Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers

The main benefit I draw from my yoga sessions is a sense of calm and relaxation and the ability to reduce stress.

However I also enjoy yoga because it does keep me fit and also helps in achieving a flat stomach.

There are a number of yoga asanas (positions or postures) which directly work the stomach muscles. From my experience almost all asanas work the core stomach muscles to some degree but I will highlight and explain 5 of my favorites.

1. Ardha Chandrasana/Half Moon

Action:

1. Stand with both feet touching from heel to toe, keeping your back straight and arms against the sides with your palms facing inward.
2. Bring your hands together into the chest. Inhale and raise the arms straight up keeping your hands pressed lightly together.
3. Arch your body backwards keeping your arms alongside your neck and head, tilt the head backward and hold.
4. Keep your knees straight while holding the asana. Slowly return to the starting position, lowering your arms.

Benefits: Good for stomach obesity, works the whole skeletal and circulatory systems,
helps with lower back pain, stimulates pituitary gland. (more…)

“Fast” and “flat” are relative. How “fast” you get a flat stomach will depend on a lot of things such as:

1. How much you exercise
2. What exercises you do
3. How old you are
4. What you eat
5. How much rest you get
6. The shape you are in when you start
7. The genes you inherited from you Mom and Dad

You get my point. Two people can start today to work on getting that flat stomach and one could be there in six weeks, and the other could take six months…or more.

“Flat” is going to vary a little from person to person…not only in what they CAN achieve with the right exercises and so on, but in terms of what they WANT to achieve. Some people want the six-pack abs ripped and shredded to the max, while some just want to stop drooping over the waistband of their bathing suit.

The 6 tips I am about to explain are basically what you need to accomplish either in a reasonable amount of time, but how far you get on your journey to the land of the flat stomach will depend on the factors mentioned earlier. (more…)

Fitness fads come and go, but the best ones stick around. The fitness ball is one that will be staying. More and more people are finding that a fitness ball can do wonders for their workout routine, and it improves their fitness level too.

New uses for the fitness ball are popping up all the time, so I have put together a list of the most effective ways to use your fitness ball.

Abdominal Training
When the fitness ball was first introduced, it was mainly used for abdominal workouts, and this is still one of the best ways to use a fitness ball. The fitness ball is a great tool for working the abs, and has advantages over lying flat on your back and doing crunches.

The fitness ball provides more flexible support for your back, while at the same time working both the back and abdominal muscles in ways that cannot be accomplished on the floor. It also enables you to work at varying angles to reach muscles that wouldn’t otherwise be getting a good workout. (more…)

Everyone’s looking for ways to make losing weight fun, and skipping is one of those ways. You remember skipping rope – you did it with your friends when you were young, carefree and didn’t have a few pounds to lose. Well, you’re never too old to act like a kid, and skipping rope is a great way to do just that and take off some weight at the same time.

There are many great benefits to skipping to lose weight. Jumping rope is a high-impact form of aerobic exercise, and that means it burns of a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Jumping rope for 15 or 20 minutes can burn off the calories in a whole candy bar!

Since it is high-impact, however, jumping rope is not for the weak of heart – literally. If you haven’t exercised a day in your life, skipping is probably not the best place to start. But if you already have a workout program, adding skipping is an excellent way to spice things up. Beginners don’t have to miss out either; they just have to start out slow.

Another amazing benefit of skipping to lose weight is that it’s so cheap! You don’t need a gym membership, DVD, video, bike, treadmill or weights. All you need to add skipping to your workout is a jump rope. (more…)

The bicycle stomach crunch method is one of the most effective exercises for flattening the abdominal muscles and revealing those six-pack abs. A recent study at San Diego State University compared 13 different abdominal exercises and found that the bicycle stomach crunch method is the number one workout for the abdominal muscles.

The bicycle stomach crunch method requires no special equipment or exercise machines. All you need is the floor and your body.

Here is the proper way to perform the bicycle stomach crunch: (more…)

Bikram yoga is widely regarded as the most intense type of yoga. The series of poses is designed to work every part of the body in the correct order. Each pose prepares the body for the next, and the sequence maximizes oxygenation and detoxification of the entire body.

