Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Archives for December 2009

10 Motivational Hints to Empower Beauty

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Beginning a fitness program take guts. It also requires inspiration and determination. Many women begin an exercise and diet program full of guts, inspiration and determination; but somewhere between day number two and day number 60, the motivation ceases to exist. Sadly, once the motivation is lost, all the guts, inspiration and determination in the world don’t seem enough to get you back into the groove.

Follow these 10 helpful tips to keep you motivated for the 90-day challenge to Empower Beauty.

1. Prioritize your goals. Long term goal: up to 12 months for fitness, medium range goal should be at a 3 month marker and short term goal could be at 2 weeks. Post these somewhere that you will see them every day.
2. Confide your fitness goals to three positive minded people. This is not a time for nay-sayers so you want to announce your goals to people who believe in success.
3. Find a partner or friend to exercise with. If none of your friends are game, then hire a personal trainer or try to befriend someone at the gym. Having someone to work out with makes it much more enjoyable and less boring.
4. Plan your meals ahead of time. Nothing throws off a diet more than not having easily accessible healthy foods to eat. Deny temptation by replacing sugar laden and fatty foods with healthy whole foods that are deliciously appetizing.
5. Create a journal to keep account of what you eat and drink each day. Be sure to record all of your physical activities too. Charting your progress helps to keep you motivated to keep improving.
6. Remember that everyone is unique and realize that it may take you longer to lose weight than someone else. Don’t let that discourage you from working towards your goal.
7. Start each day with a positive affirmation. Concentrate on what you are rather than what you are not.
8. Reward yourself for your achievements. A new blouse or new jeans can really make you feel special about the weight you have already lost, and will help to keep you motivated to continue your fitness regimen.
9. Make healthy eating a family affair. Enlist family members to help in food preparation and swap fatty, calorie laden foods with healthier choices.
10. Mix up your exercise routine. Pick 3 days a week to participate in Fun activities. Swimming, bike riding, skating, running or even walking are all fun ways to get aerobic exercise.

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Journaling Your Way to the Next Level

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Our deepest fear is not of being inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are more powerful than anything we could imagine.

Do you ever look at highly successful people and know that you could be just like that,{+} only you’re a bit afraid of that much success? Maybe it’s because you know how much dedication and commitment it takes to ensure it, or maybe it’s because you are afraid it will change you in some way.

You will change, you know. All through life you will undergo changes. Some are very obvious, while others can barely be detected. But like it or not, you will change many times from birth until death. Learning to deal with these changes can help as you climb to the next level.

Climbing to the next level of fitness will certainly provide plenty of physical changes. But it will also bring forth changes in the way you think, too. I’m talking about having more confidence in everything that you do. This new way of thinking will show in the way you handle yourself, the way you walk and talk.

Are you ready to stand out in a crowd? Can you handle that much attention? Be forewarned that others will notice the changes in you, too.

So now that you are convinced that you can handle the positive changes that you seek, how can you use your journal to take you to the next level? It’s easy, you know and it’s probably just the challenge you need.

First off, what is your target? What do you hope to achieve? Without this vital information you will never know if you have reached the goal. Successful people choose a target and then take aim. They decide where they want to go, formulate a plan to get there and then stay focused on their goal until they taste success.

Reaching your next level of fitness works the same way. That’s why keeping a fitness journal is so instrumental. Writing down your target goals, making a plan to achieve them, and charting your progress as you move toward your own finish line will ensure your chances for victory.

Remember to log everything into your journal, even notes about your muscle soreness and any other pain or discomfort you have when exercising. This will help to keep you focused and greatly increase your chances for success.

If you are looking for advanced exercises, check out my Exercise section and notice the Take it to the Next Level or Advance examples. You can add more weights, advance on the ball, or increase repetitions. These moves will build muscles naturally to show off your incredibly sexy feminine curves.

Your journal can help to take you to the next level. Each week you’ll need to record your weight and measurements and if possible take a picture of yourself. Then decide on your short-term goal. This is where reading your old posts will come in handy. When you read your previous goals, your strategies and your results, you can better determine what works and what doesn’t.

Will you need to spend more time with your workout? Perhaps thirty minutes is not long enough to accomplish all the exercises and cardio activities that you have planned. Be sure to record your start and finish times in your journal. The time of day that you exercise and how you feel afterward will give you a good indication of your energy level at that hour.

Daily devotion to your fitness journal will train your brain to accomplish the mission that you set before it. When you get an idea then validate that idea by writing it down on paper, you command your brain to make that plan happen. Your brain reacts to stimuli, once you give it the same command over and over, it figures out how to make it happen without really having to think about it.

Think about when you learned to drive a car. The first few times you may have experienced difficulty remembering the many aspects of driving. But after you did it a few times, it became easier to remember until operating the car takes little thought at all. This is all because repeated actions cause the brain to create a pathway so it doesn’t have to do all that heavy thinking.

