I have seen so many things in the last few weeks about all the hype and lose weight and get fit and blah blah blah… your health?

What are you doing about it?  Now is a great time to start as you have the whole year to work at it!  Is it for you? Are you ready?  Why do you think that you need to “lose weight” or “get fit”?

Are you really ready for it?  Or is it just “well, I wish I could”..

I have been looking at diets for years… and years and years… and guess what?  They never worked for me!  Cause as you likely know, they don’t stick!  Easy enough to lose the weight and then return to normal eating… and guess what the weight creeps back on…

I have been doing some research about a few programs that are out there and some reading and it is really quite bizarre that there are so many programs.  Everyone of us will be different and have success with a program we can find and make lifestyle changes with. But it really is scary what people are doing to make it easy and quick..

Do you think that those extra 15, 20, 30  or even 50 pounds got there “quickly”? Not likely.  They creeped on over time ( maybe more quickly than you want to admit) but they creeped on. So likely they aren’t going to drop off over night…

Do you pick up habits that are lasting for yourself or do you pick up habits that you find really, really tough and only the sheer power of your will gets you  through the time you need to lose a few pounds.

Have you tried things that say quick fix in hopes that it will work for you?  Do you try a few pills that will do the miraculous work for you?  Do you try outrageous things that you find way too strict to follow?

Have you found out what all is involved with the idea of being a ‘new’ you once you have a whole new look?  Many of us fail to ‘see’ who we will be in the new body and don’t prepare for the reactions that we get.  Can you look down at your body and imagine the new size and feel really good about it?

Do you have a realistic idea of what you want to look like, happening?  Or do you see someone else’s body in your mind?  It can be a huge task, the losing weight ( shedding fat) thing.

Are you really ready to make the changes that you need to make?

Do you know that if you don’t exercise while you lose weight that you lose more muscle than if you did exercise while you lose weight.

How educated are you in what you need to do and what you will experience through the process?

How committed are you?  Or not?

What I don’t understand is that so many people don’t learn about what is best for their health they just do something that comes along that they have heard of.  Would you buy a house without  doing your homework?  Would you go on a vacation without doing some homework? Would you buy a car on impulse cause your friend told you it was a good one?

Are you a sceptic and don’t want to hear the info cause you have heard it all before and you know that it won’t work for you? Or that someone who has your best interest/health in mind might make a few dollars… You would rather give it to the guy in the store who doesn’t even know you.

What’s your take on the industry and why there are so many programs available and why it is such a big industry?

What are the top 3 things that you have done to get to or stay at your ideal weight?

Please don’t “push” your product here.  Share what you have done in your lifestyle and habits that have gotten you to where you want to go.  (Sometimes a product is part of the process, but if that product was to disappear, what would you do then?)

Looking forward to hearing your success stories!

Think about all the things that you can do must to move when you are in the house with the family.. dancing.. why not?  Fast or slow… what about some form of tag.. you can put different rules in, so no one is running all over the place.. butt tag; so that you are on the floor and you pull yourself around on the floor.. or roll tag, where you have to roll everywhere.. how about a stand on one leg contest ( who lasts the longest) jump on two legs, skipping without the rope?  If you have a unopened bag of flour, have a tossing game with it.. Of course you want to  make sure that it is well protected from getting ripped and having flour all over the floor!!

In places where it isn’t too cold you can walk and skip and frolic outdoors.. Do you plan any activities where everyone can get up and move..?

What about pulling yourself around on the floor… how about certain things like wall sits and see who wins.. You will find out who is the most competitive.. And then the next day you will find out who has the sorest muscles!!  Ha ha ha.

What about push ups or plank contest.. who can come up with the most outrageous position… something like in the game twister.. how many hands where on the floor and maybe someone can even do one handed push ups?  Find out who is the strongest and the most flexible?  Who can do a hand stand or still can do a teddy bear stand.

Or do you sit around and visit and eat?

