1. Keep And Display All Your Old Pictures:
It's a known fact that humans respond quickly to visual stimulation. If you see a red light you stop on a dime (unless you're adventurous). When you see the golden arches you know McDonald's is on the horizon. When you see the "swoosh" your mind immediately shifts to Nike. Images always trigger responses. Keeping and displaying your old photographs will give you that extra kick needed to attack the gym!
2. Look At The Transformations Of Others:
An inspirational story is always good to get the juices flowing. Bodybuilding.com is chock full of people who have achieved the dream. Everyone from teens, housewives, businessmen, and retirees crowd the Transformation of the Week/Month.Reading the story of someone who has lost 100 lbs of fat and can now play with their grandkids moves the soul (and provides some motivation to reach your goals). Seeing someone go from the kid who got pushed around to the kid nobody wants to touch is inspiring as well. Use the transformations as fuel to hit the gym!
3. Buy Clothes At Your Target Size:
I don't know about you but I hate wasting my money. Putting money into something makes me much more likely to engage myself. I'm a firm believer in getting what you pay for. Go ahead and purchase some clothes a size down (or up) and put them in the front of the closet. Spend a good bit (around $200 or so). The first week you may not be able to get those pants past your knees. The second week you should see those pants starting to creep up. The third week even further. Eventually, they'll snap onto your new firm and trim body. Oh yeah, throw the receipt away so you won't tempt yourself to give up.
4. Chart Your Strength Gains:
This tip caught me by surprise. When I began to really work out it was purely for the look. I didn't care if I was lifting 90 lb dumbbells or 45's as long as I looked better. One of the trainers in my gym asked me to do a fitness assessment out of the blue one day and I agreed.
To my surprise my bench press max had jumped from 220 lbs to 330 lbs in a year. It was a pleasant surprise. Since I felt stronger I began pushing even harder in the gym. Imagine how good you'll feel by tracking your progress from the start.
5. Contact People You've Lost Contact With:
We all enjoy admiration (some more than others). People who haven't seen you in a while will be taken by surprise. Believe me they'll stand there with jaws dropped in utter shock. They'll ask for your advice. They'll praise your new shape. Most of all they'll praise you for what you've done. Praise makes us feel good and want to push it to even higher levels in the gym.
6. Bring Others Along For The Ride:
Inspire someone else to join the gym. They welcome your advice and encouragement with open arms! Allow them into your routine. Show them the ropes. Push them towards their goals. Their progress and enthusiasm is contagious and will infect you as well. Few feelings can rival the enthusiasm of a newcomer realizing results.
7. Shout Your Story From The Mountaintops:
Never shy away from the opportunity to tell others what you have done. People love a feel good story. Those who have yet to pull one off treat body transformations like miracles. When you tell your story start from the beginning and recall all those emotions that drove you.
o Remember being angry?
o Remember being fed up?
o Remember making that change for good?
8. Keep Your Workout Routine Fresh:
Boredom equals death. If you're bored with a relationship the train is going to stop at the next station. If you're bored with a game you stop playing. If you're bored with your workout routine you'll slog through it.
Vary your rep schemes, exercises, and break timing to add variety and spice. Try burnouts, strip sets, cable machines, dumbbells, weighted chins, and isometrics to spice it up. Breaking the monotony makes the gym fun. Keep it fresh and you'll be excited as a result.
9. Get Aggressive With Goals:
Grown tired of 2-3 lbs a week of weight loss? Challenge yourself one week and go for 5. Tighten up your diet and put your all into your sessions. Explode through every rep. Add 30 minutes to your cardio. Eat super clean. Enjoy the results of your aggressive week. Aggressive goals are great when managed properly. Sprinkling in a frenetic week is always good to get the pistons firing.
10. Work Around People With Top Physiques:
Being around top-notch bodies provides a challenge. Seeing a well-built person provides true inspiration. These people are walking knowledge bases as well and they are MORE THAN HAPPY to share with you. Being around people who are better makes you rise to the occasion.
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Find out! Are you obese?
Yahoo has Interactive tool to check your body mass index, which indicates your obese.
Where you carry your body fat may be as important as how many extra pounds you have. People who carry too much fat around the middle, rather than the hips, are more likely to have weight-related health problems. In women, a waist size of 35 or more inches increases the chance for disease. In men, a waist size of 40 inches or more increases risk.
