Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Open your mind to the endless opportunities that surround you

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Every morning when I arise, I start my day with affirmations. These positive declarations help to train my brain, much like exercise trains my muscles. And just like a well-toned muscle, this mental exercise trains my brain for success.

Affirmations give my mind a path to follow, these little declarations for success command my brain to plot a course of action.

So how does all of this fit in to a women’s fitness program? Affirmations play a powerful role in helping women reach their fitness goals. The more positive the affirmation—the better the results. However, there is one catch…

You see, affirmations are more than just telling yourself that you are going to do something. In order for them to really work, you must believe in the affirmation. You must believe with your mind and heart that you can and will accomplish this affirmation. But that should not restrict the level of your commitment. In other words don’t just choose something easy to affirm to.

Affirmations should challenge you to a task. They should help you to work towards goals that you seek for yourself. This is important because only your goals will work for you, not the goals someone else seeks for you.

Each day or each week, concentrate on a different area of your life that you would like to improve. If there is a food that you want to abolish from your diet, use your affirmations to rid yourself of the desire for that food. If you need help getting through your exercise routine, choose affirmations that energize and strengthen your spirit.

If you aren’t sure about saying affirmations there are a few sample affirmations below to help you get started.

Diet Affirmations

I eat 5 to 7 servings of vegetables each day.
I always eat a low fat sensible breakfast.
I am losing weight by cutting down on calories.

Exercise Affirmations

I love to exercise.
When I finish exercising I feel strong, confident and on top of the world.
I love the way exercise affects my body.

Successful Dieting, A Conspiracy Of The Mind And Body

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For most of us, there is some sort of awakening that causes us to make a significant change in the way we eat. Whether it is a health issue or that we want to gain or lose weight, we start looking at what we are eating as the possible starting point of our transformation. We are convinced that this time it will be different.

How many times have you started a diet, only to have it fail? Some of us even lose weight for a while but then “fall off the wagon” and retreat to our old ways. It’s hard to break free of former habits and adapt to a new way of thinking. But that’s exactly what it takes to successfully lose weight. It requires a conspiracy of the mind and body. Your old way of doing things must change, you can’t indulge in sugary foods and fat-laden comfort foods if you really want to make a permanent change in your weight.

Now that’s not saying that you can’t have a treat every now and then, but if your past eating ways have included a milk shake every day, you know that type of eating behavior has got to change. You may have to gradually taper back from eating sugary or fatty foods. But by making a decision each and every day to cut back or cut out certain foods, you are positioning yourself for success.

Actively thinking about the choices that you make engages your mind to take ownership of this whole concept of dieting. This is the only way that you can succeed. The way that you think about dieting and exercising, whether you approach it with trepidation or with enthusiasm, can be real factors that determine your success.

Planning your daily or weekly foods will keep the connection between mind and body. Impulse foods can wreck your diet plan in just a few meals. Eating 5 to 6 smaller meals every day will ensure that you are never hungry and will keep you from making choices based on your sugar level or hormone fluctuation.

If you are really serious about your diet, consider keeping a journal of your daily foods and exercise. It has been proven that people who write everything they eat, drink and all of their daily activities in a journal have a greater chance of success than those who do not. It’s a great way to stay accountable to yourself and after all that’s what dieting is all about.

Ricky Tiki Pineapple Dressing

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This is a family favorite that I lovingly named after my son, Ricky. It could be called Sneaky Tiki dressing because of the clever substitution of yogurt in place of sour cream. The pineapple and vanilla yogurt make it nice and sweet, or if you prefer a less sweetened version, opt for plain yogurt instead of vanilla flavored.

½ cup low fat plain or vanilla yogurt
½ pineapple, cut-up
2 Tbsp non-fat mayo
½ tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a glass bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Whip with a whisk until soft consistency.
3. Pour into dish and apply to food with ladle or
4. Pour into squeeze bottle or salad dressing dispenser.
5. Chill for at least an hour.
6. Pour over green leafy salads, baked potato, ginger rice, raw or sautéed veggies.