Bikram Yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury. In 1957, at age 12 he became the yoga champion of India. After a weightlifting accident at 17 he was told he would never walk again, so he with the help of his mentor Bishnu Ghosh they developed a set of poses to restore his own health using a heated space.

Bikram Yoga today is a series of 26 Hatha Yoga poses and 2 breathing exercises lasting 90 minutes, all performed in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%.

The moisture in the air of the studio means you will sweat quite a bit. Many confuse the humidity with the actual temperature. The rooms are thermostatically controlled so the temperature never gets too high. (more…)

This is a guest post by Lisa Nelson, RD, LN

If you have been following along, you know from the article “Get a Grip on Fatty Acids” that the right ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids promotes lower cholesterol.

The goal is not to cut omega 6 fatty acids (such as corn oil, beef, and chicken) completely from the diet, but to achieve a ratio of 4:1 or 1:1 omega 6 to omega 3. In order to attain this ratio you need to increase your omega 3 intake.

Your options for doing this:

1. Eat fish at least twice a week.

If you like fish, this would be my first choice. Fish contains DHA. Research is starting to indicate health benefits linked to DHA alone. Be aware of mercury content of fish, especially if you are pregnant.

2. Take a fish oil supplement.

Start with the smallest bottle you can find and make sure you do not have the unpleasant side effect of burping with a fishy aftertaste. Not everyone has this problem, so you may be fine. To decrease likelihood of this problem I recommend taking the supplement and then eating. That way, something is “on top” of the fish oil. Fish oil has a tendency to go rancid, so keep supplement refrigerated, especially if you buy a bottle of 250 or more.

3. Flaxseed.

You can buy flaxseed two different ways - whole seed or ground. In order for the body to utilize the omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed must be ground. If the flaxseed is not ground it passes straight through the body without being absorbed. Flaxseed is high in fiber, so by ingesting whole flaxseed you have increased your fiber intake, which is beneficial, but if you grind your flaxseed you will have the added benefit of increasing your omega-3 fatty acid intake and lowering cholesterol.

Using a coffee grinder is a simple way to grind your flaxseeds. Another option is to purchase flaxseed already ground. Flaxseed has a tendency to go rancid, for this reason keep ground seeds refrigerated. You can increase your intake by adding flaxseed to foods during preparation, such as spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, chili, hot cereal, muffins, pancakes, and yogurt.

4. Flaxseed oil supplement.

Provides the omega 3 fatty acid ALA in a simple supplement. Now, ALA is not as effective as DHA and EPA at lowering cholesterol, but still results in an improved ratio of omega 3 to omega 6. Again, may go rancid so refrigerate.

5. Add omega 3 nut and seed sources to your daily intake.

Especially walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, and sesame seeds. Nuts are high calorie, so watch your intake. If you gain weight, you are not doing your heart any favors!

Now, if you would like some one-on-one help to lower cholesterol, check out Lower Cholesterol Levels 2.0, offered by Lisa Nelson, registered dietitian.

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I’ve slowed down posting a bit because I was too stressed out. It has been one step forward and two steps back. All along I’ve been too obsess with my weight. If I don’t lose any pounds over two weeks I feel bad. One of the 9 tips I wrote for lose weight successfully was graphing the progress. The main point is to see the big picture and not to worry so much about the small gain. But right now the big picture doesn’t look good, so I need to adjust it.

I found a better graph that will urge me to take actions now and I don’t have to wait for weeks or months to know where I’m heading. I’m getting direct input of how I’m doing now base on a 5 day average. The graph has 2 lines, one for the daily weigh in and one for the 5 days average. You can downloaded it from Jeremy’s blog. It’s a spreadsheet.

In term of habits, I take a lot of actions but never think of it as changing the attitude. One of the difficult thing to do is to love myself even though I’m fat. Have you ever read an article where they suggest that you should send lovely thought to yourself, telling yourself that you’re gorgeous or hunky? Come on, being overly positive won’t help me lose weight! One thing I agree with, is that the voice inside you can help you or prevent you from losing weight. By asking the right question your brain will align with your desire to determine your actions and the outcome.

