I think the easy part about changing the way we think about food and exercise is perhaps starting, but then once we've started how do we stay motivated, how do we keep going?
I felt the need to include my hubby in my daily workouts because, although he has no problem staying thin without having to workout, he still needs to exercise to be heart and mind healthy. He did pretty good for the first week or two then the lack of motivation snuck in!
There are lots of ideas to stay motivated; get a workout partner, make a schedual and stick to it, read a book about health and fitness, etc. But I'm not going to sugar coat anything for you, to stay motivated is hard.
I love working out with a variety of home workout videos because it's always different, there's something for me to look forward to. I like being able to see if I can work as hard as the trainer, yes, I am a competitive person. That motivates me. For others it may be that others rely on you as a walking partner, still for some, having a gym membership zap money from your wallet motivates them to get to the gym so their money isn't wasted. You have to find what works for you. I do find that reading a book about health and fitness once a month or so motivates me to do better, eat healthier, and stay strong and healthy for me and my family.
Let's stretch our legs and arms for a bit and enjoy some exercise! Get on all fours, yep, you look funny but it's good for you. Extend your left hand and right leg in opposit directions as though they are trying to touch the opposit walls. Hold for 5 seconds and switch to your other arm and leg. Repeat 15 times. Remember to breathe.
Quick Dinner idea:
Tuna Melts
Empty two cans of drained water packed Tuna into a bowl, mix in some mayo or miracle whip to make it somewhat creamy not too much though, you don't want the Tuna swimming in the Mayo.
4 slices of bread (whole grain)
4 slices of cheese (cheddar or mozzerela)
To make: Put Tuna on bread cover with cheese. Broil in the oven until cheese is melted. Serve with a yummy fruit smoothy. Serves 2.
Sometimes...YOU are my motivator, Heidi! I can hear you encouraging me in my head when I don't want to workout, or saying, "Umm, no thanks!" when I'm craving a Big Mac. :)
ReplyDeleteBut it's totally true--STAYING motivated is always the hardest part.
My headache-free diet has been working great. But when I realized that I can have just a little bit of the no-no food and still not get a headache, it made me cheat a little bit more and more. Well, yep, it came back and bit me with three days of headaches in a row. That's proof enough for me, that my body needs me to be more strict with my diet.
Thanks as always for the encouragement!
I swear it's like you knew EXACTLY what I needed to hear! Motivation has always been my problem! I get on these "I'm starting a healthier lifestyle" highs, and then like a week or two later...I'm on a low! And then when I have another high...I'm soooooo frustrated and mad at myself for slacking off yet AGAIN! And it just makes me so angry at myself cause then I realize that all the hard work I did the week before (all the exercise, and healthy eating) was a waste and that I've gotta start from scratch all over again! Just dumb! So maybe what I need to do is get on your blog every day and re-read this post! Maybe that will be my goal! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm having a much better time with motivation since Kevin decided to go on a healthier diet with me. You'll be interested to know that we've made a deal to "play" Biggest Loser for the months of June and July. He'll be Bob and Jillian. I'm the overweight contestant on the road to a hot bod, lol. I'm going to be working out 2 hours in the morning 2 hours in the afternoon and 2 hours in the evening. I've been doing 1-2 the last few weeks and taken out sugar from my diet. I've lost about 11 lbs although it doesn't show yet it's helping my motivation even more.
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