Feel The Burn!
- If you have equipment at home, try to position them in front of the TV so that you can work out while watching your favorite shows or Dvds. If you are doing something repetitive such as running on a treadmill, you will pay more attention to the TV and the time will pass much quicker.
- If and only if you are in a situation where you have nothing to do, nowhere to go, and already done your daily dose of exercise, play video games. Really, if you really get into it, some games can make the time fly by and make you forget about your cravings. I would recommend a good Mmorpg. If you don't know what this is, try asking your kids, or just use google :)
- The worst thing you can do, is sit around bored. This will likely result into snacking. Make a list of all the things you can do when you're not busy; going out for a walk, playing computer games, reading a good book etc.
- Listen to music that motivates you.
- In an a book written by "Nan Allison" she says that High concentrations of endorphins in the brain produce a sense of euphoria, enhance pleasure, and suppress pain, both emotionally and physically. When endorphins are low, people feel anxious; they are also more aware of pain. They have an appetite for fat and fatty foods, such as fries, cheese, creamy sauces, margarine, butter, fried chicken, potato chips, and chocolate, to name some of the most popular examples. Upon eating some fat, they will notice a change in mood, feeling more pleasure. This feeling is related to a higher concentration of endorphin. Exercise, by releasing fat from within the body, raises endorphins and causes the same mood changes.This can be one other reason to exercise.
- Always keep moving! Even if you are bored at work on your desk, try moving your toes and fingers. Every calorie counts =)
- Remember not to limit your exercise to crunches, sit ups, and weight lifting. Good cardio exercise will melt the belly fat right off, sit-ups are more of a "toning" exercise to pump up the abdominal muscles. Cardio exercises include running, fast walking, cycling, jogging, swimming and rowing. A good plan is to do 30 about 30 minutes of one of these a day.
- If you are a "morning" person and tend to be less energetic in the evening, try to fit your exercise plan before you go to work, as this might have better results. Although the most important thing when it comes to exercising is consistency, remember to find a good time of day that is right for YOU.
- It is always a good thing to fuel your body up before a work out. If you are going to exercise for less than an hour, you will need food that digest easily. High-carb, low fat foods, such as crackers or bread. If you are going to exercise for longer than an hour, choose carbohydrates that last longer, such as yogurt or a banana.(Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 1997) Note: remember to give your body some time to digest the food before you work ( at least half an hour) out otherwise this may result into cramping.
- Avoid eating high fat proteins before exercising, peanut butter and red meat can make you feel weary during your work out.
- Don't get TOO into it. Remember it isn't a good idea to lose too much weight, remember, you are aiming to be Healthy. If you think you may be underweight I strongly suggest you visit a nutritionist
- While working out, try to listen to upbeat, fast music, this will actually make you work out faster because your brain will naturally try to adapt your pace with the beat of the music.
