The Ezine For Every Woman Struggling For The Body She’s Always Dreamed Of!

April 14, 2003

Issue # 13

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Contents

1. Ten Fitness Obstacles and Their Solutions

2. Get the best out of your crunches

3. Vegetables and Orzo

4. Quote of the day

5. Off topic

1. Ten Fitness Obstacles and Their Solutions

By Edel Jarboe

Obstacle #1: "I don't feel like working out today."

Whenever you feel tempted to skip your exercise routine or to put starting one off altogether, remind yourself of the reasons why you want to exercise. Write it down on an index card and read it whenever you feel like blowing off your health. Why do you want to get fit? How will being in shape benefit your life?

Obstacle #2: "I'm just not motivated to exercise."

Setting specific daily or weekly fitness goals helps you to focus on your performance and keeps you motivated. For example, committing to working out four days a week or walking five miles gives you a specific fitness target to aim for and makes it easier for you to make the time to exercise. It is also helpful to keep a record of your fitness performance so that you can up the stakes and stay challenged. Most importantly, you can provide ongoing motivation by rewarding yourself at the end of each week or month with a pedicure, massage, or new workout gear.

Obstacle #3: "I don't have time to exercise."

Schedule your fitness workouts for the week with a specific time, location, and activity. When you do this, you eliminate the excuse of not having enough time to workout. Quite simply, you make the time and honor this appointment with yourself.

Obstacle #4: "I have a hard time staying motivated."

Keep a workout journal. Tracking your progress helps you to see how far you've come. Record the date, activity, how long you worked out or how many reps you completed, and how you felt afterward. You could also keep track of your measurements and how you feel about your body as it becomes stronger and leaner.

Obstacle #5: "I'm too busy to exercise."

On crazy-busy days, instead of skipping your workout, do a mini- version of it. For example, if you don't have time for your usual one-hour step video, scale it down to 30 minutes using just the of warm-up and the beginner's level. Not only will you feel good about yourself but you will also maintain your fitness schedule. Being too busy is no longer an excuse because you can also take a couple of 10 or 15-minute fitness breaks during the day. Even on our busiest days we can find at least this much time for ourselves. The point is to keep moving so that we don't start using this excuse all the time and sabotage our fitness plan.

Obstacle #6: "I got sick and haven't exercised in months."

Always have a backup fitness plan. Be creative and come up with alternative fitness solutions for when you are out of town, bored, or in a time crunch. Planning for setbacks keeps you in control of your fitness. Working out before you go to work, at lunchtime, or adding a new activity to your fitness repertoire are all good solutions to the above fitness obstacles.

Obstacle #7: "I'm not a fitness buff. I don't really like to exercise."

Develop a fitness mindset anyway. When you see yourself as a walker, runner, or a step video queen exercise becomes second nature. How can you identify yourself as a fitness buff? Keep a regular exercise schedule and make your workout time as important as the other areas of your life.

Obstacle #8: "I don't like working out alone."

Find a workout buddy. Having someone else there on your road to fitness makes workouts more fun and adds the spirit of competition to your routine. You also keep each other motivated. Make sure your exercise partner has the same fitness goals and that you both commit to a regular workout schedule.

Obstacle #9: "I'm bored with my exercise routine."

Okay, so you've gotten your exercise routine down. Four times a week you run the same five miles. Yawn. Suddenly you don't feel like going for your run anymore. Spice it up. Look for new ways to make your workout fun and exciting. Try a new route or cross train. Alternate your running days with spinning classes, hiking, or rock climbing.

Obstacle #10: "I'll always be out of shape."

Acknowledge that your fitness is under your control and that you have the power to take charge of your health. Believe that you can make it happen.

Copyright © 2001 by Edel Jarboe. All Rights Reserved.

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About the Author: Edel Jarboe is the founder of Self Help for Her.com (http://www.selfhelpforher.com), an online self-help magazine helping you create a better life. She also publishes a free weekly newsletter, which features advice on goal setting, stress management, coping with difficult people, and overcoming obstacles: Subscribe (mailto:subscribe@selfhelpforher.com) and receive a FREE stress report.

2. Get the best out of your crunches

There are pros and cons to using your gym's abdominal crunch machines. They can be a nice change of pace from floor crunches; they also enable you to increase the weight as you become stronger. Depending on their design, however, some crunch machines make it easier for you to rely (unintentionally) on other muscle groups - such as your hips or legs - rather than working the abs themselves as much as possible.

Here are some pointers for getting the most from your time on the crunch machine:

- Move slowly both during the bend and the return to your upright position.

- Keep your neck in a neutral position; do not bend it backward or forward.

- Don't perform the crunch primarily by pushing down on the arm pad.

Instead, concentrate on doing the crunch by contracting your abs.

3. Vegetables and Orzo

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:

- 1 cup whole-wheat orzo pasta, uncooked

- 1 cup vegetable stock

- 1 zucchini, sliced

- 1 carrot, diced

- 1 onion, diced

- 1 cup eggplant, peeled and diced

Directions:

- Cook orzo according to package directions.

- Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan and add remaining ingredients and sauté 5-10 minutes.

- Mix orzo and vegetables and serve.

Nutritional Information:

- Serving size: 1 cup

- Calories: 190

- Fat: 1 g

- Cholesterol: 0 mg

- Protein: 8 g

- Carbohydrates: 35 g

- Fiber: 6 g

- Sodium: 20 mg

This is a sample of a GHF Diet Recipe - you'll find others by clicking here

4. Quote of the day

* When the past tries to dominate your thoughts, let your dreams ignite your day.

* No one can predict to what heights you can soar. Even you will not know until you spread your wings.

* Don't dream up thousands of reasons why you can't do what you want to; find one reason why you can.

* Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has courage to lose sight of the shore.

~~~ Source Unknown

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Marion