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In case you wondered, this is me.

1. If Losing Weight Was Easy, Just About Everyone Would Be Skinny. Only the idea of weight loss is simple - eat fewer calories than your body needs - the actual execution is the hard part. To be successful, you have to be 100 percent committed and you HAVE TO make sacrifices. GENUINE commitment means making healthy decisions every day....REGARDLESS of what's happening in your life. Not every other day or pigging out in the weekends. If you're not ready to make some serious changes, losing weight will be very, very hard... Also, keep in mind losing weight takes time, especially if you have been weighing the same for most of your adult life - this is your set point weight. You're genetically predisposed to weigh within a certain range, but you can do lots to fight this. In other words, your set point weight certainly won't control you - unless you let it. In order not to freak out because the pounds aren't coming off fast enough, try focusing on other benefits of eating healthy and exercising such as having more energy and feeling better, being stronger and more functional, dealing with health problems or wanting to live longer to be around for your kids.

2. Are You Sure You're not Over-Estimating How Hard You're Trying? This is a big one. During my plus decade as a trainer, I see this with my clients over and over. They claim they are trying very hard to do everything right. Almost always it turns out that they are not trying as hard as they have to. For example, if you don't workout consistently enough,it's hard to lose weight. Yes, it's possible to lose weight through diet alone, but you'll likely hit a plateau. (And if you want to get past your set point weight, you HAVE to exercise.) You must get into the habit of exercising for at least an hour several days a week (five/week). Use your large muscles as much as possible - that is, the thighs and buttocks. Try walking, jogging, swimming, and biking. Weight training using the large muscles in your entire body is a must, too. The more muscle you add to your body, the higher your metabolism and calorie burning potential will become. And this has to be every week, not every other.
Then we have the eating. Rarely do I get a client to keep a food/exercise diary - AND to be specific enough. You have to count EVERYTHING, amount of food, what kind of food, and when you eat. The only thing that's exempt is water (which I hope you're drinking lots of).You need to be willing to replace unhealthy foods with healthier choices - every single day. Get used to reading food labels, spend more time preparing what you're going to eat later, say no to second helpings. Does doing this mean you will never again be able to eat some pizza and have a beer? Of course not, just follow the 80-20 principle (80 being the healthy part...)

3. So You Like to Party, Eat Out, and Watch TV...? I do, too. And sometimes I do it in excess. But shedding my excess weight is not easy just because I'm a trainer. In the last three months I shed nine pounds (see my bikini photo, I'm very proud!) and it took lots of discipline to get there. In short, this is what I did: My calorie intake was1,600- 1,800/day. I did an hour of circuit weight-training with plyomtetrics (jumps) three times a week, after half those sessions I did some kind of cardio for 30-60 min. During the days in between I did an hour of cardio fartleks (intervals) on a stepmill or running on a treadmill. I took one day off a week, when I allowed myself to eat anything I wanted (consuming 2,500-3000 calories). Instead of going out w/ friends to drink and have fun or lie on sofa and watch TV, I worked out or focused on an area of work. I made sure I got enough sleep, I planned my meals, I kept a food diary. Eventually it began to produce results (took much longer than I thought, mostly because some weeks I ate horribly. But then I focused again.)
My busy clients complain, well, they are too busy. They don't work in a gym all day. Neither do I. A big part of the day I spend writing. I sometimes WISH I wasn't running my own schedule because, when struggling with putting words on a blank page, all I can think of is food. We all have our challenges. Don't use them as excuses because you're not committed enough! Have a hectic schedule? Well, then focus on only changing one bad habit at a time, like you will only have four drinks/week instead of 10. Maybe your weight loss will take longer, but, on the positive side, you're not likely to gain it back later. Have a busy social schedule? Well, instead of meeting friends at 8pm, meet them at 9:30pm so you have time to get in a workout before. Meet up for drinks only one night a week instead of three. Get in the habit of drinking non-alcoholic drinks during business dinners. You don't have to drink alcohol to please your clients. Look at non-drinking Donald Trump. Can't control yourself with snacks/food in the house? Easy, only buy what you need to eat right then. And tell your husband/wife/roommate to hide the goodies! If you're not willing to sit down and change the way you live each day to include exercise, time to prepare meals and time to nurture yourself with sleep, it's hard to lose weight.

