Want motivation on weight loss? Don’t rely on your willpower!

Controversial advice – I know, but there is psychological proof for it, so please bear with me and I’ll explain.

Most advice you’ll hear about how to get motivated and keep motivated when losing weight (or for any other goal in life actually), will teach you to rely on your will power for the support you need.

You’ve heard it all, right? And did any of the advice work?

You see – the problem with relying just on your will power to get you through the tough times, is that your will power is finite.

Research shows that it’s like a muscle. You over-use it and it fatigues. If you don’t let it rest sufficiently enough to recover, it won’t be much use to you for the rest of the day.

The added problem is that we don’t just use our will power to get us to stick to a weight loss or healthy living plan.

No – we use it all day long. From the moment you stop the alarm in the morning, trying to get out of bed and get ready for the day. Then when we’re getting the kids ready… Then countless times at work… and then back at home in the evenings. Our will power ‘muscle’ is pumped all day long.

No wonder that by the end of the day we collapse on the couch with zero energy. And the next obstacle we face will face zero resistance.

Oreos? Yes please )

Bottom line is that if you have nothing else to fall on to for motivation, you will not succeed at losing weight and more importantly keeping it off.

So what’s the alternative or the solution?

The way to make sure you have weight loss motivation “on tap”, is to use your will power to get you going, and then to form techniques and habits to reinforce and back you up each time you feel you’re wavering.

The techniques are very logical. But making them into a habit, i.e. an action that requires little to no conscious thought on your behalf is not so simple.

But before you run for the hills at the challenge, hear my 5-step system to forming “on tap” motivation. And know that it takes about 30 days of consistent application to start form a habit. Just 30 days!

This 5-step system can be applied to every side of your life – not just weight loss. Imagine if every time you needed to motivate yourself to get something done, or to resist doing something, you can just turn on your motivation “tap”…

So let’s get on with the practical bits. Pay attention – I will only write this once )

5-Step system to “on tap” motivation

1. Become clear about your target.There’s no getting around this – you must first know what you want to achieve. Be specific. Be bold. Be realistic with your goals.The secret to acing this step?The clearer you can see the end result you desire – the more likely you are to succeed at getting that end result.
2. Find your deep POWERHOUSE WHY.Your POWERHOUSE WHY is a term I only half came up with. The WHY concept is not new – Tony Robbins talks about it. Eben Pagan does, and many others. I’ve thrown in the POWERHOUSE bit because I wanted to reinforce the fact that his has to be the most powerful reason you can think of to doing what you want to do.So dig deep in your soul and find your POWERHOUSE WHY.
3. Create techniques to support your cause.Once you find your POWERHOUSE WHY – create a habit around it. You can do something as simple as reinforcing your connection with it each morning.After finishing brushing your teeth, take a minute or two to remind yourself WHY you want to lose weight. Say your WHY to yourself in the mirror and FEEL IT.The point being, that next time you’re about to decide if you should have that cake – your WHY will automatically come to the rescue.
4. Learn to focus on what you enjoy.This is simple to understand – difficult as hell to do! All it means is that next time you decide to focus on what you can’t eat because you’re trying to lose weight. Make a conscious effort to shift your focus to what you CAN eat instead.It makes a huge difference. It opens and refreshes your mind.And after doing it consistently a few times – it becomes a mind game… i.e. it becomes fun.
5. Reward yourself!!!I like this one. This one’s easy all-round.Simply decide what rewards to give yourself at which achievement milestones.One tip tho’ – if you’re rewarding your weight loss success – don’t make the reward food )

   Shoes – yes. A fun day out – perfect! Food – no…

   OK, you should have enough to go off and get permanently motivated now. I’ve kept it short on purpose. I want you to make of my 5-step system what makes best sense to you. If I over-explain stuff there’s no room for your own brain’s input.

   And unless YOU OWN this system – you won’t adopt and use it. And what good is that for you?

   Did this help? On my site FitHappyHealthy.com I (Anita) aim to put other health and fitness information like this, into the context of real life for you. We are so overwhelmed with information at the moment that most of the time we don’t use it because we don’t know how to, and how it can impact us. Well, on FitHappyHealthy.com – you can finally see the sense )

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Photo Credit: Hawaiipictures.com

You don’t need to resort to steroids to get a leg up on the competition. There really are no substitutes for hard work, discipline, and talent. Nevertheless, there are many natural things that can be done to give athletes a competitive edge.

1. Raw foods

Exercise is essentially an intense stress on the body that requires tremendous nutrition to rebuild break downs in muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc. It is no wonder that athletes that fuel up with nutrient-rich raw foods can increase their athleticism and improve their performance and recovery time.

More info: 1, 2, 3

2. Baking soda

Baking soda has been studied to improve athletic performance. It is believed that baking soda prevents build up of excess lactic acid, which interferes with muscle contractions and ATP production.

More info: 1, 2

3. CoQH (ubiquinol)

CoQ10 is somewhat of a precursor of ATP, the body’s unit of energy currency. CoQH is the active form of CoQ10 (ubiquinone). CoQH is needed in every cell of the body for energy production. Recent studies have shown that CoQH may be 8 times as effective as CoQ10.

4. D-ribose

This is another ATP precursor that can increase cellular energy. In a recent study, 66% of chronic fatigue participants experienced an average of 45% increase in energy in 28 days. Athletes are increasingly using this supplement.

