Top 5 Reasons I Love Exercise

Before I started my weight loss journey, my fitness level was nearly nonexistent. But I was committed to adding regular exercise to my new-and-improved lifestyle.

 
I began with just 10 minutes of marching in place while watching the morning news. More recently, I finished my first half marathon. Of course, there were several gradual changes in between.

Throughout my exercise evolution, I went from dreading exercise to absolutely loving it! And here are my Top 5 Reasons I Love Exercise!

#5 CHALLENGE

I love a challenge, and exercise is a way to continually challenge myself to grow and improve. My new passion is running, and each time I run I strive to run faster, run longer, or run farther. Achieving a new personal best feels incredibly rewarding.

#4 REFLECTION

During exercise is one brief period in my day where I am not being pulled in a million different directions at once. Exercise is my true "ME" time—a time to relax and reflect, and to just get lost in my own thoughts while listening to my favorite tunes.

#3 UNSTRESS

Nothing relieves my stress more than exercise. Running, in particular, really relaxes me. Something about the rhythm of my feet hitting the pavement or the treadmill is quite therapeutic. My stress literally melts away as I work up a good sweat.

#2 MORE CALORIES

The more calories I burn, the more calories I can eat. Now that is a nice perk.

#1 MOOD

The number one reason I love exercise is because it just makes me happy. Exercise elevates my mood. I am more congenial and have more patience after working out, too. Those little endorphins are real mood enhancers, and I love 'em!

What is your favorite way to get in your fitness minutes?

The Promise of Persistence

Perfection, in any endeavor, is simply impossible. It is only through persistence that we achieve our goals.

By continually chip, chip, chipping away at our goals, one day and one choice at a time, the promise of persistence is success—turning our dreams into reality with our tenacity.

Benjamin Franklin said, "Energy and persistence conquer all things." This is certainly true for weight loss and for weight maintenance, but is also true for any worthwhile goal.

In fact, I believe that "failure" is more aptly described as a lack of persistence. After all, you cannot "fail" at something unless you just stop trying.

Consider the following quote from Calvin Coolidge:

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

So never give up, never quit, never surrender. Fulfill your promise of persistence!

Every Healthy Choice Counts

I have started more diets than I can count. Bound and determined to lose weight, I would vow to eliminate every “bad” food from my diet. It was like I thought I could just flip a switch to change years of poor habits into perfect choices overnight. Seems ridiculous now.

This went along with an all-or-nothing attitude that did not tolerate “failure.” So as soon as I fell off the diet wagon (usually did not take long at all), I would simply just give up and go back to overeating again.

Sometimes I did not make it to sundown on Day 1 before crumbling.

But something I’ve learned on this weight-loss journey is that every single healthy choice counts. This journey is not about perfection at all. Nope, it is about progress and persistence. Every healthy choice I make, no matter how big or small, should be celebrated.

Also, it does not have to be all-or-nothing. As soon as I gave myself “permission” to slip up from time-to-time, I realized that missteps do not have to derail my efforts entirely. When I get off track, I just get back up and keep moving toward my goal. Never give up, never surrender.

Even with the occasional slip-up, those healthy choices add up to big results over time.

Document Your Journey

Weight loss is a kind of journey. If you were taking a trip, you might take lots of pictures or keep a journal of your different activities. Well, it is essential to document your personal weight loss journey in much the same way.

In fact, I journal every single day without fail. Recording my daily experiences and emotions helps me reflect on my choices and uncover behavior patterns that need my attention.

Also, I have taken a progress picture every month. I display my most recent photo side-by-side with a picture taken at my starting weight. This highlights all of the changes I’ve made and keeps me motivated to stay on track.

Each month, I also record my body measurements. After all, the scale is not the only progress measure. The tape measure has helped me appreciate just how far I’ve actually come when comparing my measurements from month-to-month, as well as with my starting numbers.

So document your personal journey. Having a detailed record of all your accomplishments can be an incredible motivator any time you are struggling with sticking to your goals.

My "No Seconds" Rule

Even though I successfully lost over 100 pounds, my choices are nowhere near perfect. The underlying causes for my earlier weight issues are still lurking in the shadows, waiting for me to let down my guard so the pounds can creep back on. Hence, as a recovering dieter, I need boundaries and guidelines to continue heading in the proper direction.

Consequently, my healthy lifestyle centers on portion control and an understanding of serving size. I usually choose only one serving of any food I eat and rely heavily on measuring cups and spoons, as well as a food scale, to help me keep my portions in check.

But after I fill my plate, I do not go back for seconds. Period. Additional helpings can be an incredibly slippery slope for me, making it much too easy to overindulge. This is especially true for snacks. I pre-portion, never eat from the container, and never return for more.

This one rule really keeps me on track with my eating, especially since I seem to be a lifetime member of the clean-my-plate club. Frankly, if it’s on my plate, I will probably eat it. So I am cautious to serve myself only an appropriate quantity of food.

To Subtract Pounds, You First Need to Add

It is widely accepted that dieting (i.e., deprivation) simply does not work. The mere act of denial sets us up for ultimate failure. But a simple shift in perspective can make the path to weight loss much easier. Just focus on adding instead of subtracting foods from your diet.

For me, this small change in how I approach my journey has made all the difference. In fact, my weight loss journey did not feel like dieting, compared to my earlier (failed) weight loss attempts. Rather, this time around I have focused on adding healthy choices to my lifestyle. For instance, I consistently include water, fresh fruits and veggies, lean and low-fat options, and whole grains, as well as consistent exercise. These "extras" have become the foundation for my new, healthy life.

Now this does not mean I ignore calories altogether. Weight loss and maintenance both require vigilance when it comes to balance and moderation. But while taking away our choices does not work, adding in healthy good stuff really does.

So try banishing the 4-letter word "DIET" from your vocabulary and add, add, add while subtracting pounds and inches!