Motivational moments are those tiny gusts of motivation that hit you for a minute and if you aren’t quick enough to grasp them they are gone like tiny sands in the wind. These tidbits of motivation come from various sources. I may look out the window and spot a butterfly moving from flower to flower, or see one neighbor helping another. I may watch a football game and feel motivated from the team spirit or listen to a heartfelt story of someone’s struggles that emulate my own challenges.

These motivational moments are not unique to my world and my life. Each and every one of us is blessed by these occurrences every day. It is how we use these occurrences that determine whether or not we are taking advantage of the motivational moments in our lives.

Motivational moments or any type of motivation is the key to sticking with your diet and exercise program. As a women’s fitness trainer, I have seen so many women who start out motivated to lose weight and they stay that way for about the first 30 to 45 days. During that time, they are full of enthusiasm and usually proud of the weight they are losing. However, around the 7th week or close to the 45-day period, the weight loss hits a plateau and they become discouraged because they aren’t experiencing the same euphoric success they felt in the beginning. These women are literally starving for some motivation to keep them going and when they don’t find it, many give up and return to a sedentary lifestyle.

Although I try to head off these low points and offer lots of encouragement to the women I work with, I know how hard it is to stay motivated in the face of low to no results. Women start to feel as if they are exercising more than ever and eating less than ever but still not achieving the weight loss goal that they have set for themselves. The good news is that if you switch to a healthy diet and combine that with an active lifestyle, you will do much more than drop a dress size. Every part of your body will benefit from these healthy changes.

Your motivational moments can turn into a motivated and purposeful life. Once you harness the power of self-motivation, you can be a motivational guru to those around you. People looking for motivation will see the enthusiasm that you have for life and will want to achieve the confidence and improved self-esteem that is apparent in everything that you do.

Journaling is the act of keeping a journal. While there are all sorts of journals, like work journals, travel journals, or personal journals much like diaries, the journaling I am referring to is a fitness journal. Within the pages of a fitness journal, I record everything that I eat and everything that I drink. I record my physical activities such as my strength training sessions and my cardio workouts. I make notes of the level and intensity of each exercise and write down how much time I spend walking, running and playing.

There are many advantages to keeping a fitness journal. It gives me a starting point and helps me to visualize my goals. The very act of writing these acts in a book, make them more of a reality than if I just keep it all in my head. When I am ready to take my workout to the next level, I write these goals in my journal and then form a plan to make them happen. It’s not always easy, it’s not always convenient, but I truly believe that it helps me.

It has been proven time and again, that people who keep a journal of every thing they consume and all the activities they do to burn off calories have a far better chance of success in losing weight and getting in shape than those who do not. It’s such an easy and rewarding activity and it really does help to validate your fitness goals.

You can purchase a journal with pages that can be removed or added or you can just use a composition notebook. In this digital age, many women prefer using their phones or computer to record their food consumption and workouts. I prefer the old school method of actually taking pen to paper and writing. I enjoy writing and the act of journaling both soothes and energizes me in so many ways.

The wonderful thing about writing down your goals, is reading them later and reflecting on how much hard work, commitment and dedication it takes to achieve the goals that you set for yourself. Begin journaling today and you can turn your dreams into reality.

Eating unhealthy foods can cause stomach disorders, weight gain, bloating or cause blood pressure or sugar levels to rise. Overeating can result in a distended stomach and done repeatedly will cause your belly to grow larger and stretch to accommodate these occurrences. Prolonged binge eating can cause many other physical ailments but the underlying emotional damage is sometimes even more dangerous.

When you overeat, you are eating out of control. Anytime we aren’t totally in control of our lives, we can become emotionally distraught or depressed. Looking for the reasons behind the need to binge will help you to overcome these symptoms but if you have been suffering from this ailment for a while, you might want to consult a medical professional.