More info: 1, 2, 3, 4

5. Essential fatty acids

EFA’s are needed to form healthy cell membranes. Healthy cell membranes metabolize oxygen more efficiently, getting more energy to cells.

6. Magnesium

Studies suggest that any degree of magnesium deficiency can reduce athletic performance. Magnesium-potassium-aspartate in particular also has some small studies that show significantly improved athletic performance.

More info: 1, 2, 3, 4

7. Heavy water oxygen supplements

Cellfood and OxyE are examples of a type of oxygen supplement the produces nascent oxygen inside cells. Athletes are also turning to these types of products to improve their cellular oxygenation.

8. Phosphoglycolipids

These are nutrients that repair mitochondrial and cell membranes which improve nutrient uptake and ATP production. One study using such a supplement reduced participant fatigue by 40% in 8 weeks. Some athletes are now turning to this supplement.

9. Proleolytic enzymes

Systemic enzymes have been shown to significantly improve the time it takes to heal injuries. It has also been shown to help develop denser and stronger muscles, giving athletes an edge. It turns out that in the past, some Olympians who were using steroids were able to reduce the dosage because they found these enzymes to be so effective.

10. Iron supplements

There are indications that for a variety of reasons, athletes may tend to have more iron deficiency than a sedentary population. If this is found to be the case, then supplementing can increase blood count and improve the body’s total oxygen capacity. There is no evidence that supplementing with iron will help an athlete with normal iron levels.

More info: 1, 2

11. Amino acids

Amino acids have been shown to significantly improve muscle function, fatigue, and recovery of athletes.

Just one word of caution:

Even though these are all natural, be careful about entering the Olympics. The definition of what performance enhancing techniques are ethical is still vague at best. Make sure these all check out with your local rules before officially competing. If a raw foods diet can increase the oxygenation of your blood, there are some people who would call that blood doping! But if all you want is to cream your friends in basketball, then go ahead go right ahead!

About the Author:
David AuBuchon is a Natural Health Consultant and the author of Scientific Living – a project that compiles information on natural treatments used by successful practitioners. David also writes about spirituality and personality development. You can subscribe to his work by RSS.

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You want to be healthier and have more energy. You want to take good care of yourself. The problem is, life is hectic. However nice it’d be to have time for long strolls in the countryside, afternoon naps and relaxing baths … you’ve got a few little matters like work, family, friends, chores and hobbies to fit into your day.

Perhaps you’ve made a few attempts at trying to live a healthier lifestyle, and they’ve never worked out. You start a new diet every Monday. You try to quit caffeine, sugar and alcohol all at once. You take up exercising – and your muscles are protesting after a day.

Sometimes, though, it’s the little changes which make a big difference. You don’t need to follow a huge time-consuming plan for the perfect body – you just need the energy and enthusiasm to tackle life every day.

Here are five simple steps, all of which combined will take just twenty minutes each day. (If you have a few extra minutes to spare, I’ve also suggested some bonus activities.)

Switch one drink to de-caff – 0 minutes

I’m not suggesting you quit caffeine full stop – just switch one of your daily coffees to a de-caffeinated version. It’s a little change which takes no time at all, and which you’ll hardly notice after a couple of days.

If you’re trying to cut down considerably on caffeine, do it gradually. For instance, if you currently drink six coffees per day, switch to five regular and one de-caffeinated this week, then cut down a bit more next week, and so on.

Bonus: Do the same thing with one regular soda – switch to a diet version, or flavored water. It might take your taste buds a week or two to adapt, but stick with it!

Grab a piece of fruit – 1 minute

Next time you’re feeling peckish, grab a piece of fruit. This takes a minute at most – probably just a few seconds. If you keep a bowl of fruit close at hand, it’s a very easy snack!

Eating more fruit will:

• Ensure you get enough vitamins, vital for health
• Boost your fiber intake, improving your digestion
• Help fill you up between meals for minimum calories

Bonus: Keep a bottle of water on your desk so that it’s within easy reach. You’ll find yourself sipping more and staying hydrated during the day – reducing the urge to snack. (Many of us mistake mild thirst for hunger.)

Brush your teeth (properly) – 4 minutes

Hopefully, you already brush your teeth twice a day. If you’re being totally honest, though, there are probably times when you don’t manage that – or when “brushing” is just a quick swipe round your mouth with the tooth brush.

Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for two minutes. Try timing yourself next time you brush yours: chances are, you’re not brushing for long enough.

Bonus: Don’t forget to floss daily too.

Meditate – 5 minutes

In recent years, meditation has become much more mainstream. Proven health benefits – like decreased stress – are pretty attractive to most of us! But because we’re busy, we often don’t take the time to sit and quieten our minds.

If you’re uncertain about what meditation involves, and want an easy introduction, try 6 Tips for People Who Don’t Have Time to Meditate.

Meditation really isn’t a “woo-woo” new agey activity. It’s just a way to get some space and perspective in your life through a few minutes of precious calm.

Bonus: Many people – not just those who follow a particular religion – find it helpful to read a little from a spiritual or inspirational text each day.

Take a brisk walk – 10 minutes

Let’s face it, most of us should do more exercise. The trouble is, just the thought of the gym can be stressful. Perhaps you don’t have time after work, or you don’t want to follow a vigorous routine.

