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Fitness Motivation - Learn Healthy Habits &
Lifestyle Changes
A few months ago I decided to ask five friends, not all who work out regularly, what motivates them to workout this time of year. As you read their answers, notice that I didn’t ask them what their goals were. In a moment I will be working with you on creating your goals. Shannon: I want to be in bikini ready shape by the summer time. My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Mexico and I really want to wear this little bikini that he bought for me to wear last summer! Sarah: Having just had my second child I want to loose the weight from being pregnant. Plus I know how important it is to set a healthy example for my kids. My mother worked out as I was growing up and I would like to do the same for my two boys. Patty: Competitions are my motivation, and I have one every three – five months. If I really let myself go, come contest time I will have more work cut out for me; work that I wouldn’t have if I balanced weights and cardio with my off season diet. I make sure to fit 4 – 6 workouts in every week year round. Tara: I feel better and have more energy when I hit the gym regularly. I work full time as a dental assistant so at the end of the day, I thrive on hitting the weights and treadmill. Stella: On the weekends I know that I will be eating out at restaurants and drinking a little so I balance that out with the gym. It’s like by going to the gym 4 – 5 days a week I can have a little fun on the weekends. So being able to drink on the weekends motivates me. My friends knew what they wanted but did they have the tools to reach their goals. Did they really care? Do any of my friends resemble you? If you don’t have a specific idea of where you want to be, it’s not going to motivate you to achieve it. To let you in on who really does visit the gym as often as they wish, you can count on Shannon, after a couple years of saying she is going to start running again, Shannon has lost about 20lbs and is feeling and looking the best she has in years! As a successful internet entrepreneur and mother of two Sarah is non stop busy, with an appreciation for walks with friends, and her husband and sons. Walking is fitness but Sarah would like to step it up a notch by summer time. Patty has her eyes on the Emerald Cup, and is about to change gears from her off season diet to her contest diet. The last few months she has relaxed a bit on the cardio but kept her weights in appears to have gained some nice size. Patty believes she has what it takes to qualify for the Nationals. Lets wish her luck! Picking up more shifts at the dental office and while trying to get over a cold Tara has been away from this gym for about a week. She is feeling run down but knows this will pass. 10 years ago Tara and I met on stage at a Venus Swimwear contest. Fitness is a part of Tara’s life and doesn’t let a cold get her down. She is optimistic and views fitness as a gift. Stella works several nights a week at a very nice restaurant, so her morning starts closer to 10am. Arriving to the gym with her Starbucks in hand and her blonde hair in a sexy pony tail, she steps onto her trusty elliptical trainer and opens her novel. Chela never misses a beat, or a good glass of Chardonnay. Let’s look at how you can now set your goals and achieve them! What is motivation?
On the biological level motivation is extremely powerful. So powerful in fact that one may feel that they cannot control what they eat. As a figure competitor I know how controlling biological motivation can be. For me, and possibly for you it’s almost as though we have two brains. One brain, we’ll refer to as ‘good’ is listening to your goals carefully and as it helps you create a game plan. However your other brain, we’ll call ‘bad’ may to turn on without warning and take over. Just when you thought you were feeling motivated to eat healthy foods, your ‘bad brain’ engages. What you hand in mind for a clean eating week is blown and you “come to” as you stair down at your plate of Starbucks latest sinful offering. Besides eating right, you need to exercise. To help you along your way, you must understand:
Goals Ask any person who is successful in whatever they are doing what motivates them, and most likely they will say "goals". Goal Setting is the key to motivation and success. So what motivates you? I am asking you now, these four very important questions. Some of which may apply to you while others may not.
When you look at your answers do you know your goal? Goals are always things you want. They are never things you don't want.
Be specific with your goals. Tell exactly what you mean. Give numbers and times. Don't use words like "lots" and "more". Tell exactly what you want.
My Goals:
Objectives Next we need to set up our objectives. Simply put, objectives are the things we do to get our wants.
Goal: If I do all my objectives there is a pretty good chance I will reach my goal. I suggest that you write your goals and objectives out; it will be easier for you. Habits can take 21 days to break, and it can take three weeks before you start seeing changes in your body. In fact you may not drop a pound, but you lose inches. I want you to be honest with yourself. Are you sincerely interested in loosing weight? Have you set realistic goals for yourself? How can you develop the internal motivation that really counts? When it comes to motivation, knowing is not as important as doing.
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Summer
is a time when many people jump on the fitness bandwagon believing
that this is their year to lose weight and tone up once and for
all! But for most, that enthusiasm for exercise tends to fade within
weeks and eventually you realize that losing weight is a lifetime
goal, not something you can accomplish in a few weeks. Do you really
want to be successful at your fitness goals? 
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