4. Do You Have a Good Support System? It's very hard to lose weight when your husband/wife/friends are pigging out all the time and pick at you for being so boring all the time. If you have a spouse who wants to continue eating crappy, you need a plan to deal with that so you can still reach your goals and keep your relationship together. Try to surround yourself with people who support what you're doing and avoid those people who sabotage you. A workout buddy or trainer is also an excellent idea for support, as well as a counselor to pin-point emotional eating problems. For many of us, food is a comfort and something we've relied on all of our lives to help us deal with past hurts, depression, boredom, stress, anxiety etc.

5. Are You Flexible and Willing to Fail? I HATE failing. But, as I've grown older, I've learned it's OK to do so and it's made me a more harmonious and confident person. If one sets unreasonable goals, one WILL fail. So save yourself the headache from feeling like a constant failure by setting small ACHIEVABLE goals like getting in the habit of ALWAYS working out a minimum of three days/week or only drinking four glasses of wine/week. Did you screw up and had five glasses one week? OK, well, no biggie. Be flexible and change your goal for the next week to only have THREE glasses. Did you get stuck in traffic so that you won't have time to do your entire 45-minute workout? Well, do only the 20 you have time for then! Something is always better than nothing. It's your daily choices that eventually results in a change in your lifestyle. Remember, it's OK not to be perfect. If you are human, you will up at some point.

OK, now it's almost 6pm and I'm off to the gym to train three clients. And then, I will force myself to stay and do an hour of running instead of coming back home and watch American Idol. Thank God for DVR!!!

By Steve Gillman

Why read motivational sayings? For motivation! You might need a bit, if you can use last year's list of goals this year because it's as good as new. All of us can benefit from inspirational thoughts, so here are ten great ones.

"Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." - Dale Carnegie

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." - Napoleon Hill

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Some men see things as they are and say, "Why?" I dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw

"A small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway of life." - Celia Luce

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

"I'm not telling you it is going to be easy - I'm telling you it's going to be worth it" - Art Williams

Motivational Sayings - Attitude

Attitude "There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative." - W. Clement Stone

"Nothing on earth can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson

"A person cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances." - James Allen

"Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." - Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi

These are quotes that mean something to me. Hopefully one or two of them are also inspiring to you. If not, maybe they will motivate you to create your own motivational sayings.

Steve Gillman has been studying brainpower and related topics for years. For more on a Better Life Through Brain Power, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, go to IncreaseBrainPower.com

Ask Julia - Why Is My Lower Back Hurting When I Run? Q: I am an almost 25-year-old woman who works as an insurance broker. For years I have been running 30-40 minutes about three times a week. I really like it except for the fact that my lower back starts to hurt soon after I have started. My back does tend to hurt at times when I'm not running as well, but the running makes it far worse. It's the same whether I run on the treadmill or outside. I'm not overweight nor do I have I been told by a doctor that something is wrong with my back, so I'm thinking this could have something to do with the fact that I'm not doing any corework or weight training. What do you think is going on? If you could help, I would be so happy because I really don't want to stop running!

Core Strength:
Since you say your back is hurting when you're not running, too, improving your core strength will likely eliminate this pain. The way to achieve this is to work on your glutes as well as all your different core muscles. Do crunches on a stability ball instead of on the ground. Do jack knives with the ball. A great exercise for runners is lunges (see below), as it strengthens core, glutes and legs all at the same time. Activate your core muscles by moving your belly button to you spine before starting. Do three sets of 15 each leg. Another good core exercise is woodchops. Do back extensions for your glutes. Do planks and alternate lifting each leg of the floor toward ceiling (while you maintain good form in your core and don't let it sink to the ground). This is an excellent core/glute strengthener. Count each repetition to ensure that you're not holding your breath throughout all the exercises.