One of the best things you can do for your health is to walk. Walking won’t put as much stress on your joints as other cardio activities, you can do it in your normal clothes, and you can easily go faster or slower depending on your fitness level. Just ten minutes is enough to see physical and mental benefits.

Bonus: Find ways to incorporate walking into your daily routine, so that it doesn’t take up extra time. (Get off the bus a stop earlier, or walk to the local store instead of driving, for instance.)

Do you have any quick wins for extra health and energy? Share them with us in the comments … and let us know how many minutes they’ll take on a daily or weekly basis!

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1. Prioritize by separating into big and little goals… Think of big goals as your overarching goal (e.g., lose 30 lbs in 3 months) and your little goals as those you want to meet on a short term basis (e.g., lose 5 lbs in 2 weeks).

2. Make performance-based weight loss goals… Saying “I want to lose weight” will not cut it. You need to choose what ideal weight you want to achieve and set a time frame for when you want to achieve it.

3. Make a positive statement about your goal… If you want to eat healthier and lose weight, make a positive statement like “I will eat more fruits” rather than a negative statement “I will not eat refined sugar.”

4. Picture you at your ideal weight… What do you look like when you are 30 lbs thinner? What type of jeans would you look good in? Picture that image of a thinner you before going to sleep every night.

5. Find a new healthy snack… Who doesn’t love a great snack? How about making it a healthy snack? A good place to start is with nuts and berries. Berries — like Goji berries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, and cherries — offer some definite health benefits.

6. Eat more plants… Take a suggestion from author Michael Pollan as he famously wrote in the beginning of his book, In Defense of Food — “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

7. Eat more frequently… Go for 6 small meals rather than the standard 3 meals. And if you must stick to three meals then eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. And don’t eat 3 hours before you go to bed.

8. Drink more water… Some experts say to drink eight 8oz glasses of water each day. Water keeps you hydrated, it helps flush out toxins and it’s simply good for you.

9. Find a new healthy drink… Instead of having an artificially sweetened or alcoholic beverage, why not try out a new healthy beverage today? To get started, you might want to try out kombucha or coconut water.

10. Find an exercise you love and do it… It’s hard to commit to something on a daily basis, so if you don’t love it, don’t do it. Find something you love, whether it’s running, lifting weights, boxing, yoga, Pilates, or anything that you have an interest in. Again, if you don’t love it, don’t do it. And if you do it, you need to do it at least three times a week.

11. Give yoga a whirl… Yes, the right yoga class can be great for weight loss. In fact, a man in Detroit lost over 360 pounds and he credits his weight loss success to yoga. And how does increased flexibility and strength sound? Or if you’re a guy reading this, I’ll get right to the point: the female to male ratio in your average yoga class is definitely in your favor. If you’re a newbie I suggest checking out these beginner yoga poses so you’ll know what’s going on in your first class.

12. Make an exercise date… Are you making plans to meet a friend this weekend? Here’s an idea: In lieu of meeting up for coffee or a cocktail, make it an exercise-themed date. Go for a long walk or run, hit the gym or practice yoga together and make catching up a healthy activity together. It’s easier to be healthy when you have a friend alongside you, so maybe even consider making your exercise dates a monthly ritual. (Then go for the drink or coffee after.)

13. Go for a long walk… A 30-minute brisk walk can burn up to 250 calories. If the weather outside is terrible then hit up the mall and go for a fast-paced stroll.

14. Take the stairs… Maybe it’s just a few flights – it’s better than nothing.  It’s great for your legs, and if you go more than a few flights, you’ll get that heart rate of yours going.

Stay Focused on Getting Slimmer and Staying that Way

“I’m going to be a fat blob on my wedding day!” The voice on the other end of the phone was desperate. “Can you help me?”

So Karen came to see me. “It’s always the same,” she told me. “I’m motivated for a few days and lose weight, then something happens. I gain everything – and more – back again! My wedding’s in three months! That should be motivation enough, but lately my weight’s been even more all over the place!”

Karen was right. Weight loss motivation is easy…at first. Rapid progress, compliments, wearing outfits you really want to, feeling more attractive, having more energy. All this positive feedback is motivating, captivating. Yet this weight loss ‘honeymoon period’ inevitably wanes. And then it can get tough.

Slim people do it! How?

Living as a slim person is a way of life. A healthy weight won’t be sustainable long-term if it requires constant positive feedback and the excitement of feeling newly slimmer.

“What do you mean: ‘Something happens’?” I asked Karen.

“Well, I might have a problem at work, or my kids wind me up, or I start worrying about being fat at my wedding!”

Ah, so Karen, like millions of people who struggle with their weight, was using food for emotional support as well as simply nutrition.

We had a simple goal, then. Karen needed to start thinking and behaving like a slim person long-term, up to and beyond her wedding. What follows are some of the approaches we used; you can ‘make them your own’ so they really work for you.

Tip 1: Think slim

This tip is about that all-important moment: What do you experience just before you eat something? Do you tussle with yourself? “I really shouldn’t… but I want to!” Do you imagine how the food will taste, even feel in the mouth? Or do you focus on the real consequences, rather than the temporary satisfactions of eating?

People who are overweight tend to imagine how food is going to taste and feel as they eat. In contrast, people who naturally ‘eat slim’ tend to imagine how that pie or cake will feel heavy in their stomachs for so long after they’ve eaten it. Jumping from a great height might feel fun whilst it lasts, but the consequences that come after we hit the ground are what we consider when deciding not to do it.