Binging as a result of dieting is something different than binging to fill an emotional void. In this article, I am referring to the urge to binge on foods that you are trying to avoid. Many times when starting a new diet, we find ourselves overcome with cravings for the very foods we have sworn to abstain from. If this happens, it’s better to give in a little than overcome with the need to binge.

A great way to overcome the urge to binge is by eating 5 meals a day instead of just 3. If you just add 2 snacks a day, you can keep your body satisfied and vary the types of food that you eat. Maybe you love a milk shake but have decided that the saturated fat content and calories are just too much to allow in your diet. Try substituting with yogurt and fruit for a fruit smoothie. Make it a smaller portion and enjoy it between meals for a healthy snack. This alternative will satisfy your emotional and physical needs when you are craving a comfort food that is sweet and creamy.

Be creative with your meals and plan them ahead of time. The less uncertainty there is in your diet the less chance you will fall to cravings and urges to binge. Hang your day or week meal plan on the refrigerator along side of a picture of what you want to look like. Little steps like this will help to keep you inspired and help to make your diet a success.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, can be defined as a 10- to 20-minute workout that alternates short, intense bursts of activity with moderate-exertion recovery periods. It is one of the best ways to stimulate your hormones for a fat burning benefit that lasts for hours after the workout is completed. High-intensity training also strengthens your heart and helps you to build and sculpt muscles, while improving your overall women’s fitness.

Here’s what you can expect when beginning any high-intensity interval training class. A HIIT workout consists of a warm-up period of exercise, followed by six to ten repetitions of high intensity exercise, separated by medium intensity exercise, and ending with a period of cool down exercise. The high intensity exercise should be done at near maximum intensity. The medium exercise should be about 50% intensity. The number of repetitions and length of each depends on the exercise. The goal is to perform at least six exercises, and the entire HIIT workout should last about fifteen minutes but not more than twenty.

Workouts aren’t meant to be comfortable. Research shows that brief and intense workouts trump slow and steady. An exercise that is actually producing results should challenge your body to be better, stronger, leaner, and longer. If you are wondering if your workout is intense enough, you need only to look to your body for clues. Good indicators are sweating, increased heart rate, and lactic acid production during exercise. Lactic acid produces that burning feeling in your muscles. You really do need to feel the burn. Moderate muscle soreness for up to a few days post-workout is also a good sign, but not the kind of pain that results from an overstressed muscle.

For overall muscle health, stretch your muscles to strengthen them and improve flexibility. This will help to minimize injuries. Many times when women start a new exercise program they become overzealous and exercise so intensely that they end up hurting themselves. Injuries can then disrupt your otherwise healthy women’s fitness program, not to mention causing intense pain.

Now is the time to take your workout to the next level. Whether you choose to increase weights, prolong the amount of time you workout, or go for the gold and actually get it done this year, consider high intensity interval training as a way to take your body from great to fabulous. You just might lose some weight and will certainly boost your confidence.

When you want to take your women’s fitness workout to the next level, you want to focus on your success. Each week, make a plan to increase an area of your workout and follow this with positive affirmations that confirm your accomplishment. For instance, if you have begun adding weights, your affirmation to focus on would be that you are getting stronger. Another affirmation could be that your arms are looking better or that your legs are looking leaner.

If you are trying to lose weight keep in mind that the number on the scale is not the only important factor. That number will change eventually. Other indicators to note are how your clothes are fitting—are they fitting better, looser? Do you feel stronger, sexier and prettier? Tell yourself these things. Focus on these positive aspects.

Affirmations have a power all of their own because they help your brain to focus on the positive. When you want to accomplish a task, it is important that your mind is in tune with your physical body because it is responsible for the hormones that control emotions and physical sensations such as hunger. It also has much to do with our strength and ability to win or lose in competition. If you think you can or if you think you can’t, your mind will believe you.

I am stronger.
I will work out today.
Today, I will walk an extra mile.
Today, I will run instead of walk.
I will lift an extra 5 pounds today.