Proper Running Technique:
Developing proper run form is somewhat complex since each person is different, yet imperative since running inefficiently will eventually lead to injury. Adequate time should be allowed to schedule the retraining of the neuromuscular system. (If you're used to running differently, you're likely to feel "weird" when you're working on your new, better form.)
1. Place head in a neutral position without looking up or down. Focus on looking at the horizon and relax the neck and facial muscles.
2. Maintain a slight forward lean (initiated from the hips with the butt "tucked in") but not too much to where it would increase braking forces and stress to the hips, knees and back. Too much of a forward lean will cause a decrease in stride length because the hips will be rotated backward. Keep the hips forward by imagining someone is pulling you forward with a rope tied around your waist.
3. Keep your arms moving in a straight line (or close to) to minimize the amount of side to side motion as it wastes energy and could negatively affect hip mechanics.
4. Decrease heel striking (emphasize midfoot striking) to minimize the braking and impact forces that are placed on the lower extremities. To do this, increase cadence to around 90 strides per minute (measured on a single leg) and plant the foot as close to under the body and the center of gravity as possible.
5. Minimize vertical oscillation or bouncing. In other words, run forward and not up and down!

Running Drills to Teach Proper Run Mechanics:
1. Butt kicks. To do these properly, don't simply kick the butt with the heel. Rather, initiate the kick by lifting the knee first so that your heel kicks your butt but your hip is flexed and not extended. These should be done without forward movement until the technique is first learned. Then progression to a slow jog can be initiated for 50 to 100 yards. Remember to land on the mid/forefoot when placing the foot back on the ground.
2. High knees. Begin standing without forward movement and slowly raise the knee up and bring the foot down to the ground to strike the mid/forefoot. The emphasis should be on a high knee lift by engaging the hip muscles and the ground strike to teach proper foot placement mechanics. Progress from a slower to quicker speed, first done in place then progressing to a run of about 50 to 100 yards.
The above two drills are the most basic but fundamental of all running drills. There are many other advanced drills that can be incorporated after these are mastered.
3. Strides. These are short bursts of increasing speed over about 10 to 15 seconds of running. Perform these after a few sessions of butt kicks and high knees so that those two drills are learned first. Strides teach the neuromuscular system how to initiate and respond faster and increase overall cadence. Begin with no more than three to four sets of strides.
Following these general guidelines will begin the process of developing a more economical run form. These principles along with the running drills should be completed at least two to three times per week before scheduled run training or as stand-alone neuromuscular training sessions.
Good luck!

-- If you want to lose weight, it doesn't seem to matter what type of diet plan you choose. What really matters is that you just eat less.

A study in the Feb. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine compared a variety of diet plans -- which emphasized varying degrees of fat, protein and carbohydrates -- and found that any eating plan that causes you to consume fewer calories will help you lose weight.

"This study has a very practical, useful message," said study author Dr. Frank Sacks, a professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard School of Public Health. "It doesn't really matter much the specific type of diet -- see what suits you best. The focus should be on reducing calories. That's what really counts."

Intense debates have raged over what type of diet plan is best. Study results on low-fat diets and high-protein diets have been mixed, with none providing conclusive evidence, according to background information in Sacks' study.

To try to answer the question of what works best, Sacks and his colleagues recruited 811 overweight people, about 40 percent of them men, from two cities -- Boston and Baton Rouge, La.

They were randomly assigned to follow one of four diets:

• Low-fat, average-protein diet made up of 20 percent fat, 15 percent protein and 65 percent carbohydrates.

All groups were told to keep saturated fat to no more than 8 percent of their daily intake of calories and to try to consume at least 20 grams of dietary fiber daily. The physical activity goal was set at 90 minutes a week.

