Music Makes the Workout!

I don't know about you, but I have over 5,000 MP3's and I just shuffle them when I workout. I used to try to choreograph the music to the workout, but that never really worked, so I just said the hell with it and let all the songs rip.  Some just don't cut it, you know, like "Sunshine on my Shoulders" by John Denver when you are doing side crunches, or "Shake Your Booty" by KC and the Sunshine Band when you are doing Yoga.  Maybe the other way around?

But tonight was perfect!  For whatever reason, the songs in the mix made the workout fun and fly by. Some songs you wouldn't think of hearing in a dancy gym/aerobic class can be great to workout to.  For example, "Long Cool Woman" by the Hollies. What a great beat!  I was rocking those squats.  And "Vogue" by Madonna doing those lunges, and the best was "Kick It Out" by Heart doing the infamous floor leg lifts.  Okay, so my play list has many oldies. But hey, the point here: put on music you like!  Whether it's Beyonce or Rhianna or Donna Summer, Abba, The Rolling Stones, Queen, or Led Zeppelin.  It doesn't have to have a fast beat, in my humble opinion.  If the song has some meaning or makes your smile, that's all that matters.

Oh, the last song that played when I was doing my 5 minutes of Yoga was "Tuesday Afternoon" by the Moody Blues - now that was a cool way to end a Tuesday!

Toodles!

Dealing with another F Word

Have you ever been FRUSTRATED?  (I know...you were thinking of another F word).

I know I have been frustrated - more times than once. I start a fitness routine and it seems I hit every road block possible. The key is to overcome them. You can do this by getting more information and looking at the situation differently.  Here are some of my frustrations, maybe these sound familiar to you:

1. Starting a program and not being able to keep up and coordinate with the trainer.  When I started Slim in 6, I could not keep up with the routines.  Even today, I have days where I have to go slower, take breaks, etc.  Solution:  Go At Your Own Pace.  This pretty much applies to almost everything in life, right?  Well, unless you are being chased by an angry gunman...then you might want to go at his pace.  But really, take it slow.
2. Plateaus!  Talk about frustrating.  You know, you do everything "right" and for weeks the scale doesn't budge! Solution:  Re-evaluate your plan.  Have you recalculated your daily caloric intake?  If you changed workouts, you might need more calories!  If you haven't changed workouts and have lost weight, have you decreased your caloric intake?  Change your workout!  Maybe your body has settled in to your routine and needs a little "confusion".  Change your choices of foods - more protein, less protein, etc.  Beachbody's diet programs are based on "averages".  Everyone's body is different. Mix it up. 
3. Getting Bored.  Well, yes, that can be frustrating.  Solution: Change your workouts.  While I would highly recommend another Beachbody program, you can also take a break and try other forms of movement.  Any movement, for at least 30 minutes, that can get your heart beat going.  Walking, jogging, biking (indoor or outdoor), take a Zumba class.  Sometimes variety is the spice of life.
4. My DVD player is broken.  Okay, this is specifically for me! In 2 years, I have gone through 3 DVD players (are they just throw away gadgets these days?) And presently, the DVD player I have has a connection that I have to jiggle around to get the picture on my TV.  Solution:  Laugh!  I mean, what else can you do?  I sit there some mornings jiggling the connection, putting weights on it, moving it around for 10-20 minutes!!  I mean you gotta be kidding me, right?  But instead of getting BS, I deal with it.  When my DVD players have broken in the past, I've used my lap top and/or my daughter's portable DVD player.  It was small, hard to see, but I did it!
5. I injured myself.  Now that's the mother of all frustrations.  Nothing sucks more than getting momentum, pushing play every day then BAMB!  You're sidelined due to an injury.  Solution:  Eat Clean and Laugh.  Well, I think laughter is the best medicine. But really, why get upset.  Stuff happens.  You can still eat right and think out of the box with limited movement.  Check with your doctor, but maybe you can dance, curl some weights, pushups, use whatever doesn't hurt!
6. Nobody notices any progress I've made.  Well, that sucks, too.  But remember, people you see day in and day out (your spouse, partner, family, etc.) won't notice changes really.  Although a nice word of praise would be nice.  And people you work with (especially those of the opposite sex) risk sexual harrassement if they say "Hey you are looking good".  Not going there.  And maybe, just maybe, some are jealous!  Solution:  Praise yourself!

