FitSugar

Words That Move You . . .

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0800

"Goals can be elusive which makes the difficult journey all the more rewarding."
- Alberto Salazar, three-time winner of NYC Marathon, Boston Marathon winner, running coach

Need more motivation? Check out all of my words that move you.

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Speak Up: What's Your Proudest Moment?

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Recently when I was writing about Matt Damon and his triathlon, I reminisced about my own completion of a triathlon - though I did the whole thing on my own! I'm very proud of a lot of my fitness accomplishments, the triathlon being among my proudest moments, but I would have to say that my favorite achievement was just simply becoming a runner.

Years ago, I refused to run. I despised it because my endurance was not up to par and I could only run a few minutes before getting totally winded and I just hated it. After much practice and patience, I am now able to run miles on end and it feels great. Have you had a proud fitness moment? It could be as big as completing a marathon or something small such as joining a gym. Speak up and share your proudest health and/or fitness moment and maybe you'll motivate someone to reach their goal, too!

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Get Motivated: Reevaluate Your Goals

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:45:00 -0800

Bikini season is right around the corner. That's good if you've been dedicated to getting fit, or bad if you've let the cold weather get the best of you. If you fall into the category of the latter then it's time to get back on track. One way to start is by reevaluating your goals for getting fit. As the weather changes, so may your goals (à la a new bikini). Reevaluate and list all the reasons you want to shape up and then carry it around with you as a reminder. I keep my list folded up in my wallet, so I can take a peek whenever I need a little push on deciding to go to the gym or not - it pushes me when I'm feeling lazy.

So tell me, what's on your list? Write them in the comments section below.

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Words That Move You...

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:45:00 -0700

Sometimes all it takes is a few good words to get you moving...

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”

-- Benjamin E. Mays

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Speak Up: What's Your Goal?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 08:45:00 -0700

We all have different reasons for exercising and eating right, which means we all have different goals in mind as well.

I am curious what your personal goal is. It doesn't have to be big - maybe just to fit into a size six. Or maybe it's that you want to be able to chase after your toddler. Perhaps you've got a special event coming up that you want to look and feel good for. Or maybe it's as simple as going to the gym five days in one week. It could even be as broad as that you want to be healthy and live longer. A goal, no matter how big or small is still a goal.

No matter what your goal is, setting one is important. So speak up and share your personal goals in the comment section below - not only is it a good way to remind yourself of why you want to get healthy, but also it can help motivate others who are still searching for a reason.

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Health Tip: Smaller More Specific Goals

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:45:00 -0700

I am a goal oriented person, but I just read that ambiguous goals are less motivating since they seem harder to attain. Allison Chopra, a fitness expert at Indiana University, believes goals like "losing weight" or "feeling better" are too amorphous to measure on a daily or weekly basis so they don't help you stay focused. It is always helpful to remember that weight loss takes time since dropping 1 to 2 pounds a week is considered safe, doable and maintainable.

Chopra believes people need to be SMART about their goals and yes that is a helpful acronym. SMART is a fitness industry catch phrase and it breaks down like this - goals should be: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reward (as in, give yourself one when you've achieved a goal) and Time (set a time for reaching the goal). Seems easy to do, right?

Chopra often gives her clients' goals a little bit of a make over. If the over all, long term goal is to feel healthier, the short term goal is to get 8 hours of sleep a night for a week. (Do you think the reward would be an afternoon nap on Sunday?) She would replace the ambiguous goal of "eating healthy" with limiting the intake of sugar for a week. Instead of eliminating fat from all food, she suggests a focus on eating breakfast every morning. Of course, the best way to track your goals is to keep a journal!

I am curious if you have any specific goals. Tell me about them in the comments section below.

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Life Coach in a Box

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:05:00 -0800

It seems like they are putting everything in a box these days. From water to Justin Timberlake's genitalia, you name it, they are boxing it up.

It was only a matter of time before they but a Life Coach in a Box ($14.50). This great little box kit is designed to invigorate your life and help you to attain your goals. The deck features 48 cards on six themes - spirituality, work, relationships, finances, recreation and health - offering practical steps to achieve your goals.

Want your own Life Coach in a Box, buy it from UncommonGoods.com.

Actually Stick To It This Year!

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 04:15:57 -0800

Despite your new year's resolution to get fit, have you already skipped a few days at the gym? You're not alone.

Maybe you just need to be more conscious of what it really takes to internalize and make a change in your habits. Behavior change experts have developed a theory showing that people move through a few stages before actually adopting a healthy new behavior.

The different stages are:

Precontemplation - I can't or I won't exercise
Contemplation - I need to exercise, but just can't seem to get started
Preparation - I am making plans and doing what it takes to get started
Action - I have started my exercise program
Maintenance - I have been exercising for six months and it is really becoming a habit with me

The preparation stage is probably the most important in all of this. The more you prepare and realize your goals and how you are going to accomplish them, the more likely you are to succeed. So sit down and really plan it all out (maybe even draft a contract with yourself).

Here's to a successful 2007!

Good Goals are Good

FitSugar — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Fit Sugar is truly impressed with the new cross-training Lance Armstrong. He wanted to run the NYC Marathon in under 3 hours and he did it! At the finish line, however, he admitted it was harder than anticipated and although he did some training he was surprised by how difficult it was.

Fit is all about setting goals and figuring out how to reasonably meet them - you don't need to start off with a marathon. If you're interested in running but need an end goal to work toward, have you thought about doing a 5K race? Cool Running created a program for the novice runner - The Couch-to-5K Running plan. They site says:

Too many people have been turned off of running simply by trying to start off too fast. Their bodies rebel, and they wind up miserable, wondering why anyone would possibly want to do this to themselves. You should ease into your running program gradually. In fact, the beginners' program we outline here is less of a running regimen than a walking and jogging program.

Sounds like a perfect start to me.

Speak Up: What's Your Fall Fitness Goal?

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:00:56 -0700

Now that it's officially Fall, students are back in school, and the warmer air is being replaced with a crisp breeze. The changing of the seasons often inspires healthy changes and fitness goals. I am wondering if you've signed up for a race, just bought a bike and are training for a century ride, or maybe your goal is to start exercising more after chilling out all Summer. Share your goals in the comment section below and studies show, if you write it down or share it with others, it's more likely to happen.