If you look into a mirror telling yourself you’re fat and ugly. How can you have any energy left to deal with the weight loss? You end up feeling bad and your brain will suggest to eat something so you’ll feel better. If you tell yourself for example, “I look good/OK, but I know I can look better. How can I improve it?” Your brain will suggest something else, taking actions rather than eating more food.

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A guest post from anti-aging straight talk

So many people are getting on board with the ideas I express in my Report - it’s fantastic that others are making the changes they need to feel younger and live a longer, healthier life. After all, what fun is it to live a long life if you’re uncomfortable and unhealthy?!

One of the biggest things you can do to reverse the effects of aging isn’t to pick the right face cream or go to the right plastic surgeon! Quite simply, it’s to eat the right things. Of course, it’s more complex than that - and you can get into as much detail as you want when reading my findings - but one of the most basic and healthy things to do is to look at what you’re eating. The bloggers over at BeautyEditorPost have this to say:

“Fruits, veggies, green tea along with foods that are loaded with anti-oxidants are a good bet. It has been suggested that eating small amounts 3 to 5 times a day is the best way to go.

Foods rich in anti-oxidants … neutralize the free radicals that are responsible age related troubles, such as memory loss, heart disease, cancer, and help win the battle against oxidative stress (too many free radicals) that are responsible for these conditions. ”

And keep in mind that your body needs 1 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight, and if you exercise - which you should be! - you may need to increase the amount of protein.

Additionally, drink lots of water each day. A good guide for this is to remember your body needs half your body weight in ounces of water each day. And no, these numbers don’t take into account the water in your coffee or tea!

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If you’re looking for weight loss diet review, dietdebate UK is a good place to start. The website offer free and unbiased diet reviews, the benefits and disadvantes of each diet. It has also polls which allow visitors to rate the effectiveness of each diet. As for now, dietdebate UK has 18 diet reviews but that’s good enought to get you started.

You do want to do some reaserch before venture out on any diet. I used to be one of people who don’t. Just because other succeed with certain diet, it doesn’t mean it’ll suit you too. Take atkins diet for example. I know some people have great success with it, especially guys. But from my experience, it’s difficult to sustain and I needed to drink massive amount of water. If not careful, your health may be on the danger even before you’ve completed the diet program. Please, choose the plan wisely.

Do you want to see yourself slimmer? There are such service listed on Dietdebate UK website. It’s a great motivational tool if you’ve never been thin in your whole life. You send in a picture of yourself and they’ll make you look slimmer! Dietdebate UK will be launching a diet forum soon. A meeting place where you can find support, help, and inspirations!

Tags: dietdebate uk, diet review, diet program review, see yourself slimmer

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Don’t wait until you get sick until you do something about it.

What do you know about cancer?

Most of us probably don’t know much about it unless you’re sick or know someone who has cancer. We may associate cancer with the sun, smoking, and drinking habits. We read in the news that eating certain types of veggies and fruits will help prevent cancer and other dieseases. All of this comes down to having a very good immune system. Such habits as drinking and smoking lower the immune system immensly.

How to boost your immune system

Stop thinking about food as just something delicious and start to understand that food is much more important than that. Fruits and veggies contains lots of anti oxidants which are good for your body. It help you to heal and repair damages, and fighting other bad cells. Some countries use alot of herbs that are proven to be immune boosting. Herbs can protect and stop healthy cells to develop into cancer cells. Some of the powerful herbs are galangal root, lemongrass, cilantro, ginger, garlic, onions.

What can you do more?

There are other habits to prevent cancer. Some tips from healthmiracles.net:

• Throw out your microwave
• Stop wearing underwire bras

It may sound far fetched, but read this article habits to prevent cancer to understand it better. Of course, there are always research and studies that prove the microwave is harmless. Anyway, it doesn’t feel natural to use a microwave to prepair or heat the food and you really don’t need to use it either. Plus, some expert says heating/cooking your food in a microwave will decrease the nutrition value more.

Underwire bras can cut or prevent blood to flow nicely throughout your breast tissue. This makes me wonder why people in some country are more prone to breast cancer.