So when you’re tempted to eat something you don’t need, practice imagining how your stomach is going to feel ten minutes or an hour after you’ve consumed that weight-increasing food. Keep it up until this becomes a natural habit for you.

Tip 2: Surround yourself with slim people

No, I’m not suggesting you dump all your less-than-slender friends. But research has shown that the average body type of the people with whom you hang out affects your weight and size (1). Start hanging around with slimmer, fitter types (perhaps at the gym) and your subconscious mind will pick up a new template for what is ‘normal’. Karen started hanging out and socializing with slim types at a jogging club.

Tip 3: Be fair to yourself

Imagine someone walks up a hundred steps but feels a bit tired, so they stop and step back down one step. They tell you bitterly: “Now I may as well forget this whole idea of reaching the top! I’ve totally blown it!”

What?! You’d think that was crazy, right? Acting as if all that progress, the 99 steps they did climb, never happened – because they had one slip! But people do this all the time when it comes to weight loss.

You lose weight, maybe four or five pounds, maybe much more. But you slip, have a bad day or a ‘weak moment’, and eat something you shouldn’t have. And what do you tell yourself? “I’ve completely blown it! Now I might as well really binge!”

Beware the perfectionism trap. Aim to eat sensibly and healthily most of the time, not all the time. We all consume more than we should of the wrong kind of food or drink now and then.

Everyone’s weight fluctuates a bit and you should prepare for this (once you’ve reached a healthy weight). Have a ’sliding scale’ in your mind of a couple of pounds on either side of your target weight. No one can live for long under a self-imposed, too harsh dictatorship.

Tip 4: Weight loss is not a cure-all

Sure, being healthier, fitter, and so on will have positive and maybe unexpected ripple effects. However, even as a slimmer person you’ll still have a bad day in the office, moments of self-doubt, or times when you feel undervalued.

Many people feel let down when they become slimmer and then find that being slim doesn’t solve all their problems in one go. They then revert to eating poorly again. Don’t fall into this trap.

You have lots of different needs which need to be fulfilled in life. Being slimmer, healthier, and fitter is just one of them.

Tip 5: Eat when you’re hungry

I know this sounds obvious, but eating sugary foods causes a subsequent crash in energy, leaving you wanting more sweetness. On the other hand, eating for slow energy release is a sustainable way to keep your weight loss motivation firing on all cylinders without you having to consciously think about it. For slow-release energy, eat protein with every meal alongside ‘good carbs’ such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans. This avoids the ‘crash and burn’ of sugar overdosing.

Karen walked down the aisle over six years ago. I still see her at my gym sometimes. She tells me that the happiest day of her life was so happy because she felt so healthy. The fact that she was slim was (and is) just a happy outer reflection of the changes she’s experienced in the ways she feels and thinks about food.

(1) Having an obese friend dramatically increases the risk of becoming similarly fat, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Obesity is ’socially contagious’, spreading from person to person in a social network, researchers said. The study found that if one person becomes obese, those closely connected to them have a greater chance of becoming obese themselves. Surprisingly, the greatest effect was seen not among people sharing the same genes or household, but among friends.

Mark Tyrrell is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain,  therapist, trainer and author. He has created many  articles and audios on self help and personal development, including many on weight loss.

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April is about the time New Year’s resolutions dissolve and gyms become less crowded again.  It’s not that folks have lost their desire to trim pounds or increase their level of fitness.  For some, it’s simply a motivation problem.  They want to continue, but just can’t seem to make the time amidst competing demands.  But for others, they just don’t enjoy exercise.  I once watched a woman jogging whose scrunched up face displayed a combination of irritation and defeat.  She wasn’t enjoying herself, but felt compelled to continue.  So it’s no surprise that keeping our fitness habits going is difficult.  Any activity that isn’t innately enjoyable quickly becomes drudgery and nearly impossible to maintain.

No matter what your current feelings regarding exercise, it turns out there is a way to make the activity more enjoyable.  It doesn’t involve hiring a personal trainer or signing up for a Zumba class (although those might be nice compliments once you get going).  The only thing that’s keeping you from a better exercise regime is your own head.

Ironically, I discovered this trick while doing something entirely sedentary: writing.  One of the more difficult aspects of creative writing, especially for the beginner, is eliciting that dream-like state where the words and ideas flow easily.  There’s good reason the myths about waiting for inspiration to strike or reliance on a muse persist—for many, the ability to induce the wellspring of creativity remains elusive. Writers often create elaborate rituals to get themselves into this space: they only write during a certain time of day or they have a “lucky pen.”

What I discovered is that these rituals are all methods for subduing the analytical left brain and letting your more creative right brain take over.  With time and dedication, you can actually physically feel the mental switch take place. And once you know what that switch feels like, you can learn to control it.  That’s how the best writers are able to crank out pages of good writing while others struggle in front of a blank screen or notepad for hours.  Good writers know how to generate the mental switch on command.

So what’s the connection to exercise?  When I saw that woman jogging who looked so miserable, I wanted to tell her, “It’s all in your head!”  All she needed was to get out of her analytical left brain, which was likely paying attention to the amount of time she’d been running or the number of miles left to go.  The left brain is prone to focusing on details and lists, making exercise more of a chore than fun.  But given the chance, the right brain can make your aerobic workout take on a timeless quality.  You might get to the end of a run and say, “Wow.  I’m done already?”