A Real Person's Guide to Weight Loss
A Real Person's Guide to Weight Loss
It doesn't matter how healthy you are or how many pounds you're carrying -- everyone has questions about living well and losing weight. So we asked the New York Giants' nutritionist, Heidi Skolnik, to tackle our readers' inquiries and share her expert insights.
Q: How can I tell if "low-fat" or "healthy" labels are lying? Peter, Killington, VT
Labels are about marketing; the nutrition chart is about content. So ignore the front, and look for high protein and fiber, and low amounts of carbs, saturated fat, and sodium. And remember, whole foods have no labels. They're the best choice of all.
Q: I became a vegetarian but haven't shed a pound. What's wrong? Adam, Kansas City, MO
Many new herbivores load up on carbs and sugary snacks to curb their meat cravings, but weight loss comes from cutting calories, not just swapping them for an abundance of another kind. Going vegetarian helps only if you trade in fatty meats for a diet heavy on vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.
Q: How can I find out if I have a slow metabolism? Tim, Chicago, IL
Many hospitals--and even some gyms--offer a quick, Breathalyzer-style metabolism test that can analyze your calorie-burning capability. Crank up your metabolic engine with intense, full-body workouts. Extra-lean muscle burns calories for hours after your last rep.
Q: Will eating fast make me gain weight? Vince, Buffalo, NY
Yes, wolfing down food can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. A recent study at the University of Rhode Island found that slow eaters consume about 67 fewer calories per meal, potentially cutting 201 calories out of your day. Start with a salad or a light side dish before moving to the main course. This will give your appetite time to catch up.
Q: Is organic food really healthier for me? Aaron, Berkeley, CA
Q: What's a realistic way to lose 20 pounds? Wes, Manhattan Beach, CA
Don't become a slave to the scale. Though it's normal to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week on a successful program, monitoring your athletic performance can keep your eyes on what really matters: overall fitness. Aiming for improvements in strength, speed, flexibility, and blood pressure can make losing weight, and keeping it off, that much easier.
Q: Do I really need to make sure I eat fiber? --Wayne, Minot, ND
While calories and fat hog the nutrition-label spotlight, fiber shouldn't be overlooked. Beyond its bowel benefits, fiber may even help you drop a few pounds: Soluble fiber slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach, making you feel fuller, longer. It can also lower your cholesterol and normalize your blood-sugar level, and it may reduce your risk of colon cancer and cardiovascular disease. Keep in mind that different types of fiber provide different benefits, so you'll need to break out of the breakfast cereal box; get your fiber fix from a mix of whole grains, green vegetables, berries, apples, and pears. Research suggests glucomannan, a type of soluble fiber sold in pill form, can also aid in weight loss. To ensure maximum absorption, break the capsule over a meal before eating.
Q: Which are healthier, canned or frozen vegetables? Bob, Albany, NY
Both retain their nutrients extremely well. Processed fruits and vegetables are often canned or frozen hours after harvest, so they retain nutrients better than fresh produce that has spent a long time in transit from farm to fork. Choose canned or frozen without added sugar or excess sodium. Stir-fry or steam the frozen vegetables, but warm canned vegetables in their own liquid--it typically contains one-third of a vegetable's nutrients.
Q: I think my scale's lying to me. How can I find out? Vin, Tulsa, OK
Take the heaviest dumbbell you have around the house--at least 10 pounds--and weigh it. Does the scale's reading match? Estimate your weight based on the error, or replace the old clunker. (We like the Soehnle Comfort F5 scale; $130, soehnle.com.)
Q: Do I really need to skip sugar in my coffee? Joe, Columbia, MD
Skipping a 16-calorie packet of sugar every day isn't going to shrink your waistline--you're only saving about 2 pounds' worth of calories per year. But if you're a sugar junkie, my advice is to find small ways to dial back the sweetness quotient in everything you eat--from that first cup of joe to the chocolate on your pillow. That way it'll be harder to see what you're missing.
Q: How can I halt my post-marathon weight gain? Chris, Charlottesville, VA
Retrain your stomach and your brain to match your mileage drop. Dial back the starchy carbs by one-third and instead eat nutrient-rich foods, such as blueberries and tomatoes. And switch to 15-minute interval workouts on the stationary bike in place of long runs. They're easier on your knees, and you'll burn more calories in less time.