And last, don’t forget to exercise. Keep fit and healthy by getting some fresh air and going out for a walk daily.

This should not be about worrying or fear of getting cancer, but taking some control of your health and habits in order to stay healthy and minimize the chance of getting a disease.

Tags: how to, prevent cancer, cancer, cancer habits, immune boosting, bra and cancer

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Get rid off the feeling of time flying by and that you haven’t accomplish anything. Write down you goals for June now!

We all know that if we want to accomplish something we need to setup some short term goals. How do you setup your short term goals? By days, weeks, or by how much is getting done? I find that doing monthly goals is the best. It takes 30 days for habits to form and it’s a nice pace to achieve the goals. When the 30 days are over, it’s best to keep reinstate the goals or make a new one. By setting up monthly goals you’ll have something to remember and be proud of yourself once the year is over.

I haven’t been feeling so well lately because of the weather changes. I let a few weeks slip by but no more, I’m taking action! For this month I’m setting up a few goals:

• Walk outside for at least 20 minutes a day to keep my blood flowing nicely throughout my body and my lymph

• Weight lifting at least 2 times a week to get stronger bones and muscles.

• Going vegetarian full time for immune boosting properties. Better immune help to prevent disease!

I believe going vegetarian outweighs far more benefits to the health and the environment we live in. I’ve never heard of any vegetarians getting sick. Maybe vitamin deficiency if not careful. But heck, it’s better to prevent disease than worrying about not getting enough vitamins!

Tags: monthly goals, set up goals, vegetarians, vitamin deficiency

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This is a guest post by Lisa Nelson, RD, LN

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard the term fatty acids. But, do you understand what they are and how the right ratio will improve your heart health? I intend to clear up the confusion.

Types of Fatty Acids

There are numerous types of fatty acids. I am focusing on omega 3 and omega 6.

Unsaturated Fats

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are both unsaturated fats. To improve cholesterol levels, you want to replace the saturated fats (i.e. lard, shortening, ice cream, cheese) in your diet with unsaturated fats.

What does “omega” mean?
Most of you are familiar with the saying “alpha to omega”, in other words, beginning to end. The “omega” indicates which carbon has the first double bond on the carbon chain when you start counting from the omega end. For omega 3, the first double bond is on the third carbon from the omega end of the carbon chain. I know you were wanting to review a little biochemistry today!

Essential Fatty Acids

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are also essential fatty acids.

Essential fatty acids are necessary for cardiovascular health, but our body cannot synthesize them. You can only obtain essential fatty acids through the foods you eat.

Omega 3 (Linolenic Acid)

To keep things simple, I am going to use the acronyms ALA, EPA, and DHA. These are all types of omega 3 fatty acids. If we consume a food containing the omega 3 fatty acid ALA, our body will convert it to EPA and DHA. Studies have shown a link between EPA, DHA, and heart disease. More studies are needed to understand ALA’s relationship.

Sources:

Oils - Canola oil, Soybean oil, Flaxseed oil (good source of ALA)

Seeds and nuts - flaxseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds

Vegetables - avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards)

Fish (good source of EPA and DHA) - salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring

Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid)

I am going to throw in more acronym’s - GLA and AA - omega 6 fatty acids. Linoleic acid is converted to GLA and on into AA by the body. Researchers are finding indications of a link between GLA and EPA, in relation to heart health and reduced blood pressure. High intake of sugars, alcohol, trans fats, and various other factors can inhibit the conversion from linoleic acid to GLA.

Sources:

Oils - Sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil

Seeds and nuts - flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts

Meat - chicken, beef

For optimum heart health, the ratio between omega 6 fatty acids and omega 3 should be between 1:1 and 4:1. A practical example of what a 1:1 ratio means, for every 3 ounces of beef you eat, you would need to eat 3 ounces of tuna (I do not mean in the same meal!). The ratio for the typical American diet is 11:1 to 30:1. This poor ratio is linked with heart disease, among several other health issues.

