Weight Loss Wednesday & Ten Terrific Tips for Exercising

Weight Loss Wednesdays are not only about weight loss, but anything having to do with a healthy lifestyle. Today, I am doing my weekly weigh in and then sharing Ten Terrific Tips to help motivate you to exercise. This morning, I weighed myself and I am down another pound, for a total of four pounds. I am happy with my progress, because I believe that slow and steady wins the race. If I take it off slowly, it is much more likely to stay off. I must say, I am tired of being hungry. Seriously... On a positive note, I did improve my exercise as I said I would last week, but my exercise schedule still leaves much to be desired. I did pilates last Tuesday, and it went well. I did the 30 Day Shred on Wednesday and nearly died. Seriously... I barely made it through level one and was so sore that walking was a struggle for the next two days. I did the 30 Day Shred again last night and it did go a bit better - maybe because my boyfriend joined me. My goals for the next few weeks are to continue with my eating habits, substitute water for my daily soy chai lattes, and to exercise for four days every week. So, how is your diet and exercise plan coming along?

We all know that exercise is an important investment in our long-term health and well-being. Yet, many people, including myself, cannot stand the thought of working up a sweat on a regular, or even occasional basis, which is why I have come up with Ten Terrific Tips to Jump Start Your Exercise Routine and make exercise more palatable.

1. Find activities you like - if you positively loathe the thought of running or pumping iron, then don’t do it. Instead, concentrate on activities you do enjoy, such as dancing, swimming, racquetball, and biking which are all fun and great exercise too!
2. Establish goals - set benchmarks that you know you can achieve. The satisfaction you feel upon achieving a goal will help to serve as motivation when setting your next target.
3. Create mini-workouts - instead of a 30 minute muscle blast, why not break your exercise into ‘bite-sized’ mini-workoutsTry three separate sessions of moderate activity that last for 10 minutes each.
4. Reward yourself - achieving a new goal may feel more satisfying if you occasionally splurge on a celebratory reward - as long as your reward isn’t a huge hot fudge sundae! Treat yourself to a smoothie or a new pair of tennis shoes after meeting an exercise goal such as seven workouts.
5. Schedule times to exercise - people who dislike exercise like to think they are too busy to work out – this is what does me in! By scheduling a consistent time to exercise, you make activity a priority and send a message to yourself and others about your commitment to personal good health. Exercise can also be a great way to get some ‘me’ time, well-earned time away from your other family or work obligations.
6. Exercise early - studies have shown that people are more likely to stick with their exercise routine when they schedule it for the beginning of the day. Early exercise has three major benefits: it gets the workout over with early, provides you with a boost of energy that jump-starts your day, and helps to keep your eating on track throughout the day since you know how hard you worked out in the morning.
7. Vary your activities - perhaps nothing dooms a workout routine more than boredom, especially among those who dislike exercise in the first place. Adding variety to your workout can keep things fresh and exciting. For example, you could use the treadmill one day, go swimming the following day and take a long bike ride the day after that.
8. Try teamwork - working out with others is a great way to make exercise more interesting, makes time pass more pleasantly, and can help keep you motivated.
9. Get a personal trainer - a personal trainer can help create a comprehensive workout program that meets your specific needs and guide you through its paces. Trainers are also great motivators who can help track your progress.
10. Make it a family affair - few family activities offer the great opportunity to bond with your clan while also promoting good health. In addition, when you exercise as a family, you will be modeling a commitment to healthy living that will benefit your kids for the rest of their lives.

Girlfriend to girlfriend, I must say, just knowing that I am going to be posting my weight loss (or gain) on Girlfriends With Grace, does force me to think before eating something I shouldn't and makes me think twice before skipping my exercise. I would love for you to join me! :o)

Your Girlfriend, Michelle