If you are starting a new workout routine, try to not let your mind say things like “this is too difficult”, “I’ll never get better at this”, or “I’m tired, I want to stop”. Instead tell yourself positive things like “I love the challenge of this exercise”, or “I can’t wait to see my great results after mastering that move!”. The key to changing your thinking is to change your perspective. So the kids spilled milk all over the floor while trying to get it in their cup–rather than sigh and dread the new “chore” added to your list, think of it positively–they seem ready and willing to be more independent, so maybe you can find a smaller container to put the milk in for them to practice pouring with! I know you have heard this before, but it is true–thoughts have power. Have you ever seen someone that you did not know but right away had a negative comment or thought about them, and then when you get the chance to meet them you aren’t really interested in what they have to say? It’s because you allowed yourself to think negatively of that person and when the time came to get to know them you had your mind made up that that person wasn’t worth your time. The same goes when you see someone and you think something positive about them–you can’t shake their hand fast enough!

Positive thinking takes practice. A few key tips are to start small–for the next 2 hours no matter what you see, hear, or do, find a way to see it in a positive light. For example, lose a job? Great! Now you can find something that really peaks your interest and uses your talents in new ways! Another tip is to be prepared! Be prepared for plans to change and people to not say, do or be what you wanted. That’s okay-just move forward! The third tip, and probably the most important, is to distance yourself from negative people! Latch on to people who you see as moving forward in life and are positive about most everything! Don’t let a negative person suck you in to their depressing conversations-you might drown with them! Now, this doesn’t mean to not be a shoulder for someone to lean on, but if they aren’t trying to swim on their own after you’ve shown them a way, it’s time to move on! People continue habits because of a payoff. For negative people, they get attention-that is why they focus on the negative. “My life is so hard. I don’t know why everything bad happens to me.” Those comments make others around them rush to their aid and tell them all kinds of pick me kind of stuff. *But* if they don’t help brush themselves off, they aren’t ever going to change and may in fact be enjoying wasting your time–because if you are there with them down in the gutter, at least it means you aren’t winning the race either. Stay away from these types of people-they are bad for your own mental health!

Positive thinking allows you more reasons to celebrate! So you didn’t run a mile in 7 minutes, but you did stick it out-CELEBRATE! So your kid tied everyone of his shoes’ laces in knots trying to tie them-CELEBRATE-he wants to learn more! Everything can be thought of positively. Just need to practice and if you find yourself thinking or speaking negatively, simply STOP. Take a breath, and start over. You can do this! Great things are out there just waiting for you to attract them!

This is where everything you have learned comes together. By combining motivation, decision, commitment, effort, determination and hard work, you create success. It is not elusive like motivation may be, but it is dependent upon the correct amounts of the “ingredients” I’ve just listed. Too little of any one of those, and you won’t succeed. Taking things one day at a time, and succeeding at it every day will get you that much closer to those after photos you so badly desire!

Success is accomplishment. It’s sticking it out on the days you’re tired, digging deeper and finding that drive to keep going. Success is not giving up just because you don’t have support from friends and family, or quitting just because you doubt yourself. It’s pushing past your previous walls and barriers, stretching the limits of your abilities, both physically and mentally. If you want to succeed, dig deep within yourself and find that beast. Unleash it and it will get you to where you want to be.

Not everyone can commit to such as thing as P90X. Sure, 90 days seems doable for anyone, and in fact it is. The difference arises when the hard work begins. When life throws curve balls, and your exhausted, tired and just plain sore–are you still going to get up out of bed, or off that couch and get after it? Now, I could tell you that you need to motivate yourself, and all sorts of other things to get you hyped into starting, but in the end only your commitment to yourself, and your program are going to get you to that end goal.

If you find that you are one of those people who often struggles with committing to working out, break it down. What can you commit to? If 90 days seems daunting, try 30 days. Still a bit of a stretch? Break it all the way down to 10 days, or even seven days. Can you commit seven days at a time? That might seem insignificant to some people, but as you mark off each week one at a time, you will not only have stuck to your program, but also gained the confidence in yourself to commit even more. Perhaps after four weeks, you decide to commit to an entire month or more.