Doing these kinds of games will help you get to know these people more.  Yes you know them but you might find out more about them… Of course someone will have to organize the activities, if you have a larger crew of people. Or wing it.. There are some wonderfully creative minds at your gatherings… Guess who can come up with the most original idea?  Put them all in a hat and then draw a few if you don’t’ have time for everyone’s’ ideas… if you have enough space, you can do all kinds of little races from one end of the room to the other.

Do you have things like this happening when you have your get together?  Or have you though of it.. Do you go for walks or do you tend to sit around… It really can add to the energy of the group and it can be lots of fun.

What are some of your traditions when you get together this time of year?  Is it too cold?  or is it too hot?

Doing these activities can burn up some of those extra calories you are sure to consume. and then you don’t have to feel so guilty of the eating. (that guilt just brings out the cortisol hormones which helps you pack on more fat).  So give me your thoughts.  Could it work for your get together?  DO you have the room or is it impossible?.. Would the people agree to it, or would they think you are a little crazy?

I know that we have done the usual winter things and we have done treasure hunts in the hay bales and even played hide and seek in the hay bales ( in the dark of course).  We have done sleigh rides and the kids ride on a toboggan behind, fall off on purpose and then run to catch up.. It isn’t easy in the snow!!

What is your favourite activity?

I am talking in terms of health… and mind… but the thing is, is that you have to exercise… it is so important for your muscles to stay strong so they don’t start to get weaker and smaller.. it is not a fact that muscle turns to fat but if you aren’t using your muscle it make look like your fat is becoming bigger.. in actuality your muscles are less toned less firm and therefore your fat looks floppier as the muscle isn’t as taut to hold it more tightly in place.. if you know what I mean… please don’t get mixed up with the idea that muscle turns to fat.. .see this post …..

If you don’t use it you will lose it… so true when it comes to aging adults.. if you are not going to use your muscles you are going to lose the ability of it and it isn’t going to remain at its present size or strength… if you let it of ( not use it except for the occasional time slot to do one activity for a short period of time or just do something  for a couple of weeks.. it isn’t going to remain strong and capable…  You need to be doing something in terms of making it work and when I say work, you need to add resistance against it so that you feel it straining a bit .. if it isn’t any work at all to lift what you lift, then there isn’t going to be much gain…

People are worried about injury!  That is when it is important to check out with a professional to help you get what you need.  There are a lot of people out there who just pick up a book or a magazine or program off the shelf and think they know what they are doing, and hopefully they do.  However what they do may not be what you need.  That is where your homework in finding out what is best for you comes in.. That may be where many people aren’t willing to put in the time or hire the right person to check out how to do things safely and efficiently.

If you are going to start a training program you want to make sure you do it efficiently so that you help your body by being safe and efficient.. you don’t want an injury.  Back to that idea, many people don’t exercise for their fear of injury.. I personally am more concerned about getting injured because my body is declining is ability.. Prevention is so much easier.  And if you are strong and in good shape, then if you do get injured the recovery time is less also… So it is a double win!!

How many people do you know that slip and fall and break a bone… if they have been stronger and more flexible there would be a greater chance of them not getting the worst case situation out of the fall… Now of course it isn’t just about exercise.. although the strength part is HUGE… you need to eat a healthy diet too… Eating burgers and fries and potatoes and fried foods and no ( or very little)veggies, fruits, legumes lentils and nuts isn’t’ going to get you top notch results… Oh and a good supplement is great for you too as there is no one around that has the perfect diet with all the foods that have the ultimate nutrients in them to nourish the body the way our bodies need nourishment to combat all the ails of our modern day world…

So if you are going to age well and I mean with strength and prowess, you need to exercise… don’t avoid it because you are afraid you will get injured, but do it so you can prevent injury.. Prevent that decline that comes with “age”.  Fight it!!  Not to fight that you are getting older, but fight to stay strong and capable…

Oh, and I don’t mean to scare you off, but i have to tell you:  I don’t mean just walk, or just do yoga… you have to work on all aspects of your body…   Another thing, it isn’t always a muscle that is in duress, we have a body part called fascia and there is more info out there now a days that, that is a big part of what we have to do to keep ourselves feeling good too (have you ever got that stiff sore feeling that just doesn’t seem to help you move easily ~ and it really doesn’t feel like a muscle ache).   Doing the same exercises over and over and over again is detrimental to that body organ too… ( stay tuned for the fascia function info ~~ coming soon)

So have you thought about injury and why you may choose not to exercise… Have you thought about what is going to happen to your body if yo continue to just do what you do?  The sooner you get at it, the better off you will be!!

