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2006/01/25, 08:08 AM
Well, sounds like you need to re-evaluate your goals and set some new ones that get you fired up.
I rememeber how excited you were when you lost the weight originally, what changed? is something different in your life?
Here is one article that I printed for myself - i read it whenever I need a mental boost:
TOP TEN BACK-TO-BASICS, GET-WELL CONFIDENCE TIPS
by "garrettbio.htm", CSCS, The Energy Coach
Being "good" is easier than you think. (Remember, it's how you PERCEIVE the challenge that makes it difficult or a piece of cake.) But let's back up for just half a second. Do you ever feel like you can never get ahead of the health and fitness game? You and I know there is SO much information out there - heck, even the news reports can't make up their minds.
Margarine is better than butter. No, butter is better than margarine. Coffee is bad for you. Wait, coffee can help you. Wine can help prevent heart disease. No, wine can promote breast cancer. WHICH IS IT???!!!
So the next time you pick up a newspaper, magazine, book, or whatever and you get thrown into more health information overload, refer to this back-to-basics list. These tips will add years to your life, keep you fit, strong, and energized, plus a boost in get-well confidence.
1. Move it or lose it (the no-brainer). 30 minutes of exercise daily. I'm not talking about a walk in the park, although you can do that on the side. I mean at least 30 minutes (up to 60) of pushing your body beyond what it's used to doing. I can just imagine some of you frowning, thinking that you must put yourself through some torturous workouts. Not at all. Slash your odds for a number of killer diseases and rev up your metabolism with aerobic conditioning and strength training and slow down (or reverse, to an extent) the aging process.
2. Stop putting up with stuff that's holding you back from being healthy, fit, and energized. Why waste your happiness, health, time, and energy when you don't need to in the first place?
Putting up with things is good for no one. Make a list of ten things you're tolerating at home. TAKE ACTION NOW to eliminate these items. Be sure to eliminate the SOURCE of the toleration. Do this same exercise for your workplace. Understand that you're "juiced" by tolerating things. Be willing and committed to being toleration-free. STOP COMPLAINING and get to work on this.
3. Fruits and veggies. Get five to seven servings of fruits and veggies a day. Not only do they reduce your risk of getting some forms of cancer, they are heart healthy, and give you more nutrition-bang for your buck. Plus with the added fiber, you feel fuller even when you're eating less. So fruits and veggies are waistline-friendly.
4. Simplify your life, immediately. Our lives are too jam-packed with projects, goals, ideas, coulds, shoulds, have-to's, commitments, concerns, obligations.
Phew!
Ask yourself: * Why is my life so busy? Why have I chosen to do so much? * What am I building with my current lifestyle? Is there a future to it? Is that future costing me my present? * What am I missing out on about myself because of my current lifestyle?
Start by cutting out 3 projects, tasks, responsibilities, shoulds, coulds, wants, goals, etc. that are not necessary. Eliminate, delegate, or make a system for 12 tasks that are sucking your energy stores dry. When you think of something you "have to do," stop and ask yourself why you have to do it. You probably don't.
5. Take a multi-vitamin. Your insurance policy to get the nutrition your body craves. Anti-oxidants. Calcium. Folic acid. The whole gamut of vitamins and minerals to build stronger bones, maximize your metabolism, boost energy, feed muscles, etc.
6. Create and use 10 Daily Habits. There is a daily routine which will keep you focused, clear, motivated, and moving forward - your 10 Daily Habits. These are the things you do each day which make your life better.
Choose habits that you WANT to do. There is no place for shoulds or coulds in your 10 daily habits. Instead select or design daily habits which you look forward to and give you pleasure.
Choose habits that GIVE YOU ENERGY. Most of the 10 daily habits that actually work for people are the ones that add to the person's well-being or energy flow. It might mean that you do something like have 6 veggies a day, no TV after dinner, 20 minutes of vigorous exercise, make 5 sales.
Modify your 10 daily habits as needed. It takes some fine-tuning to have the 10 habits that work best for you. If you find yourself not doing one or two of your habits, change or replace them with ones which come naturally.
7. Get your Zzzzz's. Depriving yourself of sleep (okay, I'm guilty of this, too) not only makes you grumpy and less productive but may also age you prematurely and promote serious illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. Shoot for a steady 7-8 hours each night.
8. Come from a better place - improve your attitude. Stop trying to change your behavior. Instead, start shifting on the inside.