You might find that life gets in your way. You start with the best of intentions, but something always seems to pull you off track. This is where you need to learn a few tricks to easily handle such instances (and they do come up, trust me!). If you become ill for a period of time, you might be able to just stick to healthy eating habits until you regain your strength–at which time you jump right back in. Let’s say you normally workout early in the morning, but your child was not cooperating at bedtime so you only got a couple hours of sleep, and are exhausted. How do you get around that? There are a couple of things you might try: you could sneak in a power nap on the couch while the kids watch a movie, or you can sleep in a bit in the morning and do your workout in the afternoon or late evening. What about going out of town? By planning ahead you can take your DVDs and some of your lighter equipment with you, or if you are unable to use the DVDs while traveling, simply write down what the workouts consist of. Doing something is better than nothing!

When you commit to working out, you commit to yourself. If you can commit your entire life to a spouse, then committing to your own person should not be too difficult! For me personally, it comes down to “how bad do you want it”, and “it’s just a little sweat and soreness”! Dig down deep, and find that strength from within that will push you all the way. The part of you that hangs onto not only your dreams and goals, but to your plans of reaching them as well–let that part show and never put it back into hiding again! Care enough about yourself to stick it out, whatever it is that you are doing. Let no one and nothing come in between you and your goals!

So in closing, stop sitting around waiting for something to come along, or for something miraculous to happen to you. Get up, get out there, and GO GET IT! No one is going to sweat for you but yourself. Every drop of sweat you make happen is one drop closer to where you really want to be. Stop envying other people, and put in some real work of your own–you’ll be glad you did! Don’t be afraid to sweat and get dirty, because it’s all part of the process! Commit. Stick with it. Don’t lose focus.

Are you ready?

Like many people, I found myself daydreaming during the infomercials about my own “Before and After” photos. Always dreaming of what could be my reality. If only…

“If only…” what? To be honest, the first part of that answer is probably the toughest to do: decide. You have to decide that you want it. Decide that you are worth such an investment. Declare your worth as a person, an individual, and decide to love yourself enough…enough to give yourself the gift of health. You daydream about your “ideal” body, and all the things that are sure to happen “if only” you had that body. In the amount of time that you spend dreaming about it, you could have already achieved it several times by now! Decide that your family is worth it. They love and value you, and if you don’t take care of yourself you won’t be around very long for them to show it. You won’t have as much energy to keep up with all the activities that can bring families together. You won’t be living your best life possible. What do you possibly have to lose? Maybe an hour or two less of television? Some weight? Or how about that negative self image? A small investment in your health has infinite rewards! How could you not decide?

If money is the issue, let me break down some numbers to show you that it is possible (even if you have to save for a month) to afford this program. The cost of the program is about $120 (plus S&H). Now, you might see this number and gasp at the sight of it, but give me a minute to explain a few things you may not have considered. The program is set for 90 days (although obviously since you own the dvds you can use them an infinite number of times!). So $120 divided over the course of the 90 days, comes to about $1.33 per day! Many people pay gym memberships monthly, and so if you wanted to look at the monthly cost of the program (assuming you only do it for the 90 days), it comes to about $39.90, which on average is cheaper than the gym membership. Add in the cost of classes and/or trainers, and that gym membership just went through the roof!

Back to the $1.33/day figure…how can you save $1.33 a day in order to justify paying this? If you were to make simple changes to your grocery list alone, you would find that money. For example, sodas, tea, pastries, cookies, chips, hot dogs, pizzas, crackers, pudding, ice cream, frozen entrees, etc are all not only draining on your bank account, but your health as well! So in switching to a more fresh, and healthier diet, you are able to save money and in turn invest that savings on a program proven to get you into shape!

To decide on something like this is to say, “I’m worth it. I deserve excellent health, and a fit body. It’s time I took care of ME.” It’s a big step, but I promise it’s not a step you will ever regret! In fact, the only regrets you could have with P90X is simply this: “I regret not doing it sooner!” Take a chance on yourself for a change-look in the mirror and see just how truly worthy you are! It’s time to let the YOU you’ve always wanted to be come out!

5 Minute Warm Up: start by marching in place, bringing your knees up high (about waist level), and continue for about one minute. Next, jog in place for about 30 seconds, and don’t worry about going fast-we’re just getting started! Now move on to jumping jacks, again you don’t need to go for speed, just get your heart rate up a bit. Shake that out a bit, and go on to arm circles. Alternate between going forward a few times, and backward a few times, one arm at a time. Stretch out your leg muscles a bit as well. Hamstrings, quads, and calves are going to be worked, so a few gentle stretches are important! Once you feel like heart rate is up, and your body feels warmed up, you are ready to get moving! Remember, this is made to be done quickly, so try to move from one exercise to the next right away. However, if you feel you need some water or a quick break that’s okay, just don’t sit down and keep moving!