Just as your body has that weightless feeling when you’re under water, your concept of exertion and time disappear while day-dreaming.  In your head, there are no limits, there’s nothing that isn’t open to you.  In fact, many times when I’ve used this technique I actually feel like my brain is out ahead of me, a tether between us, egging me on. Plus, creativity can create its own adrenaline-like feeling—it generates energy instead of zapping it.

Here’s your step-by-step guide to attaining the left to right brain switch:

1) Just like a writer, pick a certain time of day and a certain activity to practice on. It doesn’t really matter what activity you pick, but aerobic exercises where you don’t need to count or pay close attention to anything work best.  Once you get proficient at the technique, you can expand it to activities like weight lifting.

2) While exercising, let your mind wander, but try to “think” in images instead of words. Pretend you are watching a movie inside your head: taking the vacation you always wanted or receiving a big award.  Do not watch TV—this engages your left brain and will hamper your transition.  Music is okay as long as it remains a background noise (no singing along!).

3) Each time you are able to make the switch (that is, you become so engrossed in your dream, you almost lose awareness of your immediate surroundings), try remember what it felt like. Note what your body sensation and what ideas or dreams enabled you to enter that trance-like state.

4) Once you know what it feels like, work on getting to your creative space as soon as possible. When you’re proficient, it should only take 5 minutes or less.

Unlike much advice, which tells you to simply do something a certain number of times until you form a habit, these steps are only necessary until you are able to consistently achieve the brain switch.  For those who are more naturally inclined towards creativity, it may only take a couple of weeks of dedicated practice.  For others, it may takes a month or more to get it right.  The key to making this method work is to remember that positive feeling the next time you’re struggling to get yourself out the door.  You’ll not only feel better for having exercised, you’ll soon feel better while doing it too.

Jennifer Gresham is freelance writer and the founder of EveryDayBright, a blog dedicated to her musings on how to live a successful life with Optimism!

“I’ll go for a run just as soon as I finish this article. … Right, should return that call from Roger. … Well, now I’m hungry and I can’t run on an empty stomach. … Now I’m feeling too full. … Rain clouds?! Better wait and see if it clears up. … Great. It’s getting dark now. … What a shame; I really was going to have that run. There’s always tomorrow!”

We lie! To ourselves and anyone who’ll listen. You see, part of me knew I had no intention of going for that run. Actually, I honestly love to exercise. And not just because it helps me sleep deeply and increases my energy.

I know that exercise motivation doesn’t come naturally to most people. It didn’t for me. I had to work at getting and keeping myself motivated to run, do yoga, and weight-lift.

The following tips work for me (and for many of my clients who need to exercise). I know they’ll help your exercise motivation, too.

Tip 1: Don’t think; do

Don’t give yourself time to think about exercise; over-thinking saps motivation. If you scheduled exercise for 5.30 pm and find yourself thinking about it during the day, make yourself think about something else. When 5.30 comes, just do it. Analysis paralysis is not the way to exercise motivation. It’s like getting out of bed; the more you think about it, the more time you spend in bed. Just do it. There are times when it’s best not to think.

Emil Zátopek, one of the greatest middle- and long-distance runners in history, said: “If one can stick to the training throughout the many long years, then willpower is no longer a problem. It’s raining? That doesn’t matter. I am tired? That’s beside the point. It’s simply that I just have to.”

Tell yourself your upcoming exercise session is ‘non-negotiable’. Are you a contender or not?

But if you do start thinking about not doing it …

Tip 2: Imagine how not exercising will make you feel

This is a strange one. After all, most motivators try to get you to focus on how great you’ll feel (which also works). But this tip is shockingly effective.

If you find yourself trying to squirm out of exercise, focus on how you’d feel later if you didn’t exercise. If you don’t go for that walk, yoga, or aerobics session, you feel: disappointment in yourself, weakness, the lack of ‘feel good’ chemicals that would be circulating if only you’d been motivated enough to exercise.

Strongly imagining how you’ll feel if you don’t fulfil your scheduled exercise session may be enough to propel you into action. And, really, there is only ever one exercise session to think about.

Constantly telling yourself, ”I have to exercise three times a week” or ”every day” can feel overwhelming. Why do that? Just tell yourself, ”I am going to exercise today.” That’s all. All those single exercise sessions soon add up.

Tip 3: Remember the wonderful physical benefits of exercise

• Improved heart and lung function
• Healthier complexion
• Better sex life (and more chance of getting one!)
• Better digestion (and bowel function)
• Brighter eyes
• Slimmer and more toned body
• Deeper, more refreshing sleep
• More attractive appearance
• Increased youthfulness
• More efficient metabolism – you even burn more calories between exercise sessions!

I love the thought that, for almost twenty-four hours after an exercise session, you’re burning off more calories than you would have been. Even while sleeping!

Re-read this list between exercise sessions. Keep it fresh in your mind.

Tip 4: Remember the plentiful psychological benefits of regular exercise

• Better mood: Physical movement is the quickest way to produce serotonin (the brain’s ‘happiness chemical’). The more intense the movement, the higher the production of serotonin. Regular exercise three times a week has been found to be more effective at lifting depression than taking antidepressants (1).
• Self-confidence: Regular exercise gives you a sense of self-mastery, increased confidence, and higher self-esteem. This can have knock-on benefits to other areas of life.
• Stress management: Exercise makes you better at dealing with stress. Under pressure, fit people show less physical tension and a lower resting heart rate than less fit individuals.
• Increased intelligence: Working out improves your brain’s performance as well as your body. You can become smarter, and improve your memory and other mental functions! Chess champions often up their physical exercise program before big tournaments.

