Fit 171 Summer Shape Up Solutions!

In this episode, summer shape ups that are fun and free! Unconventional weight loss solutions! Question your eating!

TRAINING
Summertime, or any change in season, is a great time to renew your commitment your health and fitness plan! Losing weight and staying in shape can be fun and inexpensive or free! Here's some examples of what you can do to mix up your exercise plan:

1. Gardening can help tone muscles and burn additional calories. Pruning and weeding can give you a great workout when you use squats to bend low and biceps for those stubborn weeds! Do some yard work such pushing a manual mower or raking leaves. These activities burns hundreds of calories!
2. Game playing with family, kids and friends! Play games like flag football, frisbee basketball or catch! 
3. Walk on the beach (or anywhere else) Consider a new route to walk! Do not use weights in your hands, can cause rotator cuff injury. Instead, move your arms and walk briskly. You can burn as much calorie as running and be safer on your joints and knees, by fast walking with arm movements. For your arms, think of pulling your elbow back and squeezing your shoulder blade. Like doing a 1-arm row. Hold your stomach tight! Belly button to the spine the whole time! You'll feel a huge difference! 
4. Wash and wax your car. Bend with your legs, stand on your toes to work the calves while cleaning the top of the car. Use your back muscles to rub and wash! 
5. Go for a bike ride! Remember safety first! Don't coast! Do some intervals, mix it up or just enjoy the outdoors! 

  When you Focus on having fun, you'll be able to stick to your program and lose weight!




MOTIVATION
Unconventional weight loss solutions You wont always hear about these weight loss alternatives, but they work! Use Creative Visualization, we talked last episode about visualization. You probably have heard about it but have you actually done it? Stimulating the mind to help your body achieve a desired result is a great way to bring about change. "Seeing" yourself in shape, tone and wearing the clothes you love nourishes your mind with positive thoughts. This is one of the most successful ways to get in shape and improve body image. Known often as guided imagery, it works by training your mind to stimulate changes in your body. This can be accomplished by using some of these tools:

1. Listen: Audio Podcasts or CD's: Relaxation techniquesor soothing music to help you focus on your vision.
2. Write: Writing affirmations, what we call focus statements, trains your mind by affirming your intentions. It will retrain your thinking toward positive thoughts. IE retrain the brain program/mindset makeover! Positive present tense statements! such as these: My Body Is Beautiful! I Love My Body! To increase their effectiveness, write these messages on an index card or piece of paper and carry them with you or place where you can see them and read them several times throughout the day.
3. Read: Positive affirmation books and self-help books such as Love Your Body By Louise L. Hay available. Inside this book, Louise has created affirmations for you. If you read through them each day you are sure to reap the rewards of loving your body.

NUTRITION
Question yourself:

• Am I enjoying what I am eating? 
• Do I eat standing up or on the run? 
• Do I continue to eat even after I know I am full? 
• Do I make time to eat? 

Depending on your answers, make time to eat with family or friends who support your weight loss or shape up goals. Pack healthy snacks for emergency! Eat to the point of being full, then stop. Many, weight loss plateaus can be overcome with portion control.

If you aren't sure of your answers, keep a food journal for a few days, then ask those questions. Hold yourself accountable for everything you place in your mouth. Track your habits and you are likely to see the problems in your program.

If not, contact me for a one on one program analysis.

Now, Here's what I want you to do: Take the poll at  the top right of this page and choose your option, then, go to the facebook.com/fitgirlusa page and share at least one of your summer shape up plans!

Get all the most recent episodes on iTunes or download this episode here: Fit 171 Summer Shape Up Solutions

Hey there! Can you take a quick survey (click here) for me?
I'd like to help you get in your best shape ever before summer!
Don't worry, I won't be bugging you with emails to buy anything! I would love to have your input!
Thanks!
Kira

PS Again, here's the Summer Survey Link! Click here!