Are You at a Healthy Size....

12, 14, 16? This is a critical question.

I know many women that may not be small in their dress size but they are healthy and fit and take care of themselves. Unfortunately I know too many people that are larger but not in a healthy shape. This seems to be too much of our country today.

Not everyone is meant to be a size 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, but it is how you take care of yourself that counts. Do you exercise most days of the week? Do you most of the time eat healthy and choose food
wisely? Are you conscious of your portion sizes?

If this sounds like you and your clothes size is larger then this may be your natural body weight. For some this is hard to accept especially when we see magazine models and movie stars always so small.

The most important thing to remember is your health. Taking care to stay fit and strong, making good food choices is what every BODY needs, no matter what your size may turn out to be.

Don't Let Cold Weather Keep You In

Burrrr! In our area it seemed to get cold overnight. The weather took a turn and it may turn back but it got me to thinking about my winter walks with my high energy dog last year.

If you are a walker you may find it very hard to get outside as the weather gets colder. Many walkers hibernate for the winter. This is especially understandable if there is snow or ice on the ground. The thought of slipping can keep the most hearty of us inside.

The key to success is planning. My first suggestion would be to try a walk when the weather gets cold. The most important part of the cold weather walk is how you are dressed. Layer it up, get gloves/mittens and hats, scarves, wind breakers and put clothes on top of other clothes. As you get warmer you can undo or remove a layer for comfort.

I hate the cold weather but my crazy dog needed to get out last year and I learned how to walk in the cold weather. It was a great accomplishment for me and made my puppy very happy too.

Another part of planning for the cold weather exercise change is to make sure you have that back up plan in place, if you can't brave the cold. Dust off the treadmill, get to the library for some exercise tapes (or buy some), find some good music you can dance to. Whatever it will take to more around inside your warm house.

Excuses

We all have them, excuses not to do something. Procrastination, good valid reasons to put off something we know we should do. Instead of doing dreaded task we find other things to do first running out of time, finding "more important" tasks.

Since this is a health and wellness blog I will apply this writing to our health. We know, many times this pertains to exercising and we all do it. "I really need to stay at work and finish this project, I need to do this with my kids instead." Whatever it is we say to ourselves to get out of exercising.

What has been your excuse not to exercise as often as you should or at all! When are you going to stop making excuses and find the answers to a healthier life?

What will it take to stop making excuses to eating healthy? "I only had a few minutes so I drove through McDonald's...I did not have time to eat today and by the time I got home I was grabbing anything I could stuff in my mouth."

My answer to excuses is to work through them. What is the excuse and what can you do differently for a better outcome?

"I only had a few minutes so I drove through McDonald's. Answer: but I got a grilled chicken sandwich." A solution to a potential bad choice in a meal.

What different answers and better solutions can you come up with to make those excuses disappear?

Find Your Answers...To Exercise

This post is for my brother... we had a lovely dinner last night and I was doing what I love to do, asking questions to my sister-in-law to help her get the answers on where in her busy life she could find time to add strength training into her workouts.

As they were leaving she said "now do your brother".

Finding time to coach and ask my brother questions can be difficult. I decided to try to help him find answers by posting the questions. Perhaps this could help YOU find answers to making time for exercise in your day, as well.

Here are some questions pertaining to adding exercise to your day, what are your answers...

1. What is it you want to change?
2. What are you doing currently?
3. What is your schedule like?
4. How much time would you like to devote to exercise during your week? Realistically!
5. What days would you schedule those workouts?
6. What would you do during this time you allotted?
7. What day will you start with this new plan?
   

Make the goal specific, pick the time, the day, the exercise...write it on your calendar or put it on your schedule. Most importantly don't go from doing no exercise at all to making a goal of exercising 5 or 6 days a week. This is not a realistic goal, you will not fulfill your promise.

If you are doing nothing start with a 2 or 3 day a week goal. If you do 2 or 3 days add one more a few weeks and another after a couple more weeks. Make the habit first, start small and work to getting in more time.

I am very happy to help anyone by asking the right questions. If these questions are not giving you the answers you need give me a call.

Debbi, WholeLife Fitness - 908-238-1185