The Workout:
*15 squats – feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward, keep your knees above the ankle not in front of it.
*15 squats – feet wider than shoulder width, toes pointing forward, keep your knees above the ankle not in front of it.
*15 “80-20″ squats – feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward but move one foot in line with the arch of the other foot and go up onto your toes (or the ball of your foot)-the idea being that 80% of your weight is on the extended leg and 20% is on the bent leg (do 15 on each side).
*15 push-ups – do these either against the wall, on your knees or regular
*15 jumping jacks – get that heart rate back up!
*wall squats – sit with your back against the wall, feet in front of you and squat down until your knees are parallel to the ground. Stay down like that for 10 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds, down for another 10 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and down once more for 10 seconds.
*20 basic crunches – remember to exhale when you come up, and keep your abs pulled in tight. Go straight up towards the ceiling.
*20 lower leg lifts – lay down with hands at your sides, and alternate bringing one knee towards your chest and the other leg about an inch or two off the ground (if this is too difficult, hold that bottom leg up higher. Lower=harder, higher=easier.). Again, inhale on the switch, exhale on the extension. Keep the bottom leg out straight.
*15 jumping jacks – get that heart rate up again!
*10 lunges – keep the back leg straight, front leg bent with knee above the ankle-not in front of it. Do 10 each side.
*10 lunges – this time bend that back leg and go down low. Watch your form and take your time. Keep you chest and head up during the lunges.
*15 push-ups – again do these against the wall, on your knees or regular.
*15 jumping jacks – are you sweating yet??
*10 chair dips – place your hands on the front edge of the chair, not the sides. Bend you knees if it’s too difficult to do them with straight legs. Make sure that you go down low and keep those elbows bending behind you, not out to the sides!
*10 squat/side kicks – feet wider than shoulder width, squat down and when you come up kick one leg up and out sideways. Do one side at a time, 10 each side. Watch your form-keep your abs tight and engage the glutes!
*10 squat/back kicks – same as before, but this time kick backward. Lean forward as you kick and look back over your shoulder (the same side as the leg that kicks). Watch that form, and do 10 each leg.
*20 all fours-kick back – get down on all fours, hands directly under the shoulders, knees below the hips. Bring one leg in towards your chest and then extend it back out. Keep it straight and try to keep it level or slightly higher than your butt. Do 20 on each side, and remember to hold those abs in and squeeze the glutes while you extend the leg.
*10 all fours-side knee lift – same position as before, but this time keeping the leg bent, lift the knee up and out to the side (like a dog peeing!). Keep the abs tight, and do 10 each side.
*15 jumping jacks – and you thought you were done with these!
*20 cross-crunches – hold the abs in tight, exhale on the upward movement. Bring the elbow to the opposite knee. Watch your form and make them count!
*10 chair dips – same as before, remember to keep the elbows going to the back, not the sides.
*15 jumping jacks – are you hating these yet??
*10 push-ups – whichever form is most comfortable for you.
*30 standing cross-crunches – stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms straight up overhead. Bring the right elbow down and the left knee up (crossing in front of your body), and make sure the other arm is still straight up. Switch sides. Hold your abs in as tight as you can during this and make sure that after each crunch you return to start with your arms straight up!!
*30 standing oblique-crunches – stand the same as before with the arms up, but point your toes outward. Bring the left elbow to the left knee, and return to start. Bring the right elbow to the right knee. Keep the abs tight and really crunch the oblique muscles. Remember to return to the starting position and make sure your arms are straight up! Your knees should be coming up on the side, not in front of you.
*20 jumping jacks – almost done with these, I promise!
*10 calf raises – toes forward, lift up onto the balls of your feet. Go at a medium pace.
*10 calf raises – toes outward, lift onto the balls of your feet.
*10 calf raises – toes inward, lift onto the balls of your feet.
*15 wide stance squats – stand with feet much wider than shoulder width, and go down as low as you can, and slowly! Keep your head and chest up, hold in the abs, and squeeze the glutes on the way back up.
*20 toe squats – you might need a chair or something to help you balance. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, toes pointing forward or slightly outward. Go up onto the balls of your feet (and stay that way for the entire exercise) and now do your squats. Go slow so you maintain your balance. Hold the abs in, head and chest are up!
*30 jumping jacks – this is it! Make these count!

