Take A Tip Thursday!
As I wrote on here yesterday, I've been a little discouraged lately about my dieting and weight loss efforts. In an attempt to get my motivation back, I'm reaching out to all of you. I read an article several months ago that talked about new research that has been done, showing that when kids see their parents exercise, they're more likely to exercise when they become adults. So, I asked a really good friend of mine who exercises on a consistent basis and seems to actually enjoy it (which is something I honestly struggle to understand), if she saw her parents exercising when she was a child. Her answer... Yes! In fact, she and her mom started taking exercise classes together when she was a teenager. The result? She learned to enjoy exercise from an early age, she realized that exercise is a family affair, she's always exercised, she makes it a part of her daily routine, and she's never struggled with her weight.I, on the other hand, did not go to exercise classes with my mom and I have never learned how to find the fun in exercising. That's one big strike against me. Another strike against me is that I love food. I love cooking and creating new dishes. And I love combining different flavors and textures, to make a truly tasteful meal. Hector pokes fun at me from time to time when it comes to my cooking habits. I can't simply boil pasta, open a jar of Prego, and combine the 2 ingredients to make spaghetti. No, no, no. I feel the need to cook 3 different types of meat, then saute onions, bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms with fresh garlic, then throw in some olives, diced tomatoes and fresh basil from my herb garden. Now that's spaghetti! And don't forget the verde bread and baked squash. :-)
Who's hungry? Wait a minute! What was my point? Oh yea... I love cooking and eating, and hate exercising. Knowing these 2 facts about myself, several months ago I sought the advise of another friend of mine who knows a lot about nutrition. She gave me some really good "tips." And now I'm going to pass them on to all of you.
* Do not think about all of the little things you need to change as a whole. Instead, pick 1 thing, and focus on it first. Do not see the change as something negative, like you are having to give something up. Instead, see it as something positive, that you are adding something good to your life. Don't take away a negative, add a positive... Her example was to eat a piece of fruit instead of a less healthy snack, just once a day. Very simple. Very easy. I like it!
* If you can't find 30 minutes to exercise all at once, break it up into 2 or even 3 exercise sessions throughout the day. It doesn't matter so much that you do it all at once, but that you get your heart rate up and break a sweat every time.
* Set small, attainable goals. And when you reach each goal, reward yourself. Her example was to not think about the total amount of weight that I wanted to lose, but to set a goal to lose the first 10 pounds. And when I lost the 10 pounds, to reward myself for reaching my goal. Then I should set another goal, and so on.
* And finally, don't give up when you have a "set back." Giving up and going back to your old ways shows that you're still thinking about the positive changes you've made in your life as a short term fix to a long term problem. This is perhaps my biggest struggle. Not giving up... Seeing it as a life long change for the better...
So, now it's your turn to leave me a tip. I would love any tips you are willing to share on dieting and exercising. Something practical... Something that has worked for you... I look forward to all of your tips!
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