This is the basis of daily journaling. Once you form the habit and begin making journaling part of your day, you will be amazed at how easy it is to accomplish the things you desire. This is especially true with your fitness journal.

As you write down your goals and follow up with your daily activities, including everything you eat and drink, you give your brain a clear vision of the work that needs to be done. The brain benefits from this type of workout and writing everything down helps to emphasize its importance and relieve your mind of the burden of pent up thoughts.

If you haven’t kept a journal before, select one that will be easy to keep with you as you exercise. You can use a homemade one if you like or even a spiral notebook. Just make sure that the book is used only for journaling so it will be easy to chart your journey to success.

Make journaling as simple as possible. Keep a pen handy, and get accustomed to devoting time to your writing. Don’t let little things throw you off schedule or stand in your way. Allow this time to be an important part of your day.

As you progress with your fitness routine, reassess your short-term and long-term goals. Reward yourself for a job well done and use your journal to record just how great you feel. This will give further validation that your brain is doing a wonderful job and it will continue to work towards the goals that you put before it.

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Quick White Bean Dip

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Who says you have to ditch the dips when you’re watching your diet? With this low-fat, high fiber spread, you can double dip for a devilish delight. A great snack but keep it healthy with veggies and whole grain crackers. Remember: portion control is a major factor in weight loss, so don’t over-indulge.

One 19 oz. can of white beans, drained and rinsed.
3 jarred or canned anchovies, rinsed and patted dry.
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients except pepper in food processor.
When mixed, add pinch of pepper.
Serve with a dish of raw veggies such as carrots, peppers, celery, tomatoes, or your choice of whole grain crackers.

Health Benefits: High in soluble fiber, protein, iron and potassium. A low-fat dip that should require no extra salt, since the anchovies are a naturally salty fish. Anchovies are high in heart-friendly polyunsaturated fatty acids that help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. The lemon juice helps to break down the white beans while adding a pleasant taste to the dip. The extra-virgin olive oil brings out the creaminess of the white beans for a smooth texture.

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Women: Get Fit Today!

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Do you want to lose weight? Is there a particular reason why? Women have several reasons for wanting to lose weight and get into better shape. Sometimes it’s because we’ve encountered some health problems and the doctor has advised us to change our diet and begin an exercise program. Other ladies may be seeking a way to get back into exercising after the birth of a baby or some other deterrence from physical activity. Whatever your reason, getting back into or starting a fitness program begins with inspiration.

You know you were meant for something special. You know that your life is not complete in its present state. That is why you are searching for inspiration from like-minded people. Women who, like you, are making a life-changing decision to change the way their body looks.

You are a doer, a giver, a woman with a high level of self-reliance. There is only one thing standing in your way of success … getting the body that you desire.

Why put it off any longer? Toss aside any doubts you have about yourself and begin today. You can lose weight. You can have a beautifully shaped body.

All it takes to get in shape is 30 minutes a day. Just 30 minutes of exercise each day, followed by a diet of whole healthy and delicious foods, will put you on the road to success.

When you transform your appearance, the way that you perceive yourself will change too. You will feel confident knowing that you have the power to revolutionize your body and take control of your mind.

Family, friends and foes will notice the new you. Many will give you words of praise, while others may choose to cut you down. You will need to surround yourself with positive affirmations to keep you focused on your goal.

Are you ready for a change? Take the 90-day challenge to Empower Beauty. Let today be day one. Be sure to keep track of your current weight and measurements, maintain a diet and fitness journal to keep you accountable and stay the course for at least 90 days.

You can do it! Conceive it, believe it, achieve it!

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Saucy Sexy Scallops

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In addition to the enormous benefits for the heart and its cancer fighting capabilities, scallops have also been hailed as a mood enhancer. Long known for its ability to reduce inflammation, these anti-inflammatory benefits work to diminish depression as well. So slip into something sexy tonight and enjoy all the sizzle of these saucy sexy sea scallops.

1 ½ pounds of sea scallops
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
6 large shallots, chopped
4 Tbsp. fresh basil
4 cups of spinach
2/3 cup white wine
½ cup plain low fat yogurt
4 Tbsp. of pine nuts

Directions
1. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.
2. Saute in medium skillet with teaspoon sesame oil for about 6 minutes, remove scallops from oil.
3. Add half of the shallots and basil.
4. Add half of the spinach.
5. Toss together.
6. Add remaining spinach and toss until wilted.
7. Divide on plates.
8. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. sesame oil to skillet.
9. Saute other half of shallots and basil.
10. Add wine and yogurt, boil until thick.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Return scallops to skillet.
13. Simmer for 1 minute.
14. Arrange scallops with sauce on top of spinach, sprinkle with pine nuts.

Health Benefits: Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, sea scallops provide vitamins C and E. And you don’t have to be Popeye to enjoy the benefits from spinach. Bountiful amounts of vitamin A and K, manganese, folate and iron, along with ample amounts of potassium, fiber and calcium make spinach, calorie for calorie, a nutritional vegetable of choice.

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