5 Minute Cool Down: Shake out your legs and arms for a minute! Do not sit down! Let your heart rate come down first. Raise your arms overhead and inhale, then exhale and pull your arms out wide and downward to stretch your chest and back. Do a few arm circles on each side. Stretch your legs, especially since they did most of the work! Get on all fours and do the cat stretch (inhale, arch the back and look up–exhale, round the back, chin to chest). Keep moving and stretching until you feel like your heart rate is almost back to normal.

Congratulations! You just did a 30 minute home workout with no equipment! Remember to hydrate with plenty of water!

Some of you may be wondering, where in the heck do you even start? I have developed a few tips and tricks to make this as simple as possible. First thing you need to know before you begin is: what is your budget for the week? Once you have this you may plan accordingly. It works in this way: if you know your budget, you will know where to cut costs/corners. If my budget is tight one week, I might plan 4 inexpensive dinners instead of more costly ones. Next, know what your goals for you and your family are. Are you trying to watch the sodium intake? Maybe trying to cut out some fat from your meals? This information points you in the right direction when selecting meals and snacks. Now that you have your budget and directions, let’s start breaking the menu down.

Breakfast. The key to planning breakfasts for the week is knowing your morning routine and schedule. If the kids won’t eat a large breakfast or you just don’t have time, don’t set yourself up to fail and plan an enormous breakfast! Also, be sure to have those quick options should you over sleep one morning, or have an emergency come up. Here is a list of breakfast options that you might choose from. Remember to keep your family’s preferences in mind!

*Fruit salad (this can be an actual fruit salad made the night before, or just an assortment of fruits–eat til you are satisfied! You don’t have to stop at just one banana!)
*Scrambled eggs (or egg whites if you are trying to cut out cholesterol or fat) and 2 strips of turkey bacon (the trick is not cooking it all the way to extra crispy!), and a slice of whole grain (not just whole wheat) toast (Nature’s Own brand is best because it does not contain high fructose corn syrup like most others)
*Multi-grain Cheerios with skim or 1% milk (whole milk for children under 2 years old) (I have looked at the ingredients and it’s healthier than Life cereal and several others!)
*Instant oatmeal packet (do not add extra sugar to it! Buy a flavor you like and try it. If you don’t like it, try another brand or flavor.)

Lunches. Lunches can be tricky because some people are at work or school and so you need to be able to pack those lunches. A tip to packing lunches is to pack up most of it the night before to save you time. If you are making a sandwich or wrap, do that in the morning so it won’t turn soggy over night! Keeping it healthy is key here!

*Turkey wrap (use a wrap, such as Soft Wraps, instead of regular tortillas, and add honey mustard, sliced cheese, green leaf lettuce and tomato)
*Tuna sandwich on whole grain bread made with mustard (or honey mustard) and relish–no mayo! Add a slice of cheese, tomato and green leaf lettuce if you’d like.
*Baked chicken breast (do this the night before or a couple nights before) with lemon pepper and garlic salt to season. This can be put on a salad or sandwich.
*Vegetarian chili (1 can each of black beans, pinto beans, great northern beans, and dark red kidney beans. Rinse and drain all beans. 1 large can of diced tomatoes-do not drain, and 1 bag of frozen corn (16oz). Put it all in a large pot with 1 cup of water. Season with 1Tbsp of oregano, a little cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper to taste. Bring to boil and boil for 10 minutes. Simmer on medium for 5-10 minutes more. Top with sour cream and/or shredded cheese!)

–for sides: baby carrots, whole natural almonds, fresh fruits, raisins, dry roasted unsalted peanuts, string cheese, no sugar added applesauce, Nature’s Valley granola bar. Stay away from pretzels, chips, crackers, cookies, pudding, etc. Keep it natural!

Moving on to dinners. Think about the week ahead. Is anyone coming over for dinner? Will you be out of the house around dinner time? If you know in advance that you won’t be home in time to eat or make dinner, pack it up! Here are a few options for dinners that are satisfying and healthier than take out or frozen pizza!