Happy Exercising!

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So how do you know where to start with exercise?  How do you know when or how to take it to the next level?  Where do you find the best information?  Do you do research or do you just get started and hope for the best?

I have been committed to the fitness industry and experiencing the changes over the last 20 + years.  I have watched things come and go and some have come back.  Some have left  us and for very good reason.  The research continues to give us new information.  Heavens we aren’t living back in the day when a good days work worked our bodies better than most of us could put up with now a days!

As a person who has an educated background and experience in this industry I have learned to pick and choose what I want and adapt that which works or doesn’t work. And there are different pros in the industry who say one thing and another one says another??  No wonder a great number of people wing it, or just get confused?

How can someone who says ” I want to get in shape or exercise more”, simply pick up the popular magazine and know what to do with what is written in the magazine, with maybe a few pictures to help. I know that without my back ground I wouldn’t have a clue how to do the exercises, safely and efficiently.

I am not a fanatic about exercise… I work out, but I don’t overdo it.  I do include weights, cardio, flexibility, some posture and balance…  But I don’t get strictly crazy about it all.  I want to be fit. Lean and strong.  I see too many women my age who are so weak it scares me to think about where they are heading with their abilities in the next 10 to 15 years, not to mention 30 years from now..

Do you feel it is important to include different types of exercise into your life or do you feel that one area is good enough?  Like walking and or a little stretching?  Or just swimming?

Are you finding what you need to help you get what you want from your physical self?  Are you planning for your future or are you just going with the flow?  Is it confusing and frustrating?  Do you get opinions from people who you know and trust?  Do you feel that it is something easy to figure out?

If you are a person who does generally one type of exercise, ( cardiovascular, muscle strengthening, posture, balance, flexibility or muscle endurance)what keeps you from adding other areas of fitness to your regime?

I would love to hear your story as to why you do what you do?  There is so much info out there as to what we ‘should’ be doing. What do you do?  Or not do?  What is the reason a behind your choices?  Thanks in advance for sharing!!

Happy Exercising!

I bet you don’t have a clue how much you play with them… And for some people it can lead to serious issues.  For others of course they won’t ever be affected by it.  But you are seeing more and more evidence that all this ‘sugar” we put in our bodies is taking a toll of us!

I am sure that you have heard of the feel good affects of exercise and the feel good affects of sugar.

There is recorded evidence that both work.  However too much of either isn’t good for you…

Now, as with most things in life, it isn’t ‘fair’.  Not everyone got the same stuff to deal with.  There are some people who are much more sugar sensitive than others. ( and there is a growing population that it is happening too also)Plain and Simple. Some people have to be extra careful about what certain foods do to their body, others not so much, at least not visibly.  There may be some cellular damage that certain folks don’t see or even feel until it is too late.

What I want to share with you is that you CAN help yourself be less ‘sugar’ sensitive and not so out of control when it comes to those tempting sweet morsels (and actually anything white that turns to sugar quicker in your blood than table sugar), we find all around us, especially this time of year!

Without going into too much details about your serotonin and beta endorphins and all those other chemicals and hormones in the body that are effected by what you eat, I will give you a quick lesson on sugar in your blood.

The most efficient dietary source of sugar for the average person comes in the form of carbohydrates.. Carbohydrates take the least amount of work by the body to convert from food to sugar in the blood stream.

Your body’s main goal is to maintain a perfect level of sugar in the blood.  If you have too much insulin (the fat storage hormone) is released to ‘eat’ up all the sugar so to speak.  Then if your blood sugar gets too low, you get hungry and usually hungry for something that will shoot your blood sugar back to ‘normal” but generally it shoots it too high up there and then the insulin comes out again and so on and so on throughout your day. 