Bottom Line:

For heart health, increase your intake of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, while cutting back on omega-6 fatty acid sources. For example, switch from corn oil to canola oil, increase the number of meals you eat that contain fish each week, and grab walnuts instead of pistachios.

© 2008 eNutritionServices, All Rights Reserved. Tired of burning hard earned cash on fitness gadgets you don’t use? End the vicious “cycle” now! Get your FREE report: “Stop Wasting Money - Take Control of Your Health” at http://eNutritionServices.com

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Cynthias over at garbagethatgoo tagged me for a 6 word or less memoir, to live by. Her’s was the time is always now. My 5 word memoir is action brings happiness and success.

”Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action” by Benjamin Disraeli.

When we’re feeling stuck about the current situation, it’s better to take action. Do some planning and take precautious. Don’t make any execuses for not taking action. We can’t always control the outcome, but most likely the situation will change to the better. Learning to believe and have faith in yourself is a critical part of being happy.

Sometimes we don’t feel like taking action, for exmple going to the gym. In those situations, don’t let feelings determine your course. We need to take control of our feelings in order to achieve success. Without action we don’t get anywhere. If you want to lose weight, don’t wait until your current situation is perfect, do it now.

Decide to have a good day is also an action.

I remember an illustration of a cartoon character having a bad day. If you think “this is a shitty day” all day long, your will end up feeling shit when you get home. However, if you decide you’re not going to let those negative feelings affect you, at least you can relax and maybe feel a little better when you get home even though it’s a shitty day. At the end of the day, YOU decide if you want to have a good day or bad day. Which one will feel better?

I invite the following bloggers to write their own 6 Word Memoir, a phrase to live by. You don’t have to if you don’t feel like playing.

Marie - nourish ourselves
Lady G - lady-g-fitness
Lady - love my chubs
Bobby- bobby boys
Mike - livelife 365

Rules of play:
Write your own six word or less memoir…
post it on your blog….
Link to the person who tagged you..
Tag 5 or more bloggers…
Leave a comment on the tagged bloggers site with an invitation to play….

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I promise, no more whining! The scale isn’t really moving but I’m so happy anyway! Normally during this time, my weight would creep up. I haven’t been counting calories or get enough with exercise this week. I realized it’s ok for me not trying to lose weight every week. Just trying to maintain my weight during my weakest time is enough. After reading anti-aging straight talk, I want more than just losing weight. I want my health to be topnotch! The free materials that’s included in the report is very valuable to me. I’m going to enjoy eating more salads, nuts, and healthy fat. I’ll lose weight and look younger, eh? I’m already doing healthy stuff, but different from now on is that I’m going to enjoy it more. When I’ve a chance I’ll post pictures of what I eat during one day.

Steve suggests apple cider vinegar so I’m giving it a second try. I mix 1 teaspoon in a glass of water and drink it in the morning, then eating 30 minutes later. I don’t know if it works or not, maybe I need to put in 2-3 teaspoon for weight loss to happen. One thing I noticed, it’s that I didn’t gain weight this week! My theory is that apple cider vinegar helps to digest food better and as result stimulate the bowel movement. I think there is a link between weight loss and regular bowel movement! What do you think is normal bowel movement? There seems to be no right answer, from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. I think at least once a day is ideal. Talking about digestive system, here’s a video showing the stages of digestion and the important of saliva. We can never be too much educated so do watch it.

I want to video blogging some day, but I don’t have a clue. I know I can google, but if you can share information with me it would be much appreciated. My mom has a JVC digital camcorder (hard drive version).

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What does anti-aging means to you?

For most people it may means looking and feeling younger. Is it possible? For me it means longevity and age gracefully without disease and sickness. It’s a dream but I think it’s accomplishable. Just because many people grow old and get sick doesn’t mean we have too. I used to be like most people who have taken health for granted, but this year I’m trying my very best to be healthy. As we grow older, our health become deteriorate and the chance of getting sick is greater. I notice that my skin doesn’t heal as fast and as good as it use to.

I would say most people I know don’t do anything about their health until it’s too late. I’ve worked in a nursing home and seen a lot of sick people. Some of them were normal like you and me, but one day the sickness just strikes. There’s no more chance to live a normal life after that. There are things you can do to maximize your chance to not get sick as you grow older.

