Old self-talk:  I don’t think I have enough experience to try the circuit-training class at the gym.

New self-talk: I can do anything I put my mind too. That class looks interesting, so I will try it just once and give it my best effort.

Give positive self-talk a shot. It certainly can’t hurt. And if you fail, so what, right? Think positive thoughts, and go for it!

Earth Day is nearing, and I’m in the mood to recycle, reuse, etc. (Also, I’m really busy this week and out of original ideas to write about.) BUT, as luck would have it – I’ve unearthed some of my articles from waaaay back, and will be posting them all week long. Recycle, reuse, re-purpose…call it what you will, in honor of the upcoming Earth Day (drum roll please)...THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-MONITORING!

Self-Monitoring is essentially the process of recording various aspects of behavior and progress toward your health and fitness goals. The act of logging your daily journey toward improved health allows you to clearly see where you started, where you are now, and where you are headed. It is a motivational tool seldom taken advantage of, yet it can yield tremendous results when implemented correctly.

What do you log?

• Food intake
• Workout details (what you did, how long you did it, or why you didn’t exercise on a particular day, how it felt, etc.)
• Changes to your routine

By logging your food/exercise habits, you can:

• Measure your progress
• Evaluate inconsistencies in your routine
• Identify problematic foods and eating patterns
• Make connections between various emotions and eating behavior
• Discover reasons why you do/don’t exercise on certain days
• Decide if it is time to make changes to your routine

The process of tracking your progress enables you to modify your behaviors on the fly. For example, by tracking your workouts and food intake, you may discover that you do great during the workweek, but free fall out of control on the weekends, overeating and putting off exercise. Or, you may find that fatigue in the evenings prevents you from working out consistently. In this case, switching to morning workouts may be the solution that leads to lasting success.

Research confirms that the practice of self-monitoring increases success.

Often, we overlook progress and choose to focus on “all-or-nothing” thinking. When this happens, those little setbacks or changes in your schedule can derail your efforts for days, weeks, or permanently. By monitoring yourself on a consistent basis, you can evaluate what is working and what isn’t, where your weaknesses lie, and gain an overall picture of the changes taking place. This lessons the likelihood for failure by a large degree.

Follow these tips to get the most out of your exercise / nutrition-tracking system:

• Do get in the habit of focusing on your successes.
• Don’t give yourself a bad grade when you slip up.
• Do evaluate your strategies often to notice what is working and what is not.
• Do focus on what you can control: workout length, workout intensity, type of exercise, and what you eat, rather than focusing on what you can’t control (blood pressure, body fat, medical needs, losing “x” number of pounds today).
• Do record your thoughts/feelings associated with exercising and eating and the beliefs you need to work on changing.
• Do tweak your routines and diet when you aren’t noticing progress. Small changes can bring big results.
• Do keep a positive attitude at all times.

I have a burning question for you. What is your health/fitness goal? Do you have one? And, of equal importance, do you know how to get their?

I have lots of goals, but I’ve come to realize that some of them aren’t actionable now, or in the near future, so for the moment, they are really just “wishes.” Let me repeat…a goal without a plan for action is really just a wish. Or, maybe you’ve heard the saying, “a failure to plan is planning to fail.” When you have a target in sight, the best way to reach it is to map out a plan, then stick to it as best as you can.

Try this…focus on the one goal you’d like to reach before the end of the year, or before your next birthday.  Then, sit down with pen in hand and outline all of the steps necessary to reach your goal, but try something different this time — begin at the end. State your goal, then write down the step(s) most likely to occur immediately prior to reaching that goal, then the step(s) before that, etc. until you reach the number one, most important task you must do first in order to begin your journey. If your list appears less straightforward, then by all means, take the time to prioritize your list. Begin with the most important first step. If that step feels overwhelming, see if you can break it down into smaller steps. Each day, focus only on the task at hand and stay with that task until it is complete. DO NOT move on to the next step until the prior one is complete. A solid plan and laser-like focus are the keys to achieving your goals.

Sample plan:

10. I am a marathon runner by October 1, 2008 by having completed the Up Hill In the Wind Backwards Marathon on Sept. 30^th, 2008.”

9. Now, the step just prior to that might be, “wake up confident, eat a healthy breakfast, and mentally prepare for the race.”

8.“Adhere to my training plan for 24 weeks and put my training plan in writing.”

7. “Figure out how many weeks I will train for the race.”

6. “Research which training plan best fits my schedule, training style, and experience.”

5. “Visit my doctor for a complete physical and necessary blood-work to ensure I’m fit to train for a marathon”

4. “Decide whether training alone or in a group is best for me”

3. “Look up local marathon-training groups, such as MIT, Team in Training, or others”

2. Decide which marathon I’m interested in training for.

1. Consult with a dietician to design the best marathon-training-nutrition plan.

Give it a shot using your own goal, then stop back and let me know how it went – I’d love to hear all about it!

So how do you get your iPod-loving, DS-playing, YouTube-watching kids off their duffs and onto their feet? By encouraging movement, rather than exercise.

A whopping 40% of children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease and reduced fitness due to inactive lifestyles, yet there are opportunities everywhere you look that have the potential to turn mundane activities into heart-pumping, muscle-strengthening movements. The trick is to make the activity fun, and not seem like exercise at all.

Try this fun game…
Carpet Coaster Frenzy

Ages: 6-8

Instructions: Pair up players in groups of two and give each group two plates.  Using only the feet, players pass the plates back and forth to one another from a variety of directions for 30 seconds. Clever twist: have them stand on one leg, then bend down and push the plates with hands only and without letting the other leg touch the floor.  All of the reaching and lunging activity strengthens  leg muscles and gets hearts pumping too.