Of course when you see what you are eating and you know it isn’t the healthiest of choices but it is readily available and you were oh so hungry, you can tend to feel guilty, guilty because you ate and you really didn’t need to eat or at least not that.

That guilt draws out the cortisol stress hormone and guess what that stress does to the body. Well cortisol is your long term stress hormone and your body only knows that when that is released it is time for famine and your body then shuts down to keep itself safe. It is catabolic and will actually break down proteins in order to not need as much energy for the body ( muscles burn more energy, but if the body is catabolizing the muscle(muscles are made from protein) it won’t burn as many calories.. .thus the historical understanding of the body in time of famine… Times have changed, but our bodies still live in that theory of use. Thus there is less space for storage of the sugar that you have eaten (muscles store the glucose ~ that is the form of sugar in the body), and voila  ~ store fat~~ Why, because in times of famine that is that the body does…. Remember that cortisol is a stress hormone and instinctively the body recognizes the need to protect itself as famine is coming and the body stores fat as a protection.

So what I am getting at here is that whatever you do, you are playing with your sugar levels all day long… When you eat, what you eat and whether you move and whether you are stressed… It is all causing your sugars to mess up how you feel…

I can pretty much guarantee that when you feel crappy during the day, we always tend to blame the lack of sleep or the other person, or the job and all the pressure… Well, take a look and see what all those things are doing to your sugars levels in your blood and see if you don’t see something that you can do something about!

Here are a few simple little things that you can start working on:

1.  Make sure that the carbohydrates that you eat are not going to spike your blood sugar!!!  Eat low glycemic foods.. ( fruit and veggies lentils beans  to name a few… Make sure they register less than 55 on the GI index).  And if  the serving size is 1/3 of a cup that is all you eat…. otherwise it will spike your blood sugar!!

2.Make sure you get some sunshine into your day!

3. Get some exercise.  ( great for endorphins and burning up blood sugar)

4.  Mind and Body Wellness ~~~ meditate or quiet time, prayer whatever you do to quiet your mind (get out of the stress!

5.Friendship… hang out with people you love and care about laugh and have a good time

6.  Senses… stimulate your senses with things that feel good.

7.  Get a massage!

8.  When you eat, makes sure you combine proteins with your carbohydrates… Protein releases tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin… ( happy chemical in the body)

9. Make sure you get adequate rest… really important that you get the proper sleep for the hormones to be balanced and healthy

10.  Take  great nutritionals!

So, do you play with your blood sugar?  Do you help it or does it cause you tiredness, fatigue, grogginess or stress?  Or has it crossed your mind before how much all the things that I have mentioned can mess with your blood sugars.  I would love to hear from you!!

I know that I don’t!  Mainly because my scheduled classes don’t take place and I need the break from the gym and a regimented schedule.  But let me tell you if I don’t schedule in some exercise, it can get pretty depressing and I can get pretty cranky!

I don’t  know about you, but I look forward to working out.  I find that it really gets me motivated and focused on any given day to be happier, more energetic!!  It has been proven that happy chemicals in the body are ignited when we move!

So for those of you who try to keep a schedule of exercise throughout the holidays here are some helpful tips!

1.  Make a plan ~ and do your utmost to make it work.  Plain and simple schedule in a time of day to work out and do some form of exercise/movement.  It can be done in the house around the things that you are doing.. The regular ~ park at the very end of the parking lot when you do your shopping and make sure you walk lots and lots while you are shopping. (Dance around the Christmas tree, or walk around the house lots admiring your decorations).  Be sure that if you can’t actually exercise one day, that you move as often as you can. Squats when you are sitting around, lunges as you walk from room to room, dance as you go from room to room.

2. Eat enough, but not too much.  Make a plan to eat only what you need to eat to help your body. When you over eat you will be extra tired and you won’t have the energy you would like.  It makes a huge difference when you eat to nourish rather than to eat just because it is there and it makes someone else feel good that you are eating what they have so lovingly prepared.  Don’t you just hate how you feel when you overeat and get sooo tired after that big gorge?