In Michael Moshier’s report on Anti-Aging Straight Talk, Mike talks about achieving optimal health and to be youthful both inside and outside. Mike has spent years researching, talking to many experts on anti aging subjects and personally has tested many anti-aging products. Mike shares in his report what he knows, what works and where to find more valuable information. The report is designed to help you gain information and think objectviely on anti-aging. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive document on the subject. Mike doesn’t sells or endorses any products but he’ll share his favorite produtcts with you. A note, I’m not making money on this either.

What is Anti-Aging Straight Talk?

Anti-Aging Straight Talk goes beyond aging gracefully without disease and sickness. It’s not a ”remedy” to growing old, but how you can achieve optimal health, like when you’re in your prime years. For example, when you make a visit to doctor office to find out your blood test results, you don’t want to see a normal range result. Because you don’t want to feel like an average normal pearson in your age range! Say if you’re 50 years old, it’s possible to have a body full of energy and vibrancy like a 20 years old. In the report you’ll learn how to collect and track important key data to determine your anti-aging baseline. Once you’ve the data then you can start your own anti-aging regime, and you’ll have a better understanding about major life-threatening risk factors and how to avoid them. Mike also offers his personal view on diet, superfood, exercise, posture and stretching. Plus, he will share with you his anti-aging regime and the top ten supplemens he takes to stay at optimal health!

The report is mainly for healthy young to middle- and past middle-aged women and men who who are interested in managing their aging and increasing their longevity. Stop buying miracle anti-wrinkle creams or worrying about getting bald. This would be a better investment both for your looks and health .

Do you want to manage your aging? Right now Anti-aging straight talk has limited time offer and sells on website for only $29.95 US.

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This is a guest post by Lisa Nelson, RD, LN

Did you come across a treadmill for a great discount price and decide – I need to exercise more; I’m not going to find a better price, why not? So, you now have this piece of equipment in a corner of your living room or bedroom collecting dust or acting as an expensive clothes rack.

Why is it that your good intentions led no where? Sure, that first week or two you hopped on several times, but then your progress came to a screeching halt. Well, you may not have had everything in place to be successful. You need to make sure all your “ducks are in a row” to ensure your success. If you jump from Contemplation into Action, you are skipping the critical Preparation phase. Huh? You will begin to understand what I mean as you read on.

For the purpose of this article, I will focus on the critical action step. The goal I use is increasing physical activity. You can use the Stages of Change model to work on any area you are trying to change, such as eating habits to lose weight, lowering cholesterol levels, and/or controlling high blood pressure.

The Stages of Change model was first developed by psychologists James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente in the late 1970’s. They focused on changing addictive behaviors, specifically smoking. The Stages of Change model identifies the phases we go through when we change our habits. The five stages are called – 1. Pre-contemplation, 2. Contemplation, 3. Preparation, 4. Action and 5. Maintenance. Tailoring your actions based on the stage you are in will propel you forward.

No need to waste time dwelling on the science behind the method. Just know it has been proven a useful tool. Now, let’s dive into how you can use it to your benefit.

Action

In this stage, you are performing the behavior regularly, but for less than 6 months. This means you have established a plan of action and have implemented that plan. You are actively modifying your behaviors, experiences, and environment to overcome obstacles and achieve success. The action phase is the most difficult and requires a considerable commitment of time and energy. Change does not happen overnight. It will take persistence for a new behavior to become an established habit.

The following four strategies are used to move through this stage of change:

Counter-conditioning
Substitute alternate positive behaviors for the negative behavior. It can take up to 30 days for a new behavior to become a habit. Be aware of this and put safety guards in place. Stick with your action plan and continue to replace old sedentary behaviors with new physically active ones. You may feel some loss. You actually miss your old behaviors. These behaviors are like old friends you felt comfortable with and change moves you out of your comfort zone. Review your reasons for wanting to be physically active and the long-term benefits you will gain if you stick with your plan.

