Tag Archives: motivation

Focusing on Why Instead of How is the Key to Reaching Any Goal

Last week the results of a year-long study shocked many but confirmed my suspicion. Knowledge isn’t enough. In July 2024, 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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Posted on November 12, 2023 by GuestBlogger

The Most Frustrating Aspects of Weight Loss Focus on Time Commitment

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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Posted on November 11, 2023 by Carmen

Fit in 5: Five Tips for Avoiding Workout Burnout

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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Posted on November 4, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Dig Deeper to Find Untapped Fitness Energy

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. (more…)

Posted on October 26, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Dealing with Family Food Pushers This Holiday Season

Food is the first and most basic way that we nurture each other. It is one of the reasons that many of us turn to food for comfort.

Providing nourishment was one of the very first ways that our mother’s soothed us as infants, both feeding us and soothing us emotionally by holding us close. When your grandmother or aunt offers you another helping, insists you try the dessert, or even tells you look too thin, it may simply be a desire to express love to and nurture you. This desire can be more intense during the holidays as sentimentality heightens emotions.

When people are pushing food to express their love, a hard rejection can be experienced as personal rejection. You may be able to distract them with loving attention. The most direct response may be to thank them sincerely for the offer or compliment and tell them that you have had enough to eat or that you are avoiding certain foods for health reasons. It can sometimes help to also offer an expression of appreciation to reinforce the positive relationship.

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Posted on October 24, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

SparkPeople LIVE! Offers Motivational Meetings Online

The largest online weight loss community SparkPeople.com is known for having over 11 million members and offering tons of diet and exercise information that users can access for free.

Their new service SparkPeople LIVE! will offer online meetings and motivational support without ever having to leave your home. These online meetings and classes resemble Weight Watchers meetings that take place weekly. Instead of charging a weekly fee which can really add up, SparkPeople LIVE! charges a monthly fee of only $12.99. For many SparkPeople members, it may be difficult to start paying for any type of service when all other information is free, but the added bonus and accountability make it well worth it. The current offer gives you a free month when you pay for the first two.

With SparkPeople LIVE! you will be surrounded by others also trying to achieve their weight loss goals. You will have the convenience of attending meetings around your schedule and from home. You get to participate through audio, video and chat features made available for each class.

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Posted on October 10, 2023 by Descygna

My Fitness Mantra: Start Where You Are

Maruchy Lachance is president of Running Ninja!, a lifestyle brand for runners by runners. Running Ninja! offers a wide variety of apparel and gifts for runners to keep you happy and inspired while you’re on the run.

“How are you doing?” This is the question that may get you a short response from just an acquaintance, but if asked of a good friend you may hear a list of issues that most of us are battling daily. We live in complicated times making the simplest tasks overwhelming and sometimes forcing us to neglect our most important assets – our health and wellness.

I have a friend who has never let anything get in the way of his health and fitness. Born into extreme poverty with a physical challenge and hostile home environment he drew courage and strength from his hero Bruce Lee. As he grew older and the conditions failed to improve, he threw himself deeper into his commitment to his body. By 17, he had obtained custody of his two younger brothers and was on the road to winning several competitions and medals in kung fu. In his mid-20s he joined the U.S. Marine Corp, later earning a place in the elite team as a Recon Marine. (more…)

Posted on October 2, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Use Mantras for Motivation

Are you the type of person who needs someone to light a firecracker under your derriere to get you moving? If you are part of the procrastinators club, the following mantras will help to null and void your membership. Find one that resonates with you and repeat it several times a day, to yourself or out loud.

“I am appreciated”

A lot of times we don’t feel like doing something because we fear no one will care, or acknowledge our effort. When you believe you are of value, you will have more of an inclination to follow through and get the job done.

“I do good work”

Sometimes we run away from tasks and chores because we dread criticism by others. Drop the fear of being judged and do the best you can. Believe in your heart that you are doing great and it will reflect in your work.

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Posted on September 30, 2023 by Jill

Train Your Brain for a Better You

Whether you are just getting started, looking for a jump start, or happen to be a seasoned vet of living healthy, you can always benefit from a hearty dose of positivity!

Roger Bannister, the first runner to break the four minute mile said it best: “It is the brain, not the heart or lungs that is the critical organ. It’s the brain.”

Professional athletes know the importance of keeping a positive attitude to improve their training and competition. Their training routine will work out a variety of areas in the body, but none more important than the brain. (more…)

Posted on September 25, 2023 by GuestBlogger

INFOGRAPHIC: Incentivizing Exercise Could Yield 360 Million Pounds Lost in the U.S.

From the time we are children we are encouraged to do things with some sort of bribe. Eating all of your dinner means you can have dessert. Cleaning your room means you can stay up late. Making good grades means a free ride to college. Making more sales for your company means a higher salary. So it seems natural that we’d want some sort of reward for losing weight and eating right.

New research from Humana confirms that “59% of Americans would be more motivated to exercise regularly if they were rewarded.” These rewards aren’t just a latte from your favorite coffee shop, but larger prizes and gifts like airline tickets, movie passes, music downloads, or even hotel stays.

This raises an important question – isn’t your health the prize? Isn’t looking better and feeling stronger the prize? Isn’t getting off of diabetes medication, high blood pressure medication, and cholesterol lowering medication and saving thousands of dollars a year the prize? (more…)

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Natalie K

Tag Archives: motivation

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