Health Benefits:
Low in saturated fat, low in cholesterol, low in calories and low in sodium, this dip is nutrient rich and tasty. Pineapple is high in Vitamin C, B1, manganese, fiber and contains bromelain, believed to provide anti-inflammatory properties and promote healthy digestion. Yogurt provides healthy bacteria that keep your digestive system healthy. Nutmeg is excellent for destroying unhealthy bacteria in the mouth, primarily the cause of decay and gum disease. A natural relaxant, nutmeg provides heart benefits, helps to alleviate stomach ailments and has been shown to inhibit an enzyme in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer’s Disease.

Family Time Is A Great Time For Fitness

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If you have ever experienced the feeling that fitness is getting in the way of your family time or vice versa, then perhaps the best thing to do is to combine the two. When you participate in a fitness program with your mom, sister or adult daughter, the two of you have the opportunity to spend quality time together and share in a common goal. It’s a wonderful way to express your commitment to a healthier and happier lifestyle that includes you and your family.

Women’s fitness has no age barriers. Women from 17 to 80 are realizing that diet and exercise are fundamental to a healthy lifestyle. Exercise in particular increases circulation, improves flexibility and builds strength, all necessary for every day tasks and a healthy body. Having an exercise buddy makes it easier and more enjoyable for women of all ages to get the workout that they need.

Older women have trouble staying active throughout life. Between the effects of child-birth, caring for others and years of habits that give way to a sedentary lifestyle, older women may find themselves gaining weight and feeling too tired to be active. That’s when a visit to the doctor is recommended to get medical clearance before beginning an exercise program. Once the clearance is given, grab a loved one and find a program that works for both generations.

One of the easiest ways to get started with a family fitness program is to start taking long walks, daily. Walking is an enjoyable activity that is low stress and suitable for nearly all women of various athletic abilities. Most women say they feel safer and more comfortable when they have a walking partner. It’s a wonderful aerobic exercise for moms and daughters, sister, cousins or friends to participate in, especially if they are just getting started with their fitness program. As your fitness program progresses, try adding weights, alternating walking with jogging, or walk further each week.

It might even be fun to keep track of your fitness efforts. Each of you can keep a fitness journal and compare notes on the results. Even though each person is different in the way that exercise benefits the body, sharing the journal entries can be both encouraging and inspiring to keep each of you motivated to meet your own personal goals.

Fitness On My Mind

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Is your fitness goal on your mind all the time? The more your mind stays focused on your fitness goal, the better chance you have of achieving it. The best way to put it in your conscious mind all the time is to sit down and write out your goals. The reason for this is because your goal isn’t a temporary thing. It’s probably something you want forever, right? This goal of fitness includes the good health, happiness and energy that you want not only for yourself, but for your family too. That means making changes that last a lifetime.

If you are focused on your goals in your conscious mind, you are much less likely to become distracted. Even without knowing it, you’ll begin to do, say and think things that will get you to that goal and you’ll stop allowing distractions to get in your way. Motivation lives inside you. Writing out your goals in a journal will set you on the right path. Later when you spend time rereading them you will be able to see the results from all of your hard work. This will keep you motivated to work towards the next level.

If you are just beginning a fitness program, make changes gradually to make it easier to see what works for you and what does not. Change up your exercise routine, alternating cardio with strength training exercises and don’t restrict your diet too harshly in the beginning, allow your body time to adjust.

For women in an intermediate or advanced stage of fitness, motivation is usually not a problem. That’s because they have made fitness a regular part of their life. They enjoy the feeling that fitness allows and like the way it brings out their natural beauty. However, everyone needs a little support and encouragement every now and then. It’s never too late to start a fitness journal to challenge your mind and body continuously.

Exercise helps to restore the essence of youth. It can build strength, increase flexibility, and improve the natural functions of the body. Your diet is a main component to your overall health. Choose healthy foods that nourish the female body and give you the energy you need. Fitness4Her makes women’s fitness easy with a diet that you can live by, an exercise program that is easy to follow and a fitness journal to show the results. If you believe it, you can achieve it. Get started today.