3.  Make sure that if you do overdo it… You don’t beat yourself up mentally!!  Doing so is far worse for your being than those sweets and over eating that you have done!  So you are bound to mess up a couple times over the holidays.  No big problem, I am sure you know that it isn’t the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year that gain you the most weight and out of control habits… it is by far more problematic when we keep those habits going from New Years till the Thanksgiving holiday.

4.  Don’t let other people’s opinion of what you do interfere with what you are doing.  In the long run the choices that you make to be healthier such as eating and exercising will be far more beneficial to you than the looks and comments of those who don’t want to do what you do.. However, they may pick up on some of those habits too!

So what is your biggest concern over the holidays?  Eating too much of the bad stuff, eating too much?  Not exercising or not moving enough?  Share your concerns or experiences below I would love to hear what has worked and what you are looking to working on.

Are you one of those people that just looks at all that sweet wonderful sugary stuff in the stores and wants it all??  Are you one who can just leave it and you don’t even think about it?

I know that this time of year can be a tough time to stick to eating well and exercising regularly.  With all the parties and hustle and bustle of the season, it can get very daunting to stay away from those sweet sugary UNHEALTHY treats so well promoted everywhere.. .I get very annoyed with the marketing of all that stuff.. .there is so much, it is ridiculous. ( but that is another day’s rant)

For some, there is no temptation.. For others, it can be a nightmare.. It would be great IF we could only eat a few.  But who does?  Once you start it is just like an addiction (actually for some it is).  You eat one then you want another and then another…. Then meal time comes and you eat that too.. Have you ever eaten lots of sweets all day long and then still felt hungry?

What gets your attention the most?  The sugar, the color the chocolate?  I am calling those who are more sugar addicted than they think!  I know that I have come through a journey of eat it all to eat only one… And what  journey it has been!  I am very proud to say that I can kick out the sweets.  You know after a while, they don’t even taste that good. 

For those of you who love and are still addicted, there is hope.  For those of you who don’t even want more than one or can stop after one, you may not understand at all.

In case you are ready to start working on “kicking out the sweets” and “Fitting in Exercise”, there is a correlation. They both have an effect on the beta-endorphin response in your body… Sugar can give you that rush, just like exercise can…

When you are shopping or somewhere where you see and get triggered by all those sweets.  Stop and make a decision not to eat them, and then RUN!!!  Run and fast as you can!!

Just kidding.. you may hate to run…

Seriously now.. If you start salivating and need to swallow ( I can actually feel it as I write this).  Walk away from the sweets and move… just move.. You can leave the store or you can dance in the aisles whatever it takes… do something mobile… Your body will love you and your endorphin level will go up! It is preferable to do an activity that you like that will get the heart pumping and the lungs expanding.

Or maybe you don’t know that you have this ‘sensitivity’ or ‘addiction’ yet.. Or you aren’t willing to admit it… Check and see what those sweet candies do to you… ( I take no responsibility if you head out and gorge yourself at this moment  ~  although that could be a huge wake up call to those of you who don’t realize they have that sensitivity yet).

I know that I had to leave the store the other day, cause I just didn’t want to fall prey to the stuff!!  I don’t even buy much.  I must say that I am avoiding buying or making.  My body doesn’t need it and nor does any of my family member… Yes, I know you may say, how cruel…

Sugar is poison in the body..

Yes you say, it is only this time of year once…

Yes, but what comes right before this time of year?  There was Thanksgiving, just back around the bend, there is Valentines’ coming up and then Easter and then summer and then, and then and then.  What about all the celebrations and birthday parties coming up… When will it end?

You and I have to make a choice.  Like anything else in our life… Make a choice… Choose to get sucked into the sweet poison of the candy or get your endorphin rush elsewhere…

What is your solution?  How do you avoid those sugary delights that seem to taste so good…  Please share what you have experienced. I would love to hear what you have done.