*Beef Stroganoff (use whole wheat wide egg noodles, lean hamburger meat, 1 large can of Cream of Mushroom soup, skim milk. Cook the meat and season to taste with black pepper and garlic powder. Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain the pasta, add the meat and soup. Using the soup can, fill it half way with skim milk. Add the milk and mix together. Heat this mixture for a few minutes and then serve! This makes a great leftover as well, so you can make this the night before and simply reheat it!). If your budget allows, serve a small side salad using a fat free dressing and lots of veggies!

*Steak and potatoes (cut the fat off the steaks prior to cooking, and simply season with garlic powder and lemon pepper. Wrap some potatoes in foil and put in the oven at 400F for about two hours–they are done when they smell like baked potatoes! Top the potatoes with a little shredded cheese and sour cream to avoid margarine or butter!). Again, if the budget allows, a small side salad goes great with this, or some steamed vegetables (try the SteamFresh type).

*Baked chicken breast with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Simply cook the chicken breast in the oven with lemon pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Cut the potatoes and boil until tender–now this is a time saver: use a hand mixer to “mash” them! Don’t bother peeling them because there are tons of nutrients in the skin. Just mix longer if you want smoother texture! Add skim milk to the potatoes and a little garlic powder and black pepper if you like (not butter–use sour cream instead if you must!).

*Spaghetti. It’s a classic, so just make it healthier by using lean hamburger meat and whole wheat pasta (I personally did not like the Barilla plus or whatever it was called, so just stick to the whole wheat if you like!). Side salad if the budget allows.

*Pot roast. This can be made days in advance! In fact, when my husband worked out of town Monday through Friday I would make this and pack it into individual containers for the week! Buy a large pot roast and sear all the edges so the juices will stay in. Place in your crockpot and add 1 pound of baby carrots, and lots of potatoes (cut into about 1 inch cubes. You can use any type of potato for this!). Cut a medium onion into quarters and add to the pot. Next, fill the crockpot with enough water to cover the ingredients. Add half a packet of onion soup mix, 4 beef bullion cubes, garlic powder, black pepper and oregano. Cook on high for 4hrs or on low for 6 hours. Depending on family size, this can last several days.

*Vegetarian chili (see above recipe).

A crucial component to your menu is snacks. If you don’t plan you snacks, you may end up sabotaging not only your diet, but your budget as well! First, here are a few things not to do when snacking:

*don’t buy soft drinks or teas with sugar
*don’t buy chips, pretzels, cookies, pastries, jell-o, pudding, etc.
*don’t stock up on ice cream
*don’t buy nuts with salt added
*don’t buy fruit with sugars/syrup added
*don’t buy even the “100 calorie” cookies, cakes, etc…the ingredients will get you even if the calories don’t!

Here are some great snacking options:

*protein bars (Zone Classic has some amazing flavors! The chocolate peanut butter is like a candy bar!)
*whole natural 100 calorie almonds
*fresh fruits/vegetables (always try to keep some grapes or bananas on hand for when you feel like nibbling!)
*cottage cheese (1%) and watch the portion/serving size!
*string cheese
*dry roasted unsalted peanuts
*all natural fruit juice popsicles

Some things to keep in mind when shopping is that portion sizes matter. If the food comes in one large container and you know you have a tendency to just “eat out of the bag”, don’t buy it. If you do end up buying something like that, buy some ziploc bags and immediately ration out a serving size into each bag BEFORE you put the food away! Things like Wheat Thins, and other “whole grain” crackers, aren’t as healthy for you as they say they are. Don’t just look at the nutrition labels—look at the ingredient list! If you can’t pronounce most of it, don’t eat it! Hydrogenated anything is bad for you. Most breads have high fructose corn syrup in their ingredients–stay away from that. Things like hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup are very unhealthy. They are especially bad for people with thyroid conditions. Keep it fresh, and healthy whenever possible. Stock up on bottled water, or a water filtering system. Don’t buy juices–eat the fresh fruit instead! Think nutrient rich/dense foods! Make the calories you eat count for something!

Another important tip for meal planning: post your menu! Make it look nice and display it proudly if you so choose, or just tape it up on the fridge. If it is posted where you see it in the kitchen, you will remember to stick to it. It will also help cut back on hearing “what’s for dinner?” “what can I eat?” and other similar requests! By seeing your menu, you will also be reminded ahead of time if you need to thaw something or start prepping in advance.

