Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Apricots

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When I want something sweet I like to treat myself to a delectable dish of chocolate. Besides the many health benefits that are associated with dark chocolate, it just feels good to indulge. And what better way to pamper myself than with the sweet taste of apricots paired with the crunch of some fresh chopped pistachios? You will love it!

1/4 cup semi sweet dark chocolate chips
24 dried apricots
4 Tbsp chopped pistachio nuts

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate chips.
2. Dip half of each apricot in melted chocolate and sprinkle with pistachios.
3. Cool in refrigerator.

Health Benefits:
Great tasting antioxidants, Apricots and Pistachios and Dark chocolate are good for the heart. Apricots relieve constipation and provide protective health benefits. Low in calories, low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol and low in sodium. Iron rich, this snack is great after a workout.

Imagine a Slimmer You

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Most women who are trying to lose weight have an idea of how they want their body to look. They imagine themselves as a slimmer version. This visualization helps to define how they want to change their body and sets a goal for the brain to follow. The more a person engages in this type of visualization, the better chance they have for reaching their goals.

Imagine a slimmer you and keep your imagination stimulated with lots of visual aides. If you have old photographs of yourself in a slimmer body, put them in frames and place them in areas where you will see them often. If you don’t have photos of yourself, choose images of women who have figures that you admire. These visual reminders will help to keep your imagination vivid.

When top athletes enter the ring, many of them use visualization. Either, due to the fact that they have been there before or because they have totally imagined the scenario and practiced their reactions, the act of visualization allows these athletes to perform under pressure with spectacular results. The same can apply for women who want to take their workout to the next level. Imagine the exercise, visualize the muscle groups that will be engaged and plan your reaction to the resistance of the challenge.

For the brain, this act of visualization is almost the same as if you had actually done this task before. You imagine the exercise and the muscles being used and you see yourself doing all of the reps and sets suggested. If you visualize each step before actually executing these moves, your success rate will soar.

There are so many possibilities when you practice visualization. It can boost your ability to achieve many of your goals, help you to reduce stress and benefit your relationships with others. Any ideas you have must first start with visualization.

Along with imagining a slimmer you, you will want to visualize living a healthier, more active lifestyle. You will want to focus on eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. Women’s fitness requires much more than imagination. It requires the commitment, dedication and perseverance to make positive lifelong changes in diet and exercise.

Old Diet Habits Die Hard

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If you are holding onto old diet habits and not getting new results, it may be time to let go of those old ways of doing the same old thing. One diet habit that resurrects itself time and again is the act of skipping meals. Successful diets are designed to help you eat regularly and healthfully for the rest of your life. Simply skipping meals is a poor plan for getting the body that you desire.

Another old habit is when women reduce their caloric intake so severely that you they are literally starving. These old diet habits will lead to weight gain and health problems in the long run, so steer clear of these crazy methods. Fad diets that limit your food won’t work if you are always hungry.

When you want to lose weight, you have to make the decision to change your old habits. Changing old habits can be difficult. Your brain is responsible for the habits that you keep. Like an old comfortable blanket, your habits are an easy way for your brain to function. Your brain likes to be lazy. It enjoys the path of no resistance. When it is called upon to fight the temptations of old habits, the brain has to really do some work.

The brain can be trained. You can refocus your brain to send the right messages to fight off the temptations of old habits. Daily affirmations will instruct your brain of your daily goals. A fitness journal will provide the creative outlet and accountability that your mind needs to stay focused. Support from like-minded women who are interested in women’s fitness and living healthy. Surrounding yourself with positive influences and motivating people. Don’t let someone else’s negativity define your attitude. Overcome their negative diatribe and remain motivated.

Old diet habits are hard to break but not impossible. The same mind tactics that I describe here will also work for other unhealthy habits that you may be harboring. If you want to stop smoking, overeating, or over-spending, you can train your brain to break these unhealthy habits so you can live happy. It’s all about mind, body and spirit. You are a whole person and every aspect of your life can be enriched with a healthy mind. Learn to harness the power within your mind and lose old diet habits along with the excess weight.

Journaling – Don’t Start Your Diet Without It

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Starting a diet can be fun and exciting or it can be a time of anxiety, doubt and fear. If you have ever tried losing weight only to become discouraged, beginning a diet can make you feel defeated before you even get started. The best way to begin a diet or a fitness program is to start a fitness journal at the same time. Once you begin journaling, you will never want to start your diet without it.

Keeping a journal is like taking all of your thoughts, goals and actions and putting them down on paper. In your fitness journal you will also want to write down everything you eat and drink daily and all of your activities. This way you can keep a record of all the food that you consume and all the ways that you expend energy to burn calories.

If you have ever tried dieting and exercising, you are probably familiar with the unfortunate plateau that sometimes occurs. The great thing about journaling is that you can actually compare the calories consumed versus the calories burned. You can assess your workout and whether or not you are challenging yourself as much in your 4th week of exercise as you did in your first week. By having a written testimony of what you eat and drink there is no fooling yourself when it comes to dieting.

Journaling is also a great help when you want to increase your fitness level. If you are keeping a journal, you are already writing down your workout exercises. You can set goals, record the amount of weight (if any) that you are lifting and the number of reps and sets that you do. Then as you increase the weights, the reps and the sets, you can record all of these accomplishments in your journal. This way you can really make a determination about what is working and where improvements need to be made.

You can pick up a journal from any bookstore or office supply store. If you don’t want to invest in anything expensive, you can use a series of composition notebooks. Just mark the dates on the outside and file each one away for reference. During those times, when you feel discouraged or feel like you are hitting a plateau, looking back at your old journals can actually help you to realize the goals that you have already achieved.

Journaling is one of the easiest and most rewarding parts of any diet and fitness program. I believe it is as important as diet and exercise for making effective, positive changes that will keep you fit for the rest of your life.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

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So often, it is a picture that persuades many women to begin a diet and exercise program. A picture of themselves that they deem unflattering; can make many women scrutinize themselves to the point of misery. However, it is the former rather than latter idea that makes this body-image conscientiousness a good thing. A picture is worth plenty when it finally convinces us that it’s time to get back in shape.

Many women will hang a picture of themselves on their refrigerator that reflects a former slimmer self with the body they hope to have again. The picture is there to remind them not to eat foods they have sworn off of, it is there to keep them from overeating, too. It is helpful to have more than one picture of the body you are working towards. Even if the pictures are not of you, pictures of celebrities or models can inspire you to eat healthier and exercise more.

Pictures provide visual stimulation for your brain to develop a plan of action. When you look at women’s fitness magazines and web sites, seeing pictures of women who are fit and healthy will inspire you or make you feel incompetent. It is up to you to train your brain. Keep it thinking on a positive track. Don’t allow your mind to wander; as it will begin to find excuses for why you cannot have the body that you desire. Your brain will actually try to convince you that your health is not so important. This is the time to take control of how your mind works.

Speak kindly to yourself and make your self-talk a positive one. Daily affirmations can do wonders to cure any negative thoughts. It is your best defense from self-deprecation and will allow for self-respect and self-love—two very important aspects of true happiness.

Picture yourself attaining your goals, treating others with respect, loving your family and friends and admiring your competitors. When you see yourself as a full person, living life with the love you were meant to share, no picture can undo the wonderfully perfect person you are. But if a mere picture means the difference in your health and happiness, if seeing yourself in a less than flattering picture causes you to lose weight and get in shape, then by all means, let the picture speak 10,000 words—loud and clear.