Tip 5: Vary your exercise routine

Take a week off from the gym or the aerobics class and go jogging in the park instead to get the additional mood-boosting effects of being in nature. A night of dancing is also great exercise. Do some gardening. Take the dog out for a run. Mix it up. Variation is the spice of exercise motivation.

Tip 6: Visualize yourself exercising

The body does what the mind envisions. You are much more likely to do something – anything – if you first strongly imagine seeing yourself doing it (2). The better able you are to visualize yourself exercising (as if watching yourself from the outside), the more motivated you’ll actually be to do it. You’ll have set yourself a mental blueprint that now wants to be activated.

Happily, I’m now at the point where I don’t actually have to feel super-motivated to exercise; it’s something I just do. And I feel bad if I don’t do it. Imagine not cleaning your teeth for a few days. You’d probably be quite keen to get back to it.

Right. With all this in mind, I’m feeling extremely motivated and am off for my daily run. : ) (Seriously.)

Mark Tyrrell is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain,  therapist, trainer and author. He has written thousands of articles on self help and personal development, many of which can be found at his website UncommonHelp.me

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(1) James A. Blumenthal, Ph.D. and his colleagues surprised many people in 1999 when they demonstrated that regular exercise is more effective than antidepressant medications for patients with major depression.  The researchers studied 156 older adults diagnosed with major depression, assigning them to receive the antidepressant Zoloft (setraline), 30 minutes of exercise three times a week, or both. According to Blumenthal, “Our findings suggest that a modest exercise program is an effective, robust treatment for patients with major depression who are positively inclined to participate in it.  The benefits of exercise are likely to endure particularly among those who adopt it as a regular, ongoing life activity.” A follow-up study in 2000 showed that patients who maintained their exercise patterns were doing much better than those who were just taking medication.

(2) Psychologist Lisa Libby, Ph.D. and colleagues found that participants in her research were much more likely to vote if they had first visualized themselves voting from a third-person perspective. Visualizing ourselves doing something primes the brain and body to actually do it.

A few years ago my grandfather died from prostate cancer. It was a very sad time in my life…it all happened so quickly. Shortly after he passed I began to research ways to reduce the risk of getting cancer.

This article is based on my research as well as the latest scientific studies; it lists 10 ways in which you can reduce your risk of getting cancer.

According to the American Cancer Institute (ACI), approximately 550,000 Americans die from cancer each year. The ACI estimates that one-third of these deaths could be prevented through relatively simple lifestyle changes, such as:

• Losing weight
• Eating healthier, or
• Starting an exercise routine

Below is an expanded list of things you can do to reduce your risk of getting cancer:

1. Enjoy Green Tea on a Regular Basis

A recent study suggested that drinking 3 cups of green tea a day can reduce breast cancer risk by 40 percent.

Green tea contains anti-oxidants which research suggests helps to rid the body of free radicals (which can cause cell mutation).

Green tea may also reduce your risk of rectum, liver, pancreas, stomach and colon cancer.

2. Reduce Alcohol Consumption

Sorry guys and gals, but research continues to suggest that higher alcohol consumption is associated with higher cancer risk.

It is recommended that women consume no more than one drink a day, and men, no more than two drinks per day. A drink is defined as:

• 12 ounces of beer
• 5 ounces of wine
• 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits

Studies suggest that drinking alcohol increases your risk for breast, throat, mouth, liver, larynx, colon, rectum and esophagus cancer. Women who are at a higher risk of obtaining breast cancer may choose to abstain from drinking alcohol altogether.

3. Protect Your Skin from the Sun’s Rays

Not only is skin cancer one of the most prevalent cancers, it’s also among the most preventable, which is good news.

The most common cause of skin cancer is:

• Unprotected exposure to the sun’s rays, which explains why skin cancer is typically seen on exposed portions of the skin (including your face and hands)

More good news:

• Virtually all skin cancer is treatable if detected in the early stages.

However, ideally you want to avoid getting skin cancer in the first place. Here are some tips to help you prevent getting skin cancer:

• Use a daily sunscreen
• Avoid tanning beds
• Avoid the sun’s rays between 10am and 4pm
• Wear light colored loose-fitting clothes that protect your skin

4. Drink Plenty of Water

This is an easy one.

Research suggests that drinking plenty of water may reduce your risk of getting bladder cancer. Why? Water dilutes the cancerous agents in your urine, thereby reducing the time period these agents are in contact with your bladder.

Additionally, drinking lots of water will aid in the elimination of toxins from your body.

Research suggests that consistent dehydration may be linked to urinary tract, colon, and breast cancer.

It is recommended that you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, more if you’re active.

5. Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables

The single most critical step you can take to reduce your risk of getting cancer is to consume a variety of raw fruits and vegetables (on a daily basis). The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that two-thirds of your meal come in the form of fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables contain substances such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, carotenes, flavanoids and enzymes which protect your cells.

Fruits and vegetables also contain anti-oxidants (e.g. vitamin C, vitamin E, etc.) which help rid the body of toxic free radicals.

