Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Getting Motivated For Life

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Motivation is the psychological trigger that arouses us to take action in order to reach a desired goal.

Many women are looking for motivation in order to move towards a specific goal, such as fitness. We all possess the ability to inspire motivational thoughts, but many times we use these to help others and fail to draw on that same wealth of inspiration when it comes to our own lives.

While it’s commendable to help others, and in the long run, helping others enriches our own lives, it is important that we live by what we preach. Whatever methods we use to motivate others, must work on us as well. If we talk about exercising every day, or eating healthy, we must live by example in order to really help someone else.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what motivates another. I know when it comes to women’s fitness; motivation is one of the hardest things to harness.

One of my friends was telling me about a motivational seminar where she worked. The company was looking for ways to motivate workers because production levels had fallen off and morale was low. The corporate officers had a meeting and some of the executives thought that an across the board raise and an employee break area outside would really excite the employees and make them want to work more effectively. They clearly believed that an increase in salary would be the answer to employee morale.

Before making any final decision, they decided to actually ask the employees to fill out questionnaires about what motivated them and gave them satisfaction in their jobs. What they found out surprised them.

Instead of a salary increase, the majority of the workers said they preferred interesting work to better wages, in level of importance. More importantly, they wanted to feel that what they contributed to the workplace was appreciated and provided value to the organization.

It got me to thinking that many times when it comes to getting motivated to lose weight or get in shape, its not the thinking of how we will look that really provides the motivation. Rather, it is how we will feel on the inside because we are able to improve our health and physique.

But whether you need motivation for weight loss, exercise, or work, consider the benefits of how you will feel when you embrace motivation and allow it to trigger you into action.

Healthy Peach Shake

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This healthy shake is great to enjoy any time of the day. Make it and take it on the go, drink it for breakfast or enjoy it as a healthy snack. If fresh peaches aren’t in season, choose canned or frozen peaches but drain the excess syrup so it’s not too sweet.

2 fresh peaches
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 nectarine or large orange

1. In a blender combine all ingredients cover and blend
2. Gradually add ice cubes until smooth, Garnish with fresh peach or orange slices

Health Benefits:
Peaches are a great source of Beta Carotene and along with the nectarine provide an ample amount of Vitamin C. Because your body cannot store Vitamin C, it’s important to get it from the foods you eat every day. Full of antioxidants and fiber and the milk gives you the protein and calcium to make this shake very healthy, indeed.

Stay On Task With A Fitness Journal

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Whether your goal is to get in shape for spring break, your wedding, or your daughter’s graduation party, it’s easy to start a fitness plan, but it’s another thing to stick to it. One way to keep yourself on task is to start a fitness journal. Keeping the journal with you at all times can help track your habits including how often and how long you exercise as well as track your diet. A hidden benefit is time management, so you can make it to your son’s first soccer game without thinking…I should be in the gym!
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Remember you can find little ways to exercise just about everywhere you go, just keep moving! If you have your journal with you, it will make it easy to record your extra movements like walked around the ball field or around the block.

Here are some things to consider when customizing your journal:

  • What suits you? It can be as simple as a composition style book like you used in college, a typical day planner, or go all digital and use an online social site.
  • Include a section in the front (if doing one on paper) that includes your goals. Don’t forget to leave space for amending! Your cruise might be a time to splurge, but come up with a plan to get back on track!
  • Make a goals page for each week for best results that way if you get off track the following week you can quickly recover.
  • Daily goals are also important, you might want to challenge yourself to cut back or avoid completely sugary soft drinks, at the end of the day, you can chart your success.
  • Have a section for fitness including workouts, housekeeping, or anything that may require cardio exercise (if that’s a goal for you).
  • Have a section to record your meals and snacks. One double latte may not sound like much, but every day, and the calories add up.

What you should include on your goals sheet:

  • Begin by writing down your measurements, weight and dress size.
  • Then determine how much weight you want to lose. You can include short term and long term goals on your weight loss.
  • Next list some of the activities you know you want to include. Cardio? Strength? Do some research to spice it up!
  • Are you going to have a mentor or exercise buddy to help? Record their phone and email.
  • Write down the reasons you want to lose weight and get in shape, be specific. It could be so that you can play with your children or grandchildren or fit into a sexy new outfit or look better for a class reunion.

What to track in your fitness section:

  • What you did and how much. 100 crunches? 5 miles walking?
  • Was it planned or spontaneous? If you’re not making scheduled time to exercise, reconsider your routine.
  • How was your motivation today? If you see a trend in your lack of motivation, investigate what is causing it, and fix it!
  • Are the exercises getting easier?
  • Do you feel stronger?
  • Do you have more energy than before you began your fitness program?
  • All of these notes written in your will be beneficial in helping you reach your goal.

