No Excuses

In our busy world, there is precious little time to eat healthfully and squeeze in daily fitness while meeting the demands of jobs and family. The idea of doing it all can be daunting -- unless you decide to adopt a "can-do" attitude and make healthy eating and exercise a priority.

You've heard it before: eat less, get more exercise, and you will lose weight. It's a very simple formula, yet so difficult to put into practice. Just about every day, most of us can find a reason why we "can't" follow this weight-loss mantra. But when having nutritious foods available, eating healthy meals, and getting physical activity truly become priorities in your life, you find the time to get the groceries, prepare the meals, and fit in fitness.

Do you really want to lose weight once and for all and improve your health? Then stop making excuses and just do it! Granted, that's easier said than done. But it's essential to have the right frame of mind if you're going to succeed.

Attitude Is Everything

Research published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise shows how well a "just do it" attitude works when it comes to getting physical. Researchers found that thinking too much about exercise conjured up all kinds of excuses. Study participants who said they simply laced up their sneakers and got going were much more successful about fitting in fitness than those who contemplated exercise. The active people made exercise a non-negotiable part of their day.

Many of the exercisers in the study had issues similar to those our members face: too much to do, too little time, job stress, family pressures, and advancing age. Regardless of the excuses, when physical activity becomes a routine part of your life, it rarely gets squeezed out.

Good Intentions, Bad Habits

Most people really want to do the right thing. Yet faced with the demands of everyday life, they find themselves slipping right back into old, unhealthy habits. Ask anyone on the street about his eating or exercise habits and chances are, he'll tell you he knows he should eat better and get more exercise, but ... and here comes the litany of excuses.

The truth of the matter is that old habits die hard. Even with the best intentions, it can be hard to break them. Over time, bad habits become automatic and increasingly more difficult to break, especially during stressful times. If you want to improve your health and lose weight, you need to slowly change those old habits so that new, healthier habits become second nature.

Join us for a meeting to learn more, or see this week's flyer.