Reinforcement Management
Change the events that determine or sustain the problem behavior. Reward yourself for achieving your goals, such as a new outfit, book, or running shoes. Recognize your progress and reward yourself. This will provide you with an incentive to stick with your new plan.

Helping Relationships
Turn to your support system. Don’t get overconfident and think you do not need family and friends behind you. Keep them in the loop with the progress you’ve made and identify new ways they can help you move towards your goals. Now is a time to consider signing a “contract” with yourself to reinforce your commitment to change. Have your family and friends be witnesses!

Stimulus Control
Be aware of triggers for reverting to your old habits. What safety mechanisms can you put in place to negate these triggers? Start replacing old behavior triggers with something positive. For example, place your goals where you will see them daily – like the refrigerator. Keep gym shoes by the front door. Create reminders at work, such as tennis shoes under your desk for a lunch time walk. Always be on the lookout for stumbling blocks and be prepared to brainstorm ways to overcome the hurdles.

You are doing great! Maintenance is just around the corner.

Bottom Line:

During the action phase, you make your goals a reality. Now is not a time to get cocky. Hurdles will frequently pop up and you need to be ready with strategies to overcome them. You will have some bad weeks. Step back, evaluate what is keeping you from regular activity, and figure out a solution. It may take some trial and error before you find the right solution for you. Now about that treadmill – you have it and it is dust-free!

Tackling change is hard and determining exactly what steps you need to take can be confusing. By recognizing that change has identifiable steps and strategies, you can use this knowledge to move forward and achieve your goals!

© 2008 eNutritionServices, All Rights Reserved. Lisa Nelson, registered dietitian, has created the special report – Treadmill or Dust Collector? How to Master Change. Ensure your success with lowering cholesterol levels, high blood pressure control, and weight loss by clicking on http://enutritionservices.com/ezine.html and get your FREE report today!

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Sometimes we get too confused with the overwhelming informations when we google. I think one of the best places to get informations are from personal trainers, dietitians and doctors. My tip is to sign up for their newsletter or ezine to receive health related informations, motivations and tips. Sometimes I’ll be posting guest articles from them that I find interesting and useful.

This week I’m accepting an article from Lisa Nelson who is registered dietitian, be sure to sign up for her free Heart of Health ezine. You can always unsubscribe later if you don’t find the informations useful. Recently she published “Lose 9 pounds in 11 days” and someone was asking if fatloss4idiots works. She brings up very good points to consider before venturing out on any diets.

Lisa is planning some future articles about fatty acids so now I’ve my chance to ask her about omega-3 and omega-6!

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© Jessica for , 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us digg
Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Weight Loss Tips and Struggles.

Knowing your own weakness can help you tremendously with the weight loss process. I looked through my archives and notice that I don’t do so well from the middle through to the end of the month, because of my period. I tend to overeat and give in for the craving. For you it may be something else. I’ve to be really extra careful and put in extra hardwork for the rest of May. I hope I’m strong enough to do it. There are days I just want to throw out the scale, sooo frustrating.

It’s a very small gain on the scale this week, but the fat loss percentage is down. I did two sessions of Jillians 30 Day Shred and one hour session of Wii Fit. I could have done it better.

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© Jessica for , 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us digg
Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Weekly Weight Loss Progress.

If you haven’t been over at Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers, take a look. Healthy lifestyle bloggers has made it easier to find bloggers who’s on the same path as you. There’s a ton of information about fitness, weight loss, healthy recipes, and health! Get inspired! Where’s the best place to learn weight loss if not by other people who are on the same mission as you? Healthy lifestyles bloggers remind us to make healthy choices which sometimes are easy to forget and most of us take health for granted.

Read, learn, and your health will be better. Do something for yor health today! Start eating more fruits, vegetables, exercising, lift some weights, get more fresh air! Don’t forget to live and enjoy your life. Pets, flowers, nature and occean are great sources for healing your soul. If you got a chance, travel to Asia, live like they do, and enjoy something different!

You can also inspire others by adding your own blog to the site and become part of healthy lifestyle bloggers. You can sign up here.

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© Jessica for , 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us digg
Want more on these topics ? Browse the archive of posts filed under Weight Loss Tips and Struggles.