Saying things like, "I will stop eating sugar," "No eating after 7 PM," "I will only eat foods that nourish me," or "I am going to work out daily, starting Monday," the focus is on what you want/need to change.
Contrast that with, "I am someone who takes care of my body," "I am someone who associates with healthy people," "My day orients around my well-being and exercise," "I have better things to do than eat junk food," "I need my energy to accomplish my goals."
See the difference? The second set of statements focuses on WHO YOU ARE and what you want in your life, not just the change you want to make. This shift is more than just paying lip service to the first set of statements. It calls for action to show your commitment. When you shift who you are, things naturally look different, and the results are obvious.
9. Feed your body well, and feed it often. If you want plenty of energy in addition to boosting your metabolism, 2 or 3 meals a day just won't do it. Spread your meals throughout the day (4-6), balance them with protein, fruits and veggies, and a little bit of good fats such as walnuts or almonds, or oils like olive or safflower, and your body will be a well-oiled, leaner, energized, peak-performing machine.
10. Drink your water! Drink at least eight glasses of water a day - even a slight dehydration can make you feel lethargic. Maximize your liver's fat-metabolizing ability by drinking more water so that it's not working overtime to detoxify your body. Control your weight and appetite. Ladies: you may even lower your risk of colon cancer!
* BONUS FEEL-GOOD TIP *
11. Raise your standards. How many of you would like to feel very, very good about yourself, and others, too? Be irresistibly attractive to high quality people? Have "high-as-a-kite" self-esteem and self-worth?
Find a role model whose qualities and behavior you admire. Don't try to reinvent the wheel; what standards could you raise so you can be more like them, and still fit you?
Stop gossiping, good or bad, about anyone.
Remember, no coulds or shoulds. These standards must be YOU; you must be ready for them. Remember, too, that these standards are a choice. Put people and relationships ahead of results. And always have a reserve of time, money, love, and well-being.
"Imagine Having The Motivation And Energy To Take Control of Your Body And Your Health - And Still Have A Life."
Also - do a search on motivation - I find it helpful to reread things from the past to get fired up.
Good luck! get back at it!
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I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.
- Henry David Thoreau
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2006/01/25, 08:41 AM
davidday - i bumped some motivation posts in the other forums - look for them.
Here is an article I just wrote with you in mind - it is in the faqs section, but i thought you might not see it there - so I apologize to all for double-posting:)
Getting Motivated, Staying Motivated.
Many people, myself included, struggle with staying motivated.
I can only speak from my own experience and my interactions with clients, but here goes.
I know that we live in an instant gratification society - everything happens so fast, we expect or demand that our goals happen rapidly, too. This just isn’t realistic. We set big goals in terms of weight loss, fitness level, weight lifting achievements, but we fail to have the patience to follow through with those goals. Many of us never even write down the big goals.
Sit down and write down your big goal. It needs to be realistic and attainable. Now, working backwards from that goal, set smaller goals. These goals can be simple and daily. Things like the amount of time you will do cardio, or the number of servings of vegetables you will eat on a given day.
Mini-goals will help you build a feeling of success - a pattern of achievement, if you will. Your mind is a tricky place, if you don’t really believe that you can do something, you will sabotage the effort somehow.
On days that you are feeling unmotivated - reread your goals list, then spend a few minutes visualizing the scenario of your success. What will you look like? What will it feel like? Where will you be? How will it change your life? Get fired up, get involved in your life. You only get one…
There is a wealth of articles and tips online that will help keep you motivated - Google motivation and check some out - I find that reading something inspirational gets me ready to succeed on days that I just want to go back to bed.
Another great thing is to find success stories of people with similar goals to yours, look online or find an inspirational book that speaks to you and your goals.
Pick a phrase that means something to you - something that motivates you and use it as a mantra when you feel your focus blurring. It can be something as simple as ‘I can do this’ to a more direct affirmation ‘I am a health conscious person who takes care of their body.’ Either way, keep it positive and make it future oriented as if you are already the person you want to become.
Gosh, there are so many facets to motivation - it is hard to cover them all. If you are in a tight spot that is dampening your enthusiasm, find a light in the situation. Look for the way that a challenge will make you a stronger person, what it will teach you, how you are heroic in overcoming this situation.
This is your life, choose to live it. Choose to be in the power seat. Choose to train your mind to help you achieve your goals. Never stop learning or growing.
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I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.
- Henry David Thoreau
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