News :
How to increase your odds of increasing your fitness
GARRNETT NEWS SERVICE, June 14 2005
-- The timing of when you start a new diet or fitness plan may be the
best predictor of how you'll fare. Fitness Magazine shows you how to
figure out the right time for you.
• Your attitude is at an all-time high.
People who have a positive outlook are always more successful
in making healthful dietary changes and losing weight. This doesn't
mean you have to walk around every minute of every day with a smile
plastered on your face. It does mean that you should develop an unshakable
belief in your ability to reach your eating goals, whether it's simply
boosting your intake of fruits and vegetables or losing a specific amount
of weight. It's the power of persuasion. If you have confidence that
you'll succeed, you will.
• You're tired of feeling tired.
A study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition
found that the No. 1 motivator for making healthful dietary changes
is to feel better physically. When your body is run-down, improving
your diet can have an immediate impact on your energy level and sense
of well-being. That instant payback can help maintain your motivation.
• You get engaged.
Any big life event has the potential to spark your motivation
to eat better. An engagement comes with a bonus: a built-in goal date
- your wedding day. Plus, when you're a bride-to-be, it seems like everyone
wants to help you look and feel your best. That enthusiasm can be a
godsend. Several studies have linked strong social support, whether
from friends or family, to successful long-term weight management. If
you're single (and happy that way, thank you very much), pick a goal
date six months down the road and plan to lose 10 percent of your body
weight. Or aim to drop a pound a week and set your goal date accordingly.
Send out invitations to all your friends for a barbecue or cocktail
party on that day. Voila: instant motivation - and no husband hunting
required!
• You adopt a dog.
Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital Wellness
Institute in Chicago found that dog owners significantly boost their
activity level and motivation to eat healthfully and remain active.
Take advantage of the built-in walking time by adding lunges to your
strolls or doing squats while Fido does his business.
• Your biological clock starts ticking.
Women need to prepare nutritionally so they can be
in the best possible health when they become pregnant. Indeed, excess
dietary fat and insufficient fruit, vegetable and dairy intake were
associated with an increased risk of miscarriage in a study published
in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive
Biology. As soon as you consider getting pregnant, set goals, such as
incorporating more nutrient-rich veggies into meals and choosing fruit
as snacks.
(source :
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic)
