Post by BJC on May 2, 2008 3:09:43 GMT
So every day on television, the radio, in magazine articles, in paper ads, in popup ads and on every webpage imaginable....we see "Lose weight quick!" type of diet ads. Along with that we see "Get jacked fast!" "Learn the secrets!" "How to burn fat and build muscle quick!"
See a pattern? Everything is done with "speed". All of them are throwing a dollar amount in your face. And finally....you see numerous spokes people with "before and after" pictures. Funny stuff. Considering companies are getting away with printing up "Fill in the blank" diet plan papers and making up to 200 American dollars by calling it a kit. Sure they come with a meal menu. Woohoo! Unfortunately this is just another way corporations are pulling money from your pockets. Now I'm not saying these diets do not work. In fact, I'm positive if you stick to them strictly....you will lose weight. (And build muscle if you have a workout program combined.) But....for a fraction of the cost, all alone, at your convenience you can accomplish the same results.
Before I wrap up my rant and begin with the "How to", let me give you some basics and benefits. As media has proven, many people have the desire to get into shape. I could easily say "How would you like to look better?"....but we already know the answer to that. Exercising itself has the ability to make you look AND feel great. You can gain self confidence in yourself and your look. You may realize that your ability to accomplish everything you wish to in a day has increased. Your body will refuse to fatigue as quick or as easy. Sounds like a good deal, right? Well what are we waiting for? Let's get started.
For the very first entry, we'll cover....
Mindset
Who would have thought thinking about exercising and dieting was half the battle! It is. Both these things require one thing. That blasted D-word. One of the biggest swear words in the common human being's vocabulary. Dedication. Whew. It takes a lot of heart to get up every morning and say "I want to exercise today!". It takes me personally a lot to get motivated. But there are many ways of doing it. I once read a guide in a magazine on personal motivation that helped me greatly and I could not agree more. They were the 7 keys to motivation.
1) Know the benefits of exercise. Learning how exercising can help your daily life is one of the biggest reasons TO exercise. No more "Cuz my dad pushed me hard when I was playing basketball and I cannot break the habit of a strict lifestyle.."
2) Create your personal list of reasons. Why do you wish to get in shape? Are you involved in a sport? Are you sick of feeling like you came up short in your days work? Are you sick of being passed over for "Babe of the Week" at the beach? Has the Mrs. decided it's either lose the fat or sleep on the couch as her resolution for you? Yeah. That'd make me wanna exercise too, believe me.
3) Keep records. By monitoring your workouts and your success you've achieved...you'll be able to motivate yourself further in knowing you've accomplished little by. You'll also be able to set further goals. "Last week I ran 20 minutes once a day, every day and lost 6 pounds. Next week I'll run 25 every day and attempt to lose more." Sounds good, right?
4) Keep consistent. Did you hit the gym yesterday at 10am? Do it again on your next workout day. By getting used to that time frame you'll be able to not only base your day around your workout, but you'll also know how to adjust to it all the time. This was a big motivation for me, personally, because by the time tomorrow would roll around...my 3 o clock workout would be unfamiliar, lazy and sloppy.
5) Listen to what you enjoy! Do you enjoy music? I do. I find myself listening to a lot of music that I feel pumps me up. Lemme tell yah...after seeing David Lee Roth bouncing around in the video for "Jump"....that gets me into the excitable workout mood everytime I hear it. Maybe you like Podcasts. Heck, I dunno if tech talk would motivate me to workout....but to each his own! So turn up Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger and hit that staircase!
6) Workout with a buddy. My favorite! Nothing gets me motivated more then knowing I have the support of a friend working out and dieting with me to achieve a common goal. And if that doesn't work....maybe competitiveness will shine and you'll be motivated to smoke his or her rear end on the road to better shape.
7) Watch your favorite athletes. Growing up in my sport....I looked up to many men. Nothing had me more motivated then the idea of someday being in as good of shape as my favorite athlete.
