Every year I hear the same story right about now.  We’re a couple months into winter and someone says to me “I’ve put on about 10 pounds since I last saw you!  I gain it every winter—you know, it’s just too cold to exercise outside”.

This statement is damaging in more ways than one.  Remember, the two most important things you can control are the way you think and the words you say.  If you think you’re going to gain 10 pounds over the winter months, you will.  And if you TELL someone that you always gain the weight, well guess what?  You will!

Follow these 3 simple steps and you won’t gain weight in the winter anymore.

Step # 1:  I know it sounds too simple to be true, but you really must begin to think about the things you want—not the things you don’t want. If your goal is to lose weight, tell yourself over and over that it’s easy for you to lose weight.  Write this affirmation on a card and repeat it many times throughout the day.  The most important part of this exercise is to read your affirmation card before you fall asleep.  You are telling your subconscious brain exactly what you want.  The funny thing is this:  your subconscious brain will believe whatever it is you tell it—whether its good or bad.  So why not tell your brain only great things about yourself?  If you take this stuff seriously and really work at it, you’ll definitely see a shift in the way you see yourself and others.

Step # 2:  Choose your foods wisely. There are so many fantastic books on the market that teach you how to do this.  I personally love Dr. Mark Hyman’s book Ultrametabolism. He discusses why low fat diets are bad for you (even though cardiologists recommend low fat to all of their patients), and explains why it’s so difficult for certain people to lose weight.   By incorporating more whole real foods, organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, good fats and carbohydrates, it can not only help you lose weight, but it will help re-set your metabolism.  By staying away from what Dr. Hyman calls the “white menace” (white flour, white sugar or variants of these) you will definitely notice that many of your cravings slow down or maybe even stop completely.

Step # 3:  MOVE! As Nike says, Just Do It.  There are many beautiful days in the winter and they deserve to be appreciated.  Bundle up and go outside for a brisk walk or jog.  If it’s just too cold outside, go to the gym for a spin class or pop in your favorite exercise DVD.  If you don’t have any DVDs of your own, most cable companies offer free exercise classes on demand.  Jump rope, do push-ups, do anything….just move.

If there’s a lot of snow outside, go shovel!  If you have hills and a sled, go play!  Carrying a sled up a hill then zooming down is not only FUN, you’ll burn a bunch of calories.  Remember, exercise can be fun. It doesn’t have to be torture.  A simple rule of thumb to remember is this:  try to break a sweat most days—your body AND your mind will thank you!

Smile and Have Fun!

Molly

Everyone wants to start the New Year with a fresh, positive attitude and a renewed focus on their health.  Exercise—even as little as 10 minutes a day—can have a profound impact on many aspects of your life.  Besides incorporating exercise into your weekly schedule, you need to prepare yourself when the excuses start to fly.

Lose the Excuses

Eight out of ten people do NOT exercise on a regular basis.  It’s really easy to make up excuses when you don’t want to do something.  By learning how to respond to this common list of excuses, you’ll become stronger both mentally and physically.

• I don’t have the time. This is probably the most common excuse people use to avoid exercise.  It’s true, you’re busy and juggling schedules but you can find small windows of time to help you get fit.  If you consider there are 24 hours in a day, it seems reasonable that you should be able to find 20-30 minutes to exercise.  If you’ve tried this and still continue to use this excuse, there are fitness routines that have been trimmed down to as little as 10 minutes!   And, you can do them right in your home.  Give them a try—you’ll be surprised at the difference 10 minutes a day can make.
• When I lose 10 pounds, I’m going to go to the gym. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this one.  It’s a common misconception that all health club members are super fit and wear tight-fitting clothes. Believe me, this is simply not true.   Health clubs are filled with people of all ages, all sizes, and all fitness levels.  Whatever category you fall into, rest assured that you will fit in just fine.
• My joints hurt too much. Most joint pain is caused by arthritis.  Interestingly, if you have arthritis, exercise is critical.  Moderate, gentle exercise not only reduces joint pain, it increases strength and flexibility.  The key to success is finding a type of exercise you enjoy and one that makes you feel good.  Throw away the notion that all exercise is regimented and start moving your way to healthier joints.  And, don’t be afraid to ask a fitness professional to help you design a program—that’s what we’re here for.
• I don’t want to get bulky. Women often use this excuse as a reason NOT to perform strength exercises.  To get “ripped” like this female body builder, you would have to spend hours and hours in the gym and eat an extremely strict diet.  A typical routine for increasing strength will not cause you to get bulky.  Strength training will increase your metabolism, slow down sarcopenia (the degenerative loss of muscle mass and strength that naturally occurs as we age) and decrease your risk of osteoporosis. 
• I’m too tired to exercise. Regular exercise increases your energy and improves your sleep.  For years, I developed and conducted exercise programs in a retirement facility.  Most of the people I worked with were over 85 years old!  Before they joined my program, they said they were “too tired” to exercise.  But after a few weeks of exercise, drastic improvements were made—including improvements in ambulation, increased energy levels and overall feelings of well-being.  Needless to say, this excuse needs to be tossed out and never used again—by anyone.