PS.  There are other systems that affect your emotions and behaviours, but they all are also affected by sugar…   So to help your beta endorphin or your serotonin, EXERCISE is a great choice…

PPS.  In a couple of days I will give you other ways to increase those ‘happy’ chemicals in your body and one way to allow yourself to eat a little of the sugary stuff ~~  if you must!!

Do you turn off your mind or do you smile and think of the great things that your body can do because you are in great physical shape?  Do you sigh with sadness as you know that you don’t take the time to fit exercise into your day?  Do you close your eyes and relax until the thought goes away?  What is it that you think of when you hear that word ‘exercise’?

Can you see your favorite movement, your favorite exercise or your favorite view as you hike through the hills near your home, or on a favorite vacation?

Do you recall a favorite moment in a sport that you played as a child?  Do you conjure up horrible memories of gym classes where you had two left feet, or got picked last because you had not yet found the movement that best fit for you and your glorious body?

Who said that we had to look like a muscle bound ‘sexy’ person?  Why can’t I just look lean, strong and healthy? Who said I had to do it perfectly and often?  Do I have to feel uncomfortable doing the workout?  Do I have to sweat?

Exercise should bring pleasant thoughts to your mind… Why?  Cause it is what your body craves!  Yes, craves.  Your body was made for moving just like the song says ‘these boot were made for walking’ so was your body made for moving.

Should we change the word exercise to something more pleasant for your memories or mind?  We have changed many a word over the years so that we are more ‘politically correct’  maybe it is time to change the word ‘exercise’?  Would that help?

Tell me, what is your experience?  Do you have pleasant memories when you hear “Exercise”?  Do you feel good when you hear “Exercise”?   Does resistance pop into your  mind?  Do you have an automatic reaction to that word?  What is your experience?

I am off to get some exercise as I know how great I will feel when I am doing it and how much better I feel after!  Not to mentions how great I feel when I finally accomplish something that I haven’t been able to do before. Later!!

Please leave me your responses as I would love to hear what you are dealing with when it comes to motivating yourself to get moving!!  Any ideas for new words that mean “Exercise”, I would love to hear them!

PS.. Time is a big excuse, I am going to guess that it runs deeper than that…  Are you willing to share your story?

I don’t get it!!

I think that it has to do with the choices we make.. Like everything else in our lives, no matter what, one will choose! One will make time to help out with whatever needs to happen in terms of an older parent, a sick child or pet.  One will make time to do what the Boss needs or demands at work. Right?  So why not our health?

Most of us don’t take time for exercise ( 75 % of the population is sedentary!!)

In my opinion, it isn’t important enough.

We feel well enough, or “I am getting by”.  Perhaps you don’t realize how out of shape you are.  Maybe you feel you’ll get to it “one day”.  What about ” I am not so bad, I can handle it”  What about those who don’t even think about the fact that they should include exercise in their day?

Whatever your excuse is, we all have them, perhaps in different areas of our lives…

I can pay somebody to do most of what I don’t like to do, or can’t find time to do…

Those who don’t “make time” for exercise can’t pay someone else to exercise your body… it doesn’t work that way.  Even if you have a personal trainer you ultimately have to do the work yourself!!  It is as simple as that.

Why do you think the diet and exercise industry is so huge?

Everybody wants to look and feel better, but the majority of  people aren’t’ willing to make the effort to make the changes they need to.

IT’S TOUGH! Nobody wants tough!!  Life is tough! Nobody is as busy as I am! We feel life is tough with the demands we have on us, how can we possibly fit exercise into it? (or eating healthy)

There will always be those individuals who no matter what they put into their mouths they won’t put on a lot of excess weight, but if they don’t exercise they won’t have the definition to their muscles. ( well maybe 1 in 3,000,000 people)

There will always be a certain percentage of the population that has to work harder than others to keep their weight in check ( by exercising and eating healthy)

I believe that the majority of the us won’t do what it takes to be fit and healthy.  And I have to say, not just a few short walks a week. Yes it is better than nothing, but we want to stress our muscles to gain and improve, not deteriorate. It is a complex thing, this being fit and healthy!