So now that you have this grand plan, how exactly does it save you money? In several ways, actually. You will be able to shop with a detailed list. By detailed I mean that, if you plan on eating turkey bacon every morning at breakfast, and you know each person gets two strips, just multiply the number of people eating times two and now you know how much bacon to buy! So if you need 16 pieces, and the package you find has only 12, then you need one more package. Makes sense, right? So by having this detailed list, you don’t over or under buy an item. Next, it saves you money because you are focusing on the list in your hand and not scanning the aisles for whatever might jump out at you, thus saving you from buying unnecessary items. By not purchasing sodas, juices and the like, you have more money for the healthier foods and water. Instead of buying a case of soda, you can spend that $5 on fruit (and if it’s $1 or less per pound, you just bought five pounds of fruit!). Be sure to take a pen and calculator along with you. Make adjustments if needed. You don’t need to buy the brand name when it comes to certain foods, such as beans, and other things like spaghetti sauces you can just add more of your own seasonings to them! Take a look at the store fliers before sitting down to write your meal plan-this will help you catch the best deals! If chicken is really cheap that week, you might want to plan several more meals that include chicken, or even stock up for the coming weeks.

This might seem like a lot of information, and at first you might feel awkward or uncomfortable, but it pays off it many ways! To be healthy you need to eat healthy, and to eat healthy you must shop healthy…and to shop healthy you need to plan healthy! Keep it fresh and you’ll feel the benefits! I hope this helps to answer some of the questions that arise with meal planning! If you need any further ideas or help, simply leave a comment!

This comes up all the time. Motivation. Where is it, how to get it, how to keep it. Well, the reason most people struggle I believe, is because they are looking for that “one size fits all” answer. However, there isn’t one. What is motivation? To put it plainly, it is the reason for action, the cause of a behavior. It’s noon and you reach for a snack. Why? What is the motivation for that? Simple-you are hungry and food is the one thing that can satisfy hunger. But what about the runner who drags his/her tired body out of bed at 5am to run? What is the motivation there? In this case there can be several motives. In the case of “why does the runner get up at 5am instead of sleeping in longer?”, the answer would be possibly due to scheduling. Perhaps they are trying to get their run finished before the requirements of the day and family take over their thoughts. Now as to answer “why is s/he running at all?”, perhaps the motive is to get into shape, or relieve stress, or even just finding a little “me” time.

So why do people often lack this component in setting a goal? Because most often when someone writes down a goal they have, they believe that simply reaching that point is their motivation. They feel that they will be motivated simply by that one mark. However, that is not enough. You need to have a goal, true, but you need to know WHY you are reaching that goal in the first place. Why not reach some other goal? Why that ONE? What do you need to reach THAT goal for?? By not answering these questions, it is no wonder why so many goals are left unreached.

Why is it so elusive, and why is it hard to keep? Easy. Motivation is elusive because of a couple of reasons. One reason is because the purpose for which you THOUGHT you were reaching that goal for, isn’t truly what YOU want. It is possible, for example, that someone might make a goal of doing 100 push-ups. Sounds great, right? But the real question to ask is, why? What is there reason or purpose for being able to do 100 push-ups? If it simply to impress others, or to compete among others, that type of motive won’t get you far. Although, if your motivated to do 100 push-ups as a personal best, or to increase your strength, then that will carry you a little farther than the first motive. When you are trying to motivate yourself to workout, you need to answer several questions. Why are you working out? To get in shape, get fit, to fit into clothes, to look good, etc., right? That’s a start, but go deeper than that. Because once you are in shape, once you do fit into that dress or those jeans, what’s next? What is going to move you forward? While those kind of motives are great for starting out, you need to reflect it inward. Maybe you are working out to better yourself mentally AND physically, to feel better about your life, to feel healthy, to be fit enough to do activities that require a lot of energy, endurance and strength. You are the motivation. You do it for you. You love you. You take care of you. You appreciate you. You need you. And that, my friends is your motivation.

Now you might be thinking, “well I don’t like or love myself, I’m not worth it, it’s selfish to do something for myself, etc”. You are wrong. This is where support comes in. Starting out we may all have our doubts, and weaknesses, but your coach, your trainer, your family, your friends–they rally around you and tell you what you need to hear to get the job done and they continue doing it until you finally believe it and do it for yourself! Be proud of every small step you take in the right direction! Did you try to jog during your walk and only go for 10 seconds? That’s GREAT! It’s progress! And next time you may go for even 12 seconds, and that is GREAT! Be proud of every single step you take on the right path!! I know most of this isn’t materialistic, like buy yourself a slice of pizza after a great week of working out, but there is a reason for that. You have to love and respect yourself. Reward yourself with positive thoughts about yourself for a change! THEN those material rewards will be worth something, because you won’t have earned it simply by running three days last week, but by loving yourself FOR running three days last week! Enjoy the time with yourself. Think what you want to think (positive!), be how you want to be. If you are the type of person who wants to take care of everyone else, just know this: if you are not taking proper care of yourself, you won’t have anything to offer anyone. Just like you lovingly care for your beloved’s most precious item, you must know that you are their most precious item and you must handle yourself with loving care as well!