6. Lower Your Sugar Intake

Sweets and candy bars are filled with sugar, (salt and fat) that significantly raise your caloric intake while offering you very little nutritional value.

The “sugar” in these products are swiftly absorbed into your blood, raising your “blood-sugar” levels and consequently your insulin levels. High insulin levels may enhance the growth of some cancerous cells (i.e. prostate, lung, colon and breast).

Sugar also promotes obesity, which increases the risk of cancer.

Try to avoid foods with:

• Sugar (i.e. glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, maltose, etc.)
• Fat, and
• Salt

Also try to avoid soft drinks (e.g. Coke).

7. Eat Less Meat

Reducing the amount of processed meats you eat (e.g. hot dogs, bologna, and luncheon meat) and red meats (e.g. beef, pork and lamb) may help reduce the risk of colon and prostate cancers.

Research confirms that the higher your intake of meat and other animal products, the higher your risk of cancer. Meat lacks the antioxidants and nutrients that protect you from cancer, and it contains saturated fat, which damages your cell membranes, and other potentially cancer-causing compounds, like pesticide residues.

To reduce your risk for cancer, limit your intake to 4 ounces or less of red meat daily (which is approximately the size of a deck of cards).

8. Get Active and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Besides kicking the “smoking habit,” the best way to reduce your risk of cancer is to:

• Get Active
• Maintain a Healthy Weight, and
• Choose Healthy Foods

It is recommended that you workout for at least 30 minutes a day, on most days. Your workout may consist of:

• Working in the yard, and/or a
• Brisk walk in your neighborhood

Sustaining a healthy weight and exercising daily will aid in cancer prevention.

Remember, being overweight is likely to increase your risk of:

• Breast
• Kidney
• Stomach
• Colon,
• Esophagus
• Stomach, and
• Uterus cancer

9. Eat More Whole Grains

Try to get at least three servings of whole grain foods daily. A diet rich in whole grains may reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancers.

Here are a few easy ways to incorporate whole grains into your daily diet:

• Eat a bowl of oatmeal everyday
• Only eat whole-wheat breads and pastas
• Only eat brown rice

10. Limit Risky Behavior (Tobacco, Unprotected Sex, Needles [used by others])

Smoking or chewing tobacco significantly increases your cancer risk, so it’s obviously better to quit sooner rather than later.

Additionally, viruses (e.g. HPV, HIV, etc.) transmitted through unprotected sex, or from contaminated needles, increase your risk of getting certain cancers.

Lower your risk by limiting or avoiding these risky behaviors.

Get Screened

In closing, be sure to get screened. Although regular screening and self-examination may not prevent cancer, it can certainly increase your chances of early discovery. Early discovery is often helpful in treating certain cancers.

Your screening should include:

• Colon
• Mouth
• Rectum
• Skin
• Prostate – men
• Testes – men
• Cervix – women
• Breast – women

Thank you for reading and be sure to share this article with those you care about!

Resources: www.mayoclinic.com, www.health.msn.com

About the author: this guest post was written by Mr. Self Development. Please support Mr. Self Development by subscribing to his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com; Mr. Self Development is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth.

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If you’re ever going to achieve your ideal weight, you’re going to have to develop a diet plan that you can do “forever.” Of course, people often get excited when they first start a new diet plan, but this excitement often wanes within a few weeks.

They say “success leaves clues;” people who consistently follow their diet plan have several things in common. I’ve written this article as a way to identify the signs of a good diet plan.

If these signs are not present in your current diet, you may want to make some adjustments to your plan.

Here are the 5 Signs That Your Diet Plan Will Last:

1. You Love Your Diet Plan – Want to know if your new healthy diet plan will last? Ask yourself, “Do I love this plan?” If you’re excited about your daily food choices and how much you get to eat, you probably will remain on your diet for a long time.

However, if you have to force yourself to eat the foods associated with your diet, your plan will probably fail explicably. It’s almost impossible to consistently do something you despise. Why? Because the “raging current” of your desires will always pull you in their direction. The secret is to either change your desires, or find a plan that reasonably supports your desires

2. Your Environment Supports Your Diet – It’s easy for me remain on a raw food diet during the day, because my wife is on the same diet. When we go to the grocery store, we buy plenty of raw foods, there’s always an abundance of choices. I live in an environment that supports my diet plan. I even have friends who are on the same diet, being with these friends give me additional support.

However, if everyone I knew ate snacks and fried foods all day, everyday, it would be very difficult for me to stay on track. Not impossible, but difficult.

The key here is to find friends, family members, or associates who support your diet so you can create an environment where your diet plan can flourish. You don’t need everyone you know on the plan, but support is always beneficial.

3. Your Diet Produces Daily Rewards – If you’re not receiving daily or at least weekly benefits from your diet, why would you continue? Every morning when I eat my “kiwis or apples” and drink my “green tea,” it puts a smile on my face.

Additionally, when I weigh myself every morning, I can see results and the benefits of my diet. Benefits give you the motivation you need to succeed. These benefits may come in the form of additional energy, mental clarity, weight maintenance, weight loss or weight gain.

Your diet plan must consistently provide you with benefits.

4. Your Plan Includes a Workout Routine – A daily, or almost daily workout routine is a constant reminder, to keep your diet going and it also helps you to see the benefits at a faster rate, thus allowing you additional motivation to continue your diet program.

