Last month we began our two-part series on overcoming exercise excuses, aka barriers, delving into “I am too busy to exercise” and “I hate to exercise.” Could you relate to either or both? If so, I hope you found the suggestions useful to help you begin and/or stay on track with your exercise program. This month we’ll tackle two more.

Excuse #3: “I don’t have the energy to workout.”

When I hear this excuse, it is frequently followed by “But I know exercise will give me more energy.” It feels like a Catch 22 – you need energy (to workout) in order to get energy (from the workout).

While exercise can energize you, it is necessary to address the root cause of your lack of energy. Does it stem from physical or mental exhaustion or lack of proper sleep? Are you sedentary most of the day, creating inertia that leads to the feeling of low energy?

Once you determine what is taking up all of your energy, identify ways to create more energy for yourself. For example, you may combat a lack of sleep by managing your time and activities in the evening such as eliminating caffeine and alcohol, turning off the TV by a certain time, or soaking in a warm bath. Once you have the real issue pegged, you can direct your mental energy towards a solution.

This one is certainly frustrating. If you have overcome obstacles of time, motivation, energy, etc., and you have made the commitment to exercise, you darn well want to see results!

Lack of results may stem from a number of issues. Are your expectations realistic given how long you have exercised? Have you dieted frequently in the past, causing your body to resist letting go of excess weight? Trust that your body is making changes that you cannot see. In the meantime, focus on other benefits, such as improved endurance, sense of accomplishment, and reduced stress.

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I continue to be surprised at how ingrained negative thinking is into our psyche. Even when trying to be helpful, our thoughts can lean toward the negative. Just today, when giving exercise cues to a client, I kept hearing myself say “don’t lock your knees” instead of “keep your knee joint soft, slightly bent.” Is this just semantics? I do not think so. If I keep my client’s focus on her locked knees, she will continue to lock them.

People often point out all of their fitness mishaps and blunders (“I didn’t exercise yesterday” or “I over-ate Saturday night”). I listen, hoping they will then point out all of the wonderful things they did accomplish. At least with clients I have the proof – their fitness diaries – right in front of me. And, you know what? They never perform as poorly as they think they did. In fact, the week often balances out, the over-achievements counter the less-than-stellar days.

It is best to use those days we do not reach our goals to learn what to do differently next time. Other than that, keep focused on all the wonderful things you do right!

To your health,
Heather Moreno
PeopleFit USA , President

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Do you ever wonder why weight loss seems so difficult to achieve and even harder to maintain? Is physical activity the mystery in the weight loss phenomenon?

Join us for a live teleconference call August 9th at 5pm PDT as we “Muscle In on Your Metabolism” with exercise physiologist, Susan Iverson, and discover three complexities to consider when dealing with real life weight management issues. For details & to register, visit here.

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Long before the current trend of low-carbohydrate diets, we were obsessed with low-fat and fat-free. Today, there is the camp of people who aim to avoid fat, while high-protein advocates say a plate of bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning is just fine. What should we believe about fat?

Fat is one of the three macronutrients (along with carbohydrate and protein) that are essential to our bodies. Fat helps your body to build brain and nerve tissue as well as cell walls, protects your organs, helps your body to absorb and transport fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K), and provides your body with energy to fuel physical activity (if you relied solely on stored carbohydrate for energy you’d run out of steam before lunch!). Fat also helps to make food taste and smell good and plays a role in satiation, so that you do not get hungry too quickly.

From the perspective of someone who wants to lose weight, fat is more calorie-dense than the other two macronutrients (nine calories per gram versus four). A meal high in fat, therefore, is generally high in calories. But fat does not make someone fat. Over-eating causes weight gain. From the perspective of doctors and groups such as the American Heart Association, saturated fat can increase one’s risk of heart disease – the recommendation is that saturated fat be limited to no more than one-third of our total fat intake.

To be informed about the caloric value and fat content of foods in general is helpful, but getting caught up in counting grams and calories is no realistic way to live. And to label foods “bad” or “good” based on fat content is taking the issue out of context. For instance, avocados are high in fat – and calories – but also include protein, potassium, folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, biotin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin E and vitamin K. Being high in fat does not mean this fruit should be avoided. If you enjoy it, incorporate it into your diet in a way that supports your overall health and fitness goals.

What about a big, juicy half-pound cheeseburger, loaded with saturated fat? Is it “bad” or “good?” In and of itself, it is neither. If you have heart disease and eat a cheeseburger like this everyday, I think you would agree that does not honor your health, but the choice to eat it does not make the food bad.

The bottom line is fat is a necessary nutrient that, like most foods, when eaten in moderation offers a number of health benefits and provides a tasty treat!

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Did you know men are at risk for having osteoporosis?

This has especially been found true in men who have survived a heart attack. According to a study published in the journal Osteoporosis International, the heart attack link applies to men, but not necessarily to women. The study also found that men ages 50 to 79 years old who smoke, are overweight, and/or are sedentary are also at higher risk for low bone density and osteoporosis.

Did you know getting enough sleep can improve your memory?

According to a study conducted by researchers from Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, sleep actually helps preserve memories, making your recall abilities stronger. While the average person gets about six hours of sleep per night, the researchers recommend at least eight hours per night for improving memory.

Did you know women can gain muscle weight in as little as ten weeks of training?

In a study of over 1,600 women, it was found that three cardiovascular and three weight training sessions per week for ten weeks caused an average of four pounds of fat loss and a three-pound gain of muscle mass. While this was a net loss of only one pound on the scale, the changes will show more dramatically in muscle tone, inches lost, and the way clothing fits.

Did you know not all energy bars are created equal?

Grab your favorite bar and compare it to these recommendations for healthy bars from Health magazine:

• Up to but no more than 100% of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamins and minerals
• Contains at least three grams of fiber
• No more than 18 grams of sugar
• Contains no trans fat or hydrogenated oil
• Less than three grams of saturated fat

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