Write down your affirmations and repeat them to yourself. Standing in front of a mirror will bring you face to face with yourself. Look deep into your eyes and repeat your affirmations with conviction. Remember to stick to the positive and stay away from the negative. Your mind has a tendency to take the easy road, so instead of saying I will lose weight, concentrate on being thin and skinny. Focus on the positive and train your brain to do your bidding.

I’ve selected some special favorites that have some extremely good attributes when it comes to helping you lose weight and cut down on saturated fat. Reducing the amount of saturated fats and choosing nutrient rich foods that help you to feel fuller longer will make a big difference in the amount of calories that you consume.

Greek Yogurt
Great as a snack, Greek yogurt is protein rich, an 8-ounce cup containing the equivalent of 3 ounces of chicken breast. It’s low in saturated fat and has the ability to keep you fuller for a longer period of time. Greek yogurt is a comfort food that can be as enjoyable to the body and soul as a cup of ice cream. Be sure to check the sugar content as not all yogurts are made the same.

Raspberries
Red raspberries are delicious for breakfast with a handful of nuts and a dollop of yogurt. However, you can enjoy them just about any time and they contain an important compound known as raspberry ketone that helps your body burn fat faster. Raspberry ketone is the primary aroma compound of red raspberries. This compound regulates adiponectin, a protein used by the body to regulate metabolism. Raspberry ketone causes the fat within your cells to get broken up more effectively, helping your body burn fat faster.

Green Tea
Drinking green tea can help prevent the storage of excess fat, improve your appetite-regulating hormones, lower food cravings and improve the way your body metabolizes food. Recent studies indicate that guzzling green tea can help you feel full between meals. Full of a phytonutrient called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), green tea increases the hormone responsible for making you feel satiated.

Watermelon
This cool tasting fruit is wonderful on a hot summer day but it’s also a super food when it comes to losing weight. A recent study showed that women who ate water-rich foods lost 33% more weight in the first 6 months than women on a low-fat diet. Watermelon also contains vitamins A and C, as well as the “mother of all antioxidants,” glutathione, which is known to help strengthen the immune system.

If none of these foods appeal to you, there are many other fresh foods that can help you stay skinny. You can eat the foods you love as long as you don’t over consume the amount of food needed to sustain your desired weight. The secret is to choose healthy foods that you love to eat and begin to integrate them into your diet.

Remember to eat more often if you want to stay skinny. Eating 5 meals a day instead of 3 meals a day can actually help you lose weight. Rather than consuming all of your calories in 3 meals, you will spread them out over the 5 meals. This way you can better control your hunger and food cravings. Also, make a habit of snacking on fruit or veggies rather than chips or candy. Small steps, little changes day by day will keep you skinny for life without having to give up the foods you love.

Serves 4

1 head of lettuce / whole romaine good for wraps
1 Tbsp light or low fat mayo
1/4 fat-free sour cream
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 cups cooked, cut-up chicken (white meat)
1/2 cup celery, cut-up
2 green onions, cut-up
1/2 cup unsalted cashew pieces

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, mayo, sour cream, garlic and mix well.
2. Put salad mixture and chicken in large bowl gently tossing till blended.
3. Serve over lettuce leaves.
4. Add cashews on top.

Health Benefits:
Chicken is a low fat and delicious meat that satisfies the appetite; it’s low in calories and a great source of protein. Cashews are also high in protein and a healthy mainstay to enjoy as a snack or a topping for meats, vegetables, yogurts, salads, oatmeal or pasta. Lettuce leaves round out this salad and add fiber and all kinds of nutrients. A good source of beta carotene, folate, manganese, iron and Vitamins C, K, and A.

Not getting enough sleep can be dangerous for your health. Sleep deprivation can interfere in the ability to focus, keeping you from being alert when you need to be. This can be increasingly dangerous when driving a car or operating large machinery. But not getting adequate sleep, even by shaving off an hour or two each night can lead to serious health issues and may even keep you from being able to lose weight.