Everyone received both group and individual counseling for the two-year study period, and they entered diet and exercise information into a computer program that provided feedback on how well they were meeting their dietary goals. About 80 percent of the participants completed the study.

After six months, participants in each group had lost an average of about 13 pounds. After two years, the average weight loss was down to 6 or 7 pounds. The study participants reported similar satisfaction with their diets.

Health measures, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, were also similar between the groups.

"On average, no one diet was better than another," Sacks said. The bottom line if you want to lose weight, he said, is to "eat a heart-healthy diet and be very careful about how much you eat."

This might not be the end of the debate, however. In an accompanying editorial, Martijn Katan, a nutrition professor at VU University in Amsterdam, pointed out that although the researchers had anticipated that the contents of the diets would vary greatly, the actual differences in content between the plans averaged just 1 percent or 2 percent.

So, he says, he doesn't believe that the study settles the issue of diet vs. diet.

Rather, this is yet another study that shows how difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off, he said, because even these people, involved in an intensive intervention, tended to gain the weight back.

"Losing weight and keeping it off can be as tough as kicking a drug habit," Katan said. "The most important determinant of success might not be the composition of the diet. It might be whether your community promotes exercise and curbs high-calorie foods."

In-a-Minute Morning Meal: In less than 60 seconds, you can prepare an egg breakfast to help jump start your day. Simply beat one whole egg in a microwave-safe mug then cook in the microwave oven on high for 60 seconds. Slide the egg onto a whole grain English muffin. Add flavor with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, salsa, or cheese. Serve fresh seasonal fruit slices, like peaches in the summer, on the side for a balanced meal.

Check out Martha's useful nutrition blog at CityGirlBites

I found this worthwhile article on www.SelfGrowth.com , one of my favorite spiritual Web sites. I hope you found its content as useful as I did.

Your intuition helps you make wise decisions, through intuitive feelings and sensations that rock your body, without external stimuli. Whether you consider buying or selling a home, establishing or closing a business, continuing or changing a career, or starting or ending a relationship, notice how your body intuitively feels when you decide for or against an issue.

You can intuitively feel high energy, peace, or relief, after making wise decisions. Your heart sings. Smooth breaths reveal optimal choices. I contemplated relocating from Virginia and buying a home in Georgia. I intuitively felt peace shower my body and made plans to move, from my apartment. Despite a job firing and moving accident, I landed a telecommuting job and bought a beautiful home in a historic area. My injury healed, and social and business opportunities increased.

You can intuitively feel low energy, resistance, or dizziness, after making unwise decisions. Your heart sighs. Uneven breaths reflect poor choices. I reviewed a listing of local doctors and arranged an appointment with one located thirty minutes from my home. I intuitively felt resistance in my body and realized why when I encountered her incompetence. I selected a different doctor and relief greeted me.

Have you ever chosen to go for a walk and intuitively felt safe or threatened? Turned onto a highway and intuitively felt on or off course? Loaned money to a co-worker and intuitively felt repayment or loss? Picked up a phone to call a relative and intuitively felt warmth or coldness? Multiple decisions invite themselves into your life each day, even if you sleep longer, remain silent, or avoid others, because these are also decisions you make, sometimes in seconds.

A friend intuitively felt a breath of fresh air and an intense connection when she met a man, at a dance club. She also intuitively felt deja vu, as if she already knew him. She decided to date him and six years later, they're still happily together. Another friend scheduled her outpatient surgery and intuitively felt a gut feeling to pick another day. She declined and contracted a deadly infection that required a year of painful recovery. Knowing which intuitive feelings and sensations work in your favor is critical. Keep an updated list in an intuitive journal. Remember which ones alerted you to both positive and negative experiences because each day brings similar or new experiences. What did it cost you when you made unwise decisions that were long-lasting or irreversible? Did you criticize yourself for ignoring your intuