Fit Tip

It's No Fun Without Food

Movies just aren't the same without a family-sized box of Milk Duds.
It's amazing how many activities are paired with food -- candy at the movies, margaritas on date night, chocolate and champagne for Valentines Day, coffee and doughnuts while reading the Sunday paper. It becomes a classic Pavlovian response. "When you combine a certain pastime over and over with eating, you eventually stop listening to hunger or fullness cues and just eat on autopilot whenever you engage in that activity," says Tara Gidus, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association in Orlando, Florida.

Change your mind: Disentangle food/fun associations by altering your routine says Gidus. If your evening ritual is a bag of chips in front of the TV, relax instead with a book on the patio. "Just switching rooms or chairs can help break the pattern," says Gidus. Rather than dinner dates, plan active outings. And as for the movies, think about how much money you'll save just by avoiding the inflated concession-stand prices.

* this great tip from Fitness magazine!

Fit Tip

Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don't allow excuses to ruin your life any longer.

• Don't skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.
• Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you'll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.
• Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Fit Tip

I'm counting on you being healthy, wealthy and...now wiser!  We started '13 working on happiness, health, and today I'm talking exercise.
No one hates wasting time more than me (or at least feeling as if I've done so) and I have an inkling that often workouts get missed because its "not the best use of your time."   This week try adding compound exercises to your daily routine.  Try to commit 15-20 minutes daily utilizing compound exercises to maximize your time. Basically, if an exercise involves pushing, pulling, squatting or deadlifting, it’s usually training more than one major muscle group, and that makes it a compound exercise.

Still working on past Fit Tips?  Consider this a punch-uppercut for something you don't want to do/be happy. 

You know its working if your heart is pumping as you complete a set.  Get it on this week!