There are many tools and techniques that people use to help them make life changes, especially when improving diet, increasing physical activity, and losing weight. The trick is to find the one that fits best for you. Just because one technique worked fabulously for your friend or coworker does not mean that you will find it as helpful. Different types of accountability will be effective for different personalities. Your personal motivation for life change will also impact what will work best for you.
Apps – Smartphone applications often work well for the busy, on the go individual. Apps can be informative, provide data tracking, and/or hold you accountable through reminders. If your phone is never far from you, a good app may be the easiest type of accountability for you to integrate.
Gear and Gadgets - There are a lot of options for the techy person who enjoys gadgets and toys. These often appeal to people who enjoy technology and value quality. The opportunity to use these gadgets or toys is the motivation to increase physical activity. Some gear worth considering includes Jawbone UP, a pedometer, a fancy bike, or a BodyBugg.
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Last week the results of a year-long study shocked many but confirmed my suspicion. Knowledge isn’t enough. In July 2008, New York became the first city in the U.S. to require fast food restaurants to post calorie information on their menus. The idea was that if you tell people how bad the food is, you’d get them to change their eating behavior. Last week, the initial results were released and guess what? Eating habits didn’t change.
We’ve all been told that knowledge is power and that knowledge is the secret to success. If you’re in the know, you’re part of an elite group. Who could argue against the truth behind this ancient maxim? Well, I could.
Power can be defined in different ways. There is a tremendous amount written about the power of influence and how to change other people’s behavior, but I think it is even more powerful to learn how to change your own behavior. When you master this, you can control your future. But when it comes to changing behavior, knowledge isn’t enough.
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So you’ve decided to lose weight. Congratulations! Often, making the decision, as well as actually getting started, can be one of the most difficult aspects of weight loss – but not always. I recently asked on Twitter what the most frustrating aspect of weight loss was for our readers, and was surprised at the number of people who had an answer ready.
Kalisa Hyman from The One in Heels – Those first several lbs. Once I’m down several lbs I am highly motivated to do more.
Shae from Skinny Shae – Working hard and not seeing body changes when losing weight. So sad to be so jiggly.
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Pamela Hernandez owns Thrive Personal Fitness in Springfield, MO where she focuses on weight training for weight loss. She writes a blog for her web site, www.thrivepersonalfitness.com, sharing vegetarian recipes from her kitchen, exercise strategies, lifestyle tips and stories from her own journey. You can also follow Pamela on Twitter @ThriveFit or pick up more tips on Facebook, www.facebook.com/thrivepersonalfitness.
They say variety is the spice of life.
I say it’s the main ingredient to a successful fitness plan.
To stay on the road to health and fitness you need to stay excited about your workouts. They need to stay challenging and engaging. The problem is your body and brain adapt quickly. When your body adapts you stop seeing results which leads to the dreaded weight loss plateau. Or even worse, you use the lack of results as an excuse to abandon your workouts all together!
When your brain adapts, just going through the motions of a workout without thinking, you get bored. Boredom makes it harder to get to the gym when motivation is waning. Having a workout that you actually want to do and feels challenging makes it a lot easier to get out of bed on a cold, dark morning.
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By Sarah Nitta for Biggest Loser Resort.
I had an eye-opening experience this week during my weekly visit to Fitness Ridge. I got a chance to jump in on Sharon’s kickboxing class and was having a great workout! Toward the end of class we were instructed to hit our bag with all our might for a straight 90 seconds. I was ready! I started in on my bag, giving it everything I had until my energy was drained. Around 30 seconds into it I started getting tired and could feel my starting to slow down. Out of the blue, a guest came and joined me on my bag. She started punching on the opposite side and was yelling out “come on, Sarah! Pick it up! You can do this. Punch harder! I can’t feel you!” The most incredible thing happened. A surge of energy rushed through me and my punches started coming out faster and faster.
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