What to track in your diet section:

  • What food you consume each day and how much.
  • How much water you’re drinking. It will keep you hydrated and keep you from being tired. Water also helps to cleanse your body of toxins.
  • Also keep track of all the beverages that you indulge in as the calories can really add up if you drink soft drinks.
  • You can keep track of nutritional facts too, like amounts of saturated fat, protein and sodium in the foods that you eat. Remember to have protein at every meal.
  • Record your weight each week to help you stay on track.
  • Measure your body at your bust, waist, hips, thighs, calve and ankles. Also measure your wrists and upper arms. This will give you a true picture of your fitness plan.
  • Remember you are not a number on a scale, look at yourself in the mirror. Can you see the differences in your body? Are you clothes fitting better or becoming too loose? These are true indications that your body is changing and taking on a whole new shape. Record all of this in your journal.

Helpful hints:

  • Consult a doctor to ensure you’re physically able to accomplish your goals.
  • Utilize technology such as built-in pedometers on mp3 players that can track your mileage.
  • Break up grand goals in manageable chunks. Splurge when you reach each step, you deserve it! That doesn’t mean to sabotage your weight loss goals with loads of high calories or sugar. Just do something nice for your self, you deserve it.
  • Never erase mistakes in your journal. Draw one line through it and correct it. It looks messy, but you may discover a pattern that may help you out!

Short of a genie, there are no magic pills to lose weight. Everything you eat and do has an effect on your weight. A fitness journal is the right step to help you reach your goals because when you record everything you eat, drink and all of your physical activities, you’ll have a much better chance of success. It’s been proven time and again.

Fitness4Her is a complete diet and exercise program that is specifically developed for women. The diet consists of five meals rather than the customary three meal plan with special attention given to portion control. My 30 Minutes To A New You Exercise plan, incorporates some of the Pilates Principles of engaging the core in all exercises. Check out the Members Exercise section for workout routines that are designed to get you in shape. The journal is the final part of the trilogy and in my opinion is no less important than the diet and exercise. The journal will keep you accountable and will be your “go-to” source as you stay on task and meet your goals.

Share your journaling tips with us and our readers by leaving a comment:

Inspiring Words For A Successful Exercise Program

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Are you ready to get serious about women’s fitness? If you want to lose weight and get in shape then join Fitness4Her and become a member with privileges. You’ll have access to inspiring words that will make you want to work toward your fitness goals.

No matter what your fitness level, no matter if you have tried before and failed, if you follow the Fitness4Her Diet and 30 Minutes To A New You Exercise Program then you will lose weight. Now, I’m not talking about a temporary solution. I’m talking about making permanent life changes in the way that you eat, drink and all of your activity.

Fitness4Her is a total fitness plan that addresses every part of a woman’s life to provide inspirational and motivational insights to keep you focused on your goal. I write monthly articles and share information about fitness and health as it applies to women. If there is a topic that you are interested in, please let me know.

Exercise is an important part of healthy living. It helps to rid your body of toxins, burns calories, strengthens your heart, builds muscle and lifts the spirit. An exercise program that combines aerobic exercise with strength training will give you optimum results.

But important to fitness and health is a woman’s diet. Much of what we eat and drink determines our weight more so than the exercise. Portion control is key to the amount of calories that we consume. However, a diet low in saturated fat, sodium, cholesterol and sugar will help you to cut calories and lose weight quicker.

My Fitness4Her Diet is designed for women who want to eat healthy but not follow a strict calorie counting diet. By paying attention to portion control, and eating foods rich in nutrients, you can control your weight.

If you are ready to change the way you look and feel, and want to do it right this time with a healthy lifestyle, then join Fitness4Her today. I can’t wait to hear from you.

Scallops and Spinach

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For a quick and healthy meal, don’t run through the nearest fast food window. Instead stop by the seafood market and pick up some fresh scallops. Serve over wilted spinach for a meal that tastes great, won’t break the bank and is easy to make.

1 pound fresh scallops
2 tbs. flour
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 tbs. cooking oil
10 oz prewashed spinach
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup turkey bacon pieces

Directions:

In a plastic bag combine flour and seasonings.
Add scallops, toss to coat.
In a large skillet heat oil cook scallops in hot oil over medium heat till golden, remove from pan.
Add spinach to skillet, add water cook 2 min till wilted.
Add vinegar and toss.
Add scallops to skillet, heat through.
Sprinkle with bacon.

Health Benefits:
Scallops have a very high nutrient content, with rich quantities of potassium, selenium and magnesium. A good source of Vitamin B12, scallops help to promote cardiovascular health. Iron rich spinach is high in Vitamins A, C and K. Low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar, this is an excellent meal to promote a healthy lifestyle.