Sleep is important to a woman’s body in particular. When a woman doesn’t get enough sleep, she puts her face in jeopardy too. Lines and wrinkles can look more prominent on a face that is puffy or swollen from sleeplessness. A woman’s body needs sleep in order to reduce inflammation and to decrease stress. These factors can wreak havoc on the complexion.

But vanity aside, when we don’t get enough sleep, we feel tired. Feeling tired, especially day after day, can leave us feeling grumpy and unhappy too. When we feel tired all of the time, it deprives us of our creativity and critical thinking. We are just to tired to think and that can lead to unhappiness and a decrease in production both in our professional and personal lives.

I know many times there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. It’s easy to just delay bedtime by an hour or two to finish a project or clean the house, however, the following day you may feel so tired that you actually get less done than you would have if you had all your strength to go at full speed.

Make a point of getting into bed at a specific time each night. Come up with the same routines closer to bed to train your mind and body to wind down and relax at this time each day. Warm baths, reading, soothing music or sweet love making are all wonderful ways to get your body ready for bedtime.

Both type of fruit are healthy choices, both supply much needed vitamins and nutrients and both are good for the heart. Depending on your own personal tastes, whether choosing apples of oranges, each is delicious and easy to eat for any meal at home or on the go.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
This is no myth. Eating an apple a day is a sweet way to eat healthy. Apples contain flavonoids, which are awesome antioxidants that zap free radicals and reduce inflammation. Reducing inflammation helps to guard your body from diseases and other illnesses.

As often as possible, eat the peeling of the apple too. Many of the nutrients in the apple are located in the peeling and it helps to add fiber too. Apples helps to break down foods in the digestive system and alleviates constipation.

Oranges are nature’s sunshine.
These citrus beauties remind me of a big ball of sunshine. So bright and pretty, a bowl of oranges makes a great table decoration. However, with their refreshingly sweet taste and bountiful health benefits, a bowl full usually doesn’t last long, at least not at my house.

A great source of vitamin C and potassium, the juice from the orange is an excellent way to start the day. Low in saturated fat, the citric acid aids in digestion and oranges are also high in fiber that’s why drinking orange juice is such a healthy breakfast juice.

Comparing apples to oranges, both are high in fiber and nutrients. Although each tastes different, they go great together in a fruit salad. However, because both are acidic, they usually need a non-citric food like bananas or honey melon to cut the effects of the citric acid. Low fat, low calories, low in sodium and low in calories, apples and oranges are the popular choice among many.

If you plan to go to the gym or play tennis three times a week, you must record it on your calendar, arrange for a time that you will do your activity and then plan the rest of your schedule around your workout. Now, that may be different than anything you have ever done. Planning your schedule around your workout. But if you want to be successful and make women’s fitness a permanent part of your life, then you have to make it as important as going to work. You must be committed, dedicated and believe that this is something that is vital to your health and longevity.

When planning your workout, be sure to challenge your skills by setting goals for yourself. You can make short term goals like adding more reps or sets and you can make longer term goals for more intense training like adding circuits.

The important thing is to make a plan, and one way to help you make and keep that plan of action is to keep a fitness journal. Journaling helps to bring about positive changes in your life by making you accountable for everything you eat and drink and the amount of energy expended to burn calories and fat.

After a long hard day, going to the gym might be the last thing you want to do. This is why planning your workout is so important, especially if your goal is to lose weight and get in shape. For many of us, losing weight and staying fit lifestyle changes that we want to make permanently. Planning your workout in advance is one way of ensuring that you stick with these goals.

Record your plan in writing and make several copies. Attach one to the refrigerator, put one in your purse and take another one to work with you. Like any other important activity, if you want to make exercise work for you, you must treat it with respect and make it a priority in your life. Make plans today to begin planning your workout for tomorrow, it’s that sort of commitment that will help you achieve your goals.