Mindset is very key to getting into better shape. If you want to make the most of what you're doing, you should always keep a positive attitude and know that with proper sacrifice comes great rewards. Are we in the mood yet? Great! Lets move on...
Next section: Proper Eating
See a pattern? Everything is done with "speed". All of them are throwing a dollar amount in your face. And finally....you see numerous spokes people with "before and after" pictures. Funny stuff. Considering companies are getting away with printing up "Fill in the blank" diet plan papers and making up to 200 American dollars by calling it a kit. Sure they come with a meal menu. Woohoo! Unfortunately this is just another way corporations are pulling money from your pockets. Now I'm not saying these diets do not work. In fact, I'm positive if you stick to them strictly....you will lose weight. (And build muscle if you have a workout program combined.) But....for a fraction of the cost, all alone, at your convenience you can accomplish the same results.
Before I wrap up my rant and begin with the "How to", let me give you some basics and benefits. As media has proven, many people have the desire to get into shape. I could easily say "How would you like to look better?"....but we already know the answer to that. Exercising itself has the ability to make you look AND feel great. You can gain self confidence in yourself and your look. You may realize that your ability to accomplish everything you wish to in a day has increased. Your body will refuse to fatigue as quick or as easy. Sounds like a good deal, right? Well what are we waiting for? Let's get started.
For the very first entry, we'll cover....
Mindset
Who would have thought thinking about exercising and dieting was half the battle! It is. Both these things require one thing. That blasted D-word. One of the biggest swear words in the common human being's vocabulary. Dedication. Whew. It takes a lot of heart to get up every morning and say "I want to exercise today!". It takes me personally a lot to get motivated. But there are many ways of doing it. I once read a guide in a magazine on personal motivation that helped me greatly and I could not agree more. They were the 7 keys to motivation.
1) Know the benefits of exercise. Learning how exercising can help your daily life is one of the biggest reasons TO exercise. No more "Cuz my dad pushed me hard when I was playing basketball and I cannot break the habit of a strict lifestyle.."
2) Create your personal list of reasons. Why do you wish to get in shape? Are you involved in a sport? Are you sick of feeling like you came up short in your days work? Are you sick of being passed over for "Babe of the Week" at the beach? Has the Mrs. decided it's either lose the fat or sleep on the couch as her resolution for you? Yeah. That'd make me wanna exercise too, believe me.
3) Keep records. By monitoring your workouts and your success you've achieved...you'll be able to motivate yourself further in knowing you've accomplished little by. You'll also be able to set further goals. "Last week I ran 20 minutes once a day, every day and lost 6 pounds. Next week I'll run 25 every day and attempt to lose more." Sounds good, right?
4) Keep consistent. Did you hit the gym yesterday at 10am? Do it again on your next workout day. By getting used to that time frame you'll be able to not only base your day around your workout, but you'll also know how to adjust to it all the time. This was a big motivation for me, personally, because by the time tomorrow would roll around...my 3 o clock workout would be unfamiliar, lazy and sloppy.
5) Listen to what you enjoy! Do you enjoy music? I do. I find myself listening to a lot of music that I feel pumps me up. Lemme tell yah...after seeing David Lee Roth bouncing around in the video for "Jump"....that gets me into the excitable workout mood everytime I hear it. Maybe you like Podcasts. Heck, I dunno if tech talk would motivate me to workout....but to each his own! So turn up Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger and hit that staircase!
6) Workout with a buddy. My favorite! Nothing gets me motivated more then knowing I have the support of a friend working out and dieting with me to achieve a common goal. And if that doesn't work....maybe competitiveness will shine and you'll be motivated to smoke his or her rear end on the road to better shape.
7) Watch your favorite athletes. Growing up in my sport....I looked up to many men. Nothing had me more motivated then the idea of someday being in as good of shape as my favorite athlete.
Mindset is very key to getting into better shape. If you want to make the most of what you're doing, you should always keep a positive attitude and know that with proper sacrifice comes great rewards. Are we in the mood yet? Great! Lets move on...
Next section: Proper Eating
