Spring into Shape: 10 Tips for Starting a Fitness/Exercise Program and Keeping Up With It*
By Kristi Patrice Carter
Every single year, people vow to lose those extra pounds and get in shape. For whatever reason, they have high goals and aspirations about starting a fitness/exercise program. Perhaps they want to get in shape for a wedding, or want to look good in a swim suit so that they can hang out at the beach. Whatever reason, they vow to lose those extra pounds or tone up so that they can look and feel better.
The problem however is that by the 4th or 5th week, these same people who have signed up for a new health club membership or bought a new piece of equipment,
will lose motivation and will cease their newfound exercise regimen. In this article, we will teach you 10 tips for starting a fitness/exercise program and keeping up with it.
Set realistic goals.
First of all, you must set realistic goals. Don't try to do too much too soon. If you're someone that absolutely hates exercise then it makes no sense to commit yourself to exercising 2 hours a day. Instead, stick to goals that you can do. For instance, you can set a goal to walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes a day, increasing the time by adding 10 more minutes until you reach 30 minutes a day. Then, when you've maintained that goal for one week then move on to the next goal.
Don't overdo your regimen.
Just like it is important to set realistic goals, it is also important to not overdo it. Do enough to prove that you're capable but not enough to wear yourself out.
Become more active.
Pick three ways that you can become more active. Write them down and visualize yourself accomplishing them. Then, go out and do them. Track your progress and repeat.
Try it for 21 days.
Develop an exercise regimen and give yourself 21 days of wholehearted commitment. According to most researchers, it takes 21 days to form a habit so if you commit yourself to 21 days of a healthier life then it is more likely that you will stick to it. After all, anyone can do something for 21 days. Right? Most certainly.
Don't waste your money.
Don't go out and buy a ton of exercise equipment or join an expensive health club until you've proven that you are committed to your new regimen. Instead, do free or low cost activities and once you're mastered those, you can move on to other paid activities or purchase a club membership.
Enlist a workout partner.
Find someone that shares your workout/fitness goals and enlist their help. Make a plan to get together every few days and work out together. The two of you will motivate one another and help each other succeed.
Choose a fitness program that you enjoy and stay away from those that you don't.
For example, if you hate Yoga but love swimming then join an aquatic class. Research indicates that people are more likely to engage in exercise that they like than those they don't like.
Don't wane.
If you fall off the exercise train then get right back on. Many times people will have one slip up and then say, "Oh well, I slipped up might as well forget it."
Schedule time for your exercise.
Make your fitness/exercise program a part of your everyday life. Don't make failure an option. Instead commit yourself to accomplishing your goal and don't let anything stand in your way of ultimate success.
Enjoy your health journey.
Just like you didn't learn to walk in a day, it will take some time and effort to make your exercise regimen a part of your daily life. Just remember to not give up and to keep at it. In no time at all, you'll be a workout machine. In conclusion, you can start and succeed at a fitness/exercise program. You simply have to set realistic goals, don't overdo your regimen, become more active, try it for 20 days, save your money, list a workout partner, hire a personal trainer, don't give up, schedule time for your exercise, and enjoy your health journey.
*thttp://www.associatedcontent.com/article/210624/spring_into_shape_10_tips_for_starting.html
The Eight Most Fattening Easter Candies*
Here's exactly what all those Peeps, bunnies and eggs will cost you calorie-wise.
by Sarah Kliff*
You can add Easter to the list of holidays on which Americans are willing to abandon their low-sugar and low-carb diets. In fact, spending on Easter candy increased 5.6 percent between 2006 and 2007. Easter typically ranks as the holiday with the second-highest spending on candy, right behind Halloween. If these trends continue, an excess of bunnies and eggs is likely right around the corner. But not all of these treats are equal when it comes to nutrition. Here's where eight of the most popular Easter candies land on the calorie scale. They range from a demure 130 to a whopping 1,050 calories. (For the scary truth about Halloween treats, check out the 8 Most Fattening Foods of Fall.)
1. Peeps. A few of these fluffy, sugar-filled treats can add up quickly. Go through a row of four bunnies
and you're at 130 calories. Peeps are fat-free but do weigh in heavy on the carb count--each little rabbit has 8 grams of sugar alone, adding up to 32 grams in a serving of four.
2. Jelly Beans. These can be your worst foe or your best friend in the Easter basket, depending on how many you eat. Each individual bean is pretty low in calorie count, with usually around 5 or 6 calories, but munching through a handful or worse, an entire bagful, of Jelly Bellys adds up quickly. The recommended 35-bean serving comes in at 140 calories from 37 grams of sugar. To avoid jelly-bean overdose, it's probably best to grab a handful and then keep the Easter basket out of reach.
3. Cadbury Chocolate Eggs. These eggs may look tiny, but their calorie count is anything but. A handful of 12 eggs comes with 190 calories and 8 grams of fat. You might want to skip over these high-cal eggs if you come across them on the hunt.
4. Cadbury Creme Egg. It's possibly the quintessential Easter treat, but most people won't be surprised to find out that the creamy egg packs in the calories. The 1.2-ounce egg comes with 150 calories, 5 grams of fat and 25 grams of carbs. If you're looking for an excuse to indulge, there is a slight silver lining: the tasty milk chocolate comes with 40mg of calcium, which is about 5 percent of the recommended daily value.
5. Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. This egg slightly edges out its creme-filled rival in the unhealthy Easter-egg competition. All three varieties of the Reese's egg--milk chocolate, fudge and white chocolate--have a calorie count of 180. The fat content weighs in around 10 grams, double that of the Cadbury Creme Egg, with the white-chocolate egg the worst, at 11 grams. Stick to the traditional Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, which, though it lacks the festive Easter element, has nearly half the calories of its egg-shaped relatives.
6. Lindt Chocolate Carrots. In a sea of eggs and bunnies, chocolate carrots are one of the more unusual Easter candy options--Lindt only started offering them seven years ago. Sadly, they have little nutritional value in common with their vegetable counterparts: a box of four carrot-shaped chocolates has 210 calories.
7. Hershey's Hollow Milk Chocolate Egg. This might come as the biggest surprise: one hollow Hershey's egg (4.65 ounces) has more than three times as many calories as the Cadbury Creme Egg. The shell alone has 570 calories. Start munching on the four Hershey's kisses included inside and you're up to a whooping 660 calories and 41 grams of fat. This may be one of the few Easter offerings that makes a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg look like health food.
8. Large Chocolate Bunny. Not surprisingly, the bunny reigns as king when it comes to Easter calories. But the calorie count may still raise a few eyebrows: the average seven-ounce rabbit clocks an impressive 1,050 calories. Smaller bunnies are better--rabbits of the one-ounce variety only rack up 140 calories.
* http://www.newsweek.com/2008/03/19/the-eight-most-fattening-easter-candies.print.html
PHOTOS: soc.ucsb.edu, mommys-freetime.blogspot.com
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