So now you have your motivation, now what? Well, now you have to keep it. You tend to it regularly. Make sure your goals are still applicable to where you are right now. Me personally, I had a goal to become a runner. I always had wished I was a runner, and about a month ago decided to quit wishing, and start becoming! So I started with the Couch to 5K running program. At first, my goal was to get through the first two weeks. It was rough at first and I thought that if I just did the first two weeks, I’d be happy. The second week came and went, so my new goal was to get through the entire 9 weeks. I’m now on week 5, and I’ve once again moved my goal even farther back–to run a marathon May 1, 2011! Every time you improve, reassess your goals and what is your driving force to get there. You might start out really motivated and pumped to get into shape for the summer parties, but maybe three weeks in you decide “I’m exhausted! I hate this! I don’t care-I just won’t go to any parties!”…well, now what do you do? Do you quit right there? Throw in the towel? NO! You keep on moving forward. “Okay, so now I don’t want to go to any summer parties, but I do want to fit into my favorite jeans!”. And on the workouts go! Even people who are the envy of “beginners” have goals and motivation to get to another level. Now that does not mean that if you have a goal to be a runner that you must run a marathon, it just means that once you reach one fitness goal, what do you want to do next? You can have a goal of running 1 mile nonstop, and then turn around and have a goal to stand on your head! Don’t feel like you are stuck. Keep moving. Keep setting goals. Regularly make sure your motive is still working for you. I’m extremely tired some mornings when the alarm goes off at 5am, but my motivation to get up is the fact that I LOVE the atmosphere on my run! I would hate to think I missed it simply for 10 more minutes of sleep-to me that is not worth it. I can always catch a cat nap later if I absolutely have to. My motivation for the actual run is to get into the best shape of my life, improve my cardiovascular fitness, and to train for that marathon in May. I know that after the marathon I will need new goals, and I have those as well. But for now, I just need to focus on putting one foot in front of the other all on the right path! People lose motivation because they quite simply changed their mind. That is why a material reward is never as good as an internal one, because I don’t know anyone who makes a goal to love themselves, and then three months later say “eh, I don’t want to love myself anymore, I think I’ll quit!”. However, people do make goals like fitting into their outfits and then turn around and decide “I don’t like those clothes anymore! I’ll buy new ones!”. Changing your mind is perfectly fine, great even–but make sure you have at least one internal goal/motive to push you through no matter what! Don’t underestimate the power of support! Get your friends and family to help push you (just don’t get mad when they do!)! No help from family or friends? Get a fitness coach! Do what it takes. Get out there and sweat! You’ll love yourself for it!

“Excuses are a list of self imposed obstacles that prevent you from having a better life.” – Tony Horton of P90X

Now let’s take a look at what’s in the food on your plate. Is it nutrient dense, meaning does it provide vitamins, minerals and/or other crucial nutrients? Simply eating fewer calories is not enough–the calories you eat must be providing you with nutrition. “Empty” calories are not doing anything for you. Sure, you might have stuck to that strict diet of 1,200 calories, but you were starving your body of key nutrients! You will end up weak, and as soon as that scale gives you that elusive number you are seeking, we both know you will slowly return to eating more and more calories. In the end, you will have gained it all back, simply because you failed to create small healthy habits to replace the old ones. Starting small habits is key to lasting health and fitness! It may sound like a “myth” but you do eat more to lose more. It’s a matter of eating the right amount of “more” and working out in ways that properly utilize that nutrition. I’m not going to get into a specific diet/meal plan here, but for now just take inventory of what’s on your plate/in your cup! Replace all the junk food in your home with healthy and great tasting ones to further help yourself succeed!

Remember to always ask yourself: “Is this what I really want, or is this just what I want in this moment?” Practice restraint and discipline with your eating habits, and you’ll live a healthy, happier and longer life because of it!