5. Your Diet Includes Personal Goals – Last, but never least, is setting goals. Your diet plan needs to be centered around your goals. Goals give you something to aim for, and they also serve to motivate you into action.

A goal of maintaining your weight in the range of 163-164 pounds (as an example), gives you reason to continue your diet plan. You know that if you venture off to far from your plan, you won’t make your daily goal. This constant reminder of having a goal will help to keep you on track.

In Closing

Now you know the secret to developing a consistent diet plan. If your current diet doesn’t include the traits above you may want to make some changes. Do your research and find a permanent (doctor approved) diet plan that will work for you. Just having a written plan of what you can and cannot eat will go a long way in keeping you on track. Thank you for reading.

If you have any additional comments please include them in the comments section below.

Mr. Self Development is an author who teaches a practical guide to success and wealth. Please visit him at Mr. Self Development.com. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, then you may want to subscribe to his feed, follow him on Twitter, or read one of his most popular articles, “How I Manifested a Seven Bedroom Home at 24.”

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We know that exercise is good for the body, but it’s also incredibly good for the brain. As the authors of “The Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fitness: 18 Interviews with Scientists, Practical Advice, and Product Reviews to Keep Your Brain Sharp” point out, physical exercise is one of the four pillars of brain fitness, the other three being good nutrition, stress management, and mental stimulation.  Exercise gets rid of harmful stress chemicals and it boosts problem-solving, planning, and attention. Getting more exercise will help you improve your cognitive functions whether you’re a high school or college student, part of the work force, or an elderly person in retirement.

Below you’ll find interesting data from two books, filled with information on how our brains work, which describe the science behind the discovery that our brain functions much better when we exercise.   

The First Brain Rule is to Exercise In the New York Times bestseller “Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School”, Dr. John Medina—a developmental molecular biologist focused on the genes involved in human brain development—shares 12 rules that will improve the functioning of  your brain so that you can get the most out of it.  He explains that the first rule for getting your brain to work at its best is to exercise.  Dr. Medina argues that if we were to design an almost perfect anti-brain environment, it would look like our current classrooms and work cubicles.

Why?

Because a protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)–which builds and nourishes the infrastructure of cell circuitry in the brain—is created when you’re physically active. Dr. Medina basically calls BDNF brain fertilizer, and he equates a group of kids sitting around in a classroom listening to a lecture, or an employee sitting in a cramped cubicle typing away at his computer, with a light bulb that is turned off. However, when the kids are out on the playground, or the employee is walking to work, the light bulb is turned on.    He suggests that employees have “walking meetings” in a treadmill conference room, that they move around the office as they speak on the phone, or that they sit on exercise balls and bounce up and down as they read their e-mails.  Creative solutions can also be found to get kids in the classroom to be more physically active.

In addition, Dr. Medina explains that in 18 studies of older adults, those who exercised outperformed those who did not in long-term memory, reasoning, attention, problem-solving, abstract thinking, and more. He goes on to say that an active lifestyle means half the risk of dementia and half the risk of cognitive impairment for these older adults. In this time of increased longevity, regular exercise is an important protective element against the progression of age, if we hope to live not just longer, but better.

Two more reasons why exercise improves cognition are the following: First, exercise increases oxygen flow to the brain, which reduces brain-bound free radicals. In addition, in order to get more oxygen to the brain, you need more blood vessels, and exercise increases and deepens blood vessels. And second, exercise acts directly on the molecular machinery of the brain itself; it increases neurons’ creation, survival, and resistance to damage and stress.

How Exercise Promotes Learning In “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain”, Dr. John Ratey, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, contends that “exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize brain function.”  In his book, he explains how sustained aerobic exercise promotes learning in three main ways. First,exercise activates the executive functioning area of the brain, or the frontal cortex.  This activation makes people more attentive, less impulsive, and less fidgety.  When someone can sustain their attention for a longer period of time, it promotes their ability to sort though information and better absorb it. Dr. Ratey explains that the second way in which exercise improves the functioning of the brain is that it improves the environment in which the nerve cells in our brains live.  It does this by promoting the release of neurotransmitters, hormones, and other elements of brain chemistry which help prime these cells to perform their functions efficiently.

Third, exercise promotes neurogenesis, or the process of growing new brain cells. Although for many years it was believed that the number of neurons  in the adult brain remained fixed, research conducted in the last few years has shown otherwise.  Specifically, exercise adds more brain cells in the area of the brain which has to do with learning and memory, which is an areacalled the hippocampus, also known as “The Grand Central Station” for memory. In fact, Dr. Ratey goes on to say that there’s nothing that we know of that adds new brain cells better than exercise.

So, for how long should you exercise? Dr. Ratey recommends that you exercise about thirty minutes a day, almost daily.

As an aside, teachers and parents will want to read about the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois–documented in“Spark”–which put the local school district of 19,000 kids first in the world in science test scores. Conclusion As Dr. Medina points out, exercise strengthens muscles and bones, reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s, regulates appetite, improves fluid intelligence, decreases risk for heart disease, decreases chances of diabetes, improves long-term memory, and has many more benefits.  For your body’s health, and for your brain’s health, make exercising a part of your regular routine.  Be sure to check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Marelisa Fábrega is a guest blogger for PickTheBrain.  She blogs about creativity, productivity, and simplifying your life over at Abundance Blog at MarelisaOnline.

Marelisa is the author of the ebook “How to Be More Creative – A Handbook forAlchemists”

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