Okay, those are some of my frustrations.  Do you have any? We can find solutions.

Press Play!

2010 - the year of the 5%

My New Year's resolution isn't really the typical ones I usually set: lose weight, get my finances in order, etc. etc. No, this year I'm putting a twist on those end results I do want by declaring: I am going to be in the 5%.

Did you know that of all the commitments people make (e.g., start a fitness program to lose weight, order a book on to get your finances in control, etc.) only 5% of people actually follow through! That's a pretty staggering statistic, huh? Actually, pretty depressing. But in my 25+ years of trying to accomplish at least these 2 high priorities - I can honestly, embarrassingly admit - I have been apart of that 95% of all who don't follow through.

So this year - I'm going to become a minority - part of the 5% who do follow through.

Here's an article I read in today's Boston Herald which pretty much hits this on the head - the fact that you have to follow through - make these commitments LIFE LONG. I encourage you to read and hope you, too, will become part of the 5%.

------------------
Bad Habits Weigh You Down - David S. Ludwig and Alice H. Lichtenstein.

Soon after New Year's, millions of Americans will begin a weight loss diet. Unfortunately, most will end 2010 weighing more than they started.

In the last decade, hundreds of clinical trials of weight loss diets have been conducted, and virtually none of them was successful over the long term. Every year, scores of new diets are introduced, yet we continue to grow fatter.

Sharply reducing calorie intake, regardless of diet composition, will cause weight loss. But after a few weeks or months, the body and mind rebel against deprivation. Metabolic rate plummets, pulling willpower down with it.

Which is not to say that we're doomed to incessant weight gain. Human populations have lived amidst abundance for long stretches of time with relatively stable body weight (Americans from the end of World War II until the 1970's, for example). What and how we eat makes a great deal of difference.

But our collective delusion, so apparent at this time of year, is that ideal body weight can be achieved and maintained with a short cut, rather than a lifetime commitment to good health. The facts prove us wrong.

So, this year, resolve not to diet. Instead: (my comments are in red)

1. Eat 3 balanced meals a day. Have a healthy snack when hungry. Stop eating when full. (Beachbody and other nutrition plans recommend 2 snacks when working out regularly)
   
2. Eat only in designated eating areas and not in front of a screen of any type. (I am so guilty of this, something I need to work on)
3. Eat foods that look like they come from nature, not a factory, with emphasis on vegetables, fruits and whole grains. (all the Beachbody programs come with a food guide which all stress this one).
4. Drink unsweetened or minimally sweetened beverages, including water, effervescent mineral water, and tea or coffee with no more than one or two teaspoons of sugar. (have a late night craving? try green tea!)
5. If so inclined, have dessert every night, but keep it light (e.g., fruit, a few nuts or small piece of something you really enjoy). Limit high calorie treats to once a week. (Honestly, I would avoid as many "high calories" treats. I'm taking the approach that AA members do - a close family member has been sober for 15+ years. They say NEVER have alcohol, because you can't stop after one. Well, that's me with sweets - I cannot stop after one! So I'm joining FA - foodaholics anonymous)
6. Do something physically active every day. Walk rather than drive and take the stairs rather than the elevator. (Folks, push play 6x/week! Even more so when you reach your goal weight! This is forever!)
7. Follow items 1 through 6 for the rest of your life. (This is something not many diet programs, gadets, pills, shakes, foolish new diets, etc, DARE tell anyone - because NO ONE will do it - we want a QUICK FIX! Beachbody doesn't stand behind false promises - folks - this is FOREVER - THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES.)