Never Say Never

Too many people tell themselves they’re just not meant to exercise.  If you have said this in the past, you need to redefine what the word exercise means to you.  If you hear yourself say “I hate to exercise” simply replace exercise with activity and see how it makes you feel.  My mom, who says she doesn’t like to exercise, loves flowers.  So instead of “exercising”, Mom walks around her neighborhood checking out all the different kinds of flowers (while getting exercise).  It is all about changing the way you look at things.

Let this be your year to throw away all of your old excuses.  May abundant health and all good things come your way.

Happy New Year!

Molly

It’s that time of the year again – time to eat, drink and be merry!  This sounds good until January 1^st rolls around and you have to make a resolution to lose the extra pounds that you packed on during the holidays.

Well, I have some great news for you.  This year, you won’t have to go through this agonizing ritual because you’re simply not going to gain weight over the holidays.  These 5 simple steps can keep you from gaining even one extra pound!

Molly’s Five-Step Program

Step 1: Go to bed ½ hour early every night.

Thirty minutes may not sound like a big deal, but it adds up to an extra 3½ hours a week of restorative sleep for you. That’s 15½ more hours for the month!  A recent weight-loss study in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows exactly why sleep matters so much.

Researchers followed two groups who tried to – and did – lose weight.  But those who averaged only 5 hours of sleep per night lost muscle weight!  Their bodies held on to their fat reserves. This is harmful in so many ways, and it’s guaranteed to slow down your metabolism.

Step 2: Reduce stress.

To reduce the amount of stress you’re feeling, you need to first pinpoint what’s making you feel that way.  Write down the three things that cause you the most stress; then decide if they’re things you can control.  If any (or all) of them are, then devise a plan to change it (or them) to your liking.

Simply addressing these issues will make you feel good – and actually finding solutions for them will make you feel great.

Step 3: Tell yourself you’re not going to gain weight this holiday season.

It’s as simple as that.  You have to have the attitude that you will not gain weight.  Too many people believe they’ll gain weight during the last six weeks of the year, and so they act accordingly and eat more than usual. So don’t fall for it, and stay strong.

Step 4: Scale down your portions.

Since so many ‘holiday’ foods are calorie-dense, make a conscious effort to eat a little less than usual.  And never go to a party hungry, or you’ll eat more than you should.  Instead, eat a light, healthy snack beforehand so you don’t arrive feeling ravenous.

Step 5: Exercise!

This is the most important part of the equation because exercise is related to every other step.  Regular exercise has been proven to help you sleep better, reduce stress and improve self-esteem; and exercise encourages other healthy behaviors making you less likely to overindulge.

Finding the Time

Whatever you do, please don’t use the “I’m too busy” excuse to skip your exercise.  If your day is full, find an extra 10 minutes and go for a really brisk walk.  Or try these other ways to sneak in a workout during the holidays:

• Go to a 30-minute exercise class offered at your local gym.  
• Instead of going out to lunch with your best friend, suggest going to the gym together.  You can catch up while working out. And be sure to pick up something healthy to eat before you head back to work.
• Pop in your favorite (or a brand-new) exercise DVD before you go to work.  If you only have 15-20 minutes, that’s fine. Just do it.
• Jump rope!  It’s a great cardio workout, and it’s portable.  Keep it with you, and you’ll be amazed how often you can take advantage of it.

Congratulations on your commitment not to gain weight over the holidays this year.  Say it out loud, and follow these easy steps.  When January rolls around, you’ll be so happy you did.

Happy Holidays,

Molly

“Originally published in GO, GlobalFit’s online healthy living newsletter.”  http://www.globalfit.com/gonewsletter/default.asp