Fight the flab

Scott Schwab:
Often times the body has a funny way of holding onto the things that are not the best for us. Similarly, our minds will do the same trick and remember some of the most odd things or things that we wish we could forget. I believe in the power of the mind and what we accomplish with belief in ourselves. The benefit and problem exists within our mind. Only we have the power to make the change.
The power of the mind
When engaging in a plan or goal or even determination to lose weight, we must realize that it is not just our body that is going to do the work. Yes your body must be present and perform the task, but the real work was done before you got to the gym or decided to do the exercise. With exercise, it is so important to have a positive image of ourselves, regardless of our size and create an action plan in our mind. Like we have talked before, if it is important write it down. Once it is written down there are a few things that you should begin focusing on:

#1 Create a schedule that works for you. Realize that this does not mean that automatically you will have the time. In fact, you will probably have to create the time. Your life is already filled with activities that you already do. Life is busy and if you do not schedule a time, the time will not schedule itself.

#2 Focus on the positive aspects of your goal, your self, and the outcome. We have talked before about beginning with the end in mind. This is true with all goals, because if you don't know where you are going, you will probably not get there. The other aspect that is essential is telling yourself that you can do it. No matter what, don't become a doubter or hater. Surrounding yourself with doubt and hate, especially towards self is detrimental. I know of nothing quicker to reduce effectiveness by telling yourself you cant, you're not good enough, or that you are inadequate. The truth is; you are great, you can do it, but it starts in your mind.

#3 Work a routine that is difficult, but something that you enjoy to do. Exercise is about pushing yourself, so make sure you are not just showing up for 20 minutes, talking for 10, go to the bathroom, and walk for 5 minutes. Yes you went to the gym, but no you will never fight the flab this way. An exercise should start slow to warm up your body and mind and then you need to hit it as hard as you can. Whether you have 30 minutes or an hour. The goal is to fully use the time you have. This is also why it is important to design in your mind what you will do when you get there. Designing the workout will help you accomplish more.

#4 Weight training and Cardiovascular work is key. More muscle, means more calories that your body will burn resting. If you want to be a fat burning machine, it is important to build muscle not take weight loss pills. You may not know the exercises that are best for you and you may feel uncomfortable around weights, but start slow and low. When you see what you can do and how your body responds, you can pick up the speed and intensity. The best method to burning calories and building lean muscle as well, is to do exercises where you keep your heart rate up and include weight bearing exercises. So if you walk, walk with weights. If you run, sprint so your body works harder. Simply put, imagine an exercise that you can do and begin to add light weight to it so you can get the most out of the action.

#5 Eating is more important than actual exercise. The reason I say this, is that flab usually comes from improper dieting and overeating. Our stomachs are the size of our fists. When was the last time that you just ate the size of your fist at a sitting? It is hard; our society, lack of time, and a whole host of other items that stand in the way of us achieving our ideal goals. However, with a little planning, you can take control. Ideally, a person should eat 6 small meals per day. It is great to eat that often because it speeds the metabolism, and you get into the habit of eating less because you know you will eat again in 2-3 hours. The worst thing for our body is to skip meals. Our bodies go into starvation mode and begin packing the flab away. So plan according to your day and your responsibilities. You don't need to spend a fortune, but plan the most realistic way of accomplishing the task.

For you, things may work and for others it does not. You will go through trial and error but that is what healthy living is all about. Remember that it is about the healthy lifestyle and longevity, not the flashes in the pan or fads or anything that is short term. If it is to easy and everyone can just take a pill or a drink, you may find yourself in a fad diet. Choose the research route. You will be happier and have better results in the long run. I am not saying diets are bad, but if there are products being taken that are unrealistic to continue after the initial period of time or products that say they will do all the work and you don't have to do anything, it is probably not going to work. Give these steps a try and start looking at health as much mentally as you do physically.