Fitness Book

Do you have a ideal weight? It doesn’t matter whether you want to control your weight to lower the risk of a heart attack, to increase your energy level, to have the body of your dreams, or to look great in a bikini this summer. The magic ingredients are the same – physical activity and diet. With some discipline, effort, and a splash of inspiration, you can achieve that ideal weight.

Create a Goal

By having a goal to work towards, you can chart your progress. Feeling good about the process is half the battle. It is easy to get down on yourself when you sneak some potato chips or skip out on your workout. But if you can regularly watch yourself making steady progress towards your goal weight, you will feel energized and motivated.

If there is a magic number you want to reach, write it in lipstick on your bathroom mirror. Write it on a sticky note and put it on your computer monitor, and no one but you will know the meaning. This number can motivate you not to take the second helping, or to order a salad or pasta with olive oil sauce over an alfredo sauce.

Take a picture of yourself when you were skinnier and have it framed. Visualize what it was like to be that weight – how much more energy you had, the compliments you received, and what it felt like to be able to wear whatever your wanted. Actually feeling what is was like to be at that weight will inspire you and actually drive you to the gym.

Physical Activity

Exercise is essential to effective weight control. It helps to control your weight by using up excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat. Weight can be controlled by balancing your calorie intake through food with your calorie burning through exercise. When we get lazy and let our muscles deteriorate, fat replaces them. Our muscles burn calories far more efficiently when they are toned, resulting in a higher metabolic rate.

Exercise not only gets us to our target weight, but it also keeps the pounds at bay.

Healthy Diet

A balanced diet ensures that we maintain our energy levels. We eat fruits and vegetables for their antioxidants and fiber. We eat whole grains for their carbohydrates and fiber. And we eat reasonable portions of meat or meat-alternatives for their protein. This way we can lose weight and feel great. Maintaining these regular eating habits will stabilize our metabolism.

Creating Lifelong Healthy Habits

The first step to creating future healthy habits is to understand what has driven us in the past, and especially what habits are ingrained in our present. Take a moment to self-evaluate.

Why do I avoid exercising?

Having trouble getting motivated to exercise? Just remind yourself of the benefits. Here’s our top ten list:

1. Ward off body fat
2. Have a healthier heart
3. Decrease the risk of diabetes
4. Strengthen your bones
5. Improve back pain
6. Increase your stamina
7. Decrease the risk of falls and injury
8. Sleep better
9. Improve your body image

Why do I overeat?

Some negative eating habits include eating in excess due to depression, anxiety, or stress. In our greyer moments we find ourselves standing in front of an open refrigerator, contemplating our options. We’re not hungry, in fact we just ate. But that uncomfortable feeling goes away when we’re eating and eases when we’re stuffed with food.

How can I cope with life’s challenges without overeating?

Actively deciding not to compensate for the difficulties in life by eating is actually empowering. It can force you to make a well-needed change in your thinking or even in your life. Face what’s bugging you head-on, rather than treating the symptoms with comfort food.