There is no moment like the present.The man who will not execute his resolutions when they are fresh upon him can have no hope from them afterwards: they will be dissipated, lost, and perish in the hurry and scurry of the world, or sunk in the slough of indolence. ~Maria Edgeworth
Starting an exercise program in bleak midwinter is a pretty dismal idea, but as it is Christmas time and 2008 is looming just around the corner, I bet many people are considering doing just that. We are all reviewing 2007 and resolving to be fitter and healthier and thinner in 2008.
It is very important to understand is that you don't have to immediately start going out for long-distance runs. In fact to do so if you are quite overweight could be detrimental to your health. In the beginning of an exercise program it is better to start by going out for short, slow walks. Don't be concerned if initially they are short walks and slow ones at that; the idea is to build your fitness level gradually to avoid injury.
Starting a new exercise program is the most difficult part. Once you take the first steps towards your exercise and weight loss goals it will become easier and easier as you go along.
Even if you don't like exercise you need to be aware of the fact that exercise is one of the fastest ways for you to reduce weight and improve your health and speed up your metabolism. The more exercise you do, the more energetic, supple and motivated you will become and this in turn makes it a lot easier and enjoyable for you to achieve your daily activities.
Exercise also helps to flush out toxins in the body and improve your digestive system with increased blood flow throughout the body so even small levels of exercise are going to benefit to some degree.
Cardiovascular exercise (speeds up your heartbeat) is very important to keep your heart healthy, but so is suppleness and resistance training. Any exercise that involves the use of resistance such as weightlifting will boost your ability to lose weight considerably as muscle burns fat and any muscle that you can build will help ensure quick and easy weight loss.
These resistance training type exercises also help to increase the strength of your bones that is very important as you age. And if it is weight-bearing (walking, skipping, jogging) it protects you against osteoporosis.
Do some physical activity each day and exercise a minimum of 30 minutes three times per week at least. If you find that you can't do that initially don't be too concerned as you will build up to it before too long and most people end up enjoying it and make it part of their regular lifestyle.
Exercise is also beneficial to your mental health. It stimulates the production of endorphins that make you feel good about yourself. It also strengthens your immune system, protecting you against cancer and disease. Even if we are currently in the darkest of winter-time, starting an exercise program as part of your New Year resolutions is no bad idea at all. Come spring-time you'll be fit as a fiddle and radiantly healthy and will fit into your summer clothes effortlessly.
To motivate yourself to get going and keep going once you have started, I would recommend self-hypnosis and visualisation. You can suggest to yourself while under hypnosis that you love exercising and are very good at it, and use visualisation to see yourself slim, fit and healthy, walking on a beach in your bathing suit, getting many admiring glances...
So just go for it. If you want to guarantee quick and easy weight loss, choose a form of exercise you enjoy and will be able to stick to for the rest of your life, and gradually increase the time and effort you put into your training program. Look after your body, you only have the one, and it is certainly worth it.
1. Have lots of fresh vegetables on hand. I love putting out a plate of veggies for my kids to snack on before dinner. Anything that is still on the plate at dinnertime is simply placed alongside our other choices on the dinner table.
2. While you are at the supermarket, pick up some fresh herbs. These take no time at all to throw in to virtually any recipe, but they make all the difference in the flavor of your food. It is especially nice to have fresh basil, mint, and cilantro on hand.
3. Teach your kids about the balance of food on their plate. Discuss how many food groups are represented. To make this more fun, we ask our kids if they are eating a square meal with all four food groups. And if not, is it a triangle, (three food groups), a line (two food groups), or a dot (one food group)? Thinking of their choices in this way helps my young kids to visualize their choices and to strive for a square with each meal.
4. Hang a dry erase board on the wall or the refrigerator with the name of each family member. Beside their name, they can write the number of fruits and vegetables or make a note of the healthy choices they made that day.
5. Do not assume your kids want or need fattening spreads or sugary sweeteners to dress up their food. Two of my children actually prefer toast without butter, waffles without syrup, and salad without dressing.
6. Chop vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower in a food processor, and add it to soups, pasta sauce, chili or stews.
7. Be a good example. The more healthy foods you eat, the more likely your kids will be to eat it, too (eventually).
8. Use the slow cooker. Often, there are times during the day that are less hectic than the dinner hour. Choose a time that is less hassled and make a quick crock pot recipe. My kids love to help add ingredients to the slow cooker.
9. Make a casserole. Cooking Light magazine features some wonderful quick dinnertime or make ahead casserole recipes (also available online at CookingLight.com.) Casseroles can be a great place to sneak in even more veggies.
10. Use the electric indoor grill. I use mine to take chicken from frozen to the table in less than 20 minutes. And then I grill vegetables in 5 minutes. Everything tastes so fresh, healthy and delicious. I do not know what I ever did without mine.
11. Create a Bar. My kids love sandwich bars, pasta bars, taco bars, and potato bars. Put out the essentials and some healthy fillings and toppings, and you have a great meal where everyone is in control of what they eat.
12. Delivery! We love pizza, and many places (especially the more gourmet pizza restaurants) now feature healthy choices, featuring pizzas loaded with fresh vegetables. We order a veggie pizza and one with just cheese, just in case the kids are not in the mood for spinach on their pie.
13. There is more to take out than the traditional fatty fast food fare. Find a few restaurants that offer quick, healthy take out. There certainly is no shame in ordering food to go.
14. Involve your children in the cooking and baking process. Focus on creating positive memories before, during, and after mealtime. This can be a fun time of togetherness, so ask yourself: what would make it more enjoyable for your family members? For example, you might let your kids play their favorite music while they help you prepare dinner, make the salad or set the table.
15. Involve your children in the grocery shopping. Let them read labels with you and help you to make healthy decisions for the family.
16. Make meals a family affair. Family meals are tremendously important. Not only will you be more conscious of what kinds of foods your children are eating, but it will make a ritual out of the family mealtime, which may help to discourage unhealthy snacking before meals.
17. Drink only milk or water with dinner. Soda and other sugary beverages can fill up your kids with empty calories, leaving less room for the good stuff.
18. Demonstrate your reverence for the peaceful family dinner by initiating special rituals even for everyday occasions. Eat on the good china, or try dimming the lights and dining by candlelight.
19. During dinner, talk about the health benefits of various foods on your plate. Before they eat something, my kids will often ask, "What does this food do for my body?" And then we explain in regard to the specific food. This may require you to do some research in advance (or as a family) so that you are familiar with the vitamin and nutrient contents of your favorite meals.
20. Turn off the TV and radio and dial up the conversation. If your kids are not talking or they are bickering, distract them by asking about their favorite part of the day. Everyone gets a turn, and you get a peaceful mealtime. You might enjoy it so much that you will want to celebrate breakfast together, too.
Both Margarethe De Clermont & Jamie Jefferson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Margarethe De Clermont has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Hypnotherapy and Lose Weight. Dr de Clermont is an experienced medical doctor, a certified NLP practitioner and hypnotherapist. She is the author of several weight loss articles. She firmly advocates self hypnosis for weight loss at. Margarethe De Clermont's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.
Jamie Jefferson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Family Travel and Online Dating. Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape at . Visit today for the latest online. Jamie Jefferson's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.