I am not saying that we all have to have 6 pack abs, ( not at all, because for the majority of us, that is not even of interest ,we aren’t going to work on that as the intensity to do that is WAY beyond where we want to go.)

How about making the effort to exercise 5-6 times a week at a level that is going to get results.  Change the food intake so that your get results in your clothes size.  Do you really believe that you are tiaking the time to do what it takes to make a difference in you?  Do you really do fitness enough for results, or just getting by?

Where would you place yourself?

1.  I’m not bad, I still look and feel good.

2. I feel pretty good, I don’t exercise and I don’t eat very well.

3.  One day I will get to it!

4.  I’m getting by, no real complaints. I’m probably 15-20 pounds heavier than I was 20 years ago.

5.  I exercise but eat what I want and how much I want.

6. I eat well and I exercise occasionally

7.  I can’t be bothered I am too busy.

8.  I’ve put on some weight over the years , I really should do something about it.

9.  I exercise 5-6 times a week and I am very conscious about the type and amount of food I eat ( very healthy choices)

Do you fall into any of these categories?  What is your story?  Work in progress?  Diligently healthy? Leave your details here I would love to hear what category you find yourself in.  Remember it isn’t about tattling on yourself, but drawing awareness so what you are doing to yourself, so that you can make healthier choices!

The same goes with healthy foods.. We think that veggies and beans and legumes have to be lavishly covered in sauces and dips to be able to eat them… Right?  Do you really  think that our bodies were meant to dislike vegetables and good healthy foods?  I think not!!  But somewhere somehow we have convinced ourselves that moving our bodies is something we hate and eating healthy good foods tastes bad!

I think that it is learned!  Have you ever tasted a fresh off the vine/plant vegetable?  From your very own garden or a friends?  Or maybe you were at a food market and got a non commercialized piece of produce.  Did you dislike that?  Did you have to put dip on it or some kind of sauce?

This article isn’t about food, it is about the exercise, but I will use the food in comparison.

When we were young, what did we love to do?  Move, run, jump, skip, play, invent, imagine, make belief. Right?  We loved to be moving all the time… We climbed and rolled and played some more!  Did you hate it?  I can’t remember a child who did (although I have heard of some who are overweight and have difficulty so they become frustrated with it  ~~ and some asthmatics who don’t really like to run because it can be scary not being able to breathe!)

What happened when it was time to quit playing and running and having fun?  We didn’t like it!  Right?  What happened to that?

I know the age thing and we have to study and work and all that, but where did we learn that we don’t like to exercise?  When it became a have to??  When did it become not “fun”?

I won’t believe for a minute that ‘exercise’ isn’t fun?  Yes it is easier to find a form that you like as it will be easier to stick to doing.. But what are you telling yourself on a continuous basis to convince yourself that you hate to exercise?  It can often be difficult before it is easy.. ( and fun)

Let me use another “have to”.  We had to go to school?  Did you like it?  Many didn’t… But we kept going because we had to.  We eventually found out what we liked to study?  We found out what we enjoyed to do in terms of studying.. Through going through lots of things that we didn’t’ like…  OR once we got good at it, we liked it!  ( hint hint!!!)

If you are online business person.  Did you go through a learning curve to find out what you like and what you don’t?  Once you got good at something, it makes it MUCH EASIER to enjoy..

If you are continually telling yourself that you don’t like, what are you attracting?  Seriously now, do you really hate exercise?  Do you really not like to have lean strong muscles?  Do you really like to hurt when you stretch too far?  Do you really like to get winded when you do the stairs fast because you are in a hurry?  Do you really like to get someone to carry your groceries bags because you are too weak ( or sore) to carry them?

I challenge you to rethink what it is about exercise that you dislike.  Why you dislike it and what makes you think it is so bad?  Think about a time when you did something that you enjoyed and how great you felt?  What are you focusing on?  What are you telling yourself and what are you expecting? 

Easy?  Simple? Instant success?  Instant easy?  No effort?

Leave me your excuses, your focus and your challenges?  I truly believe that exercise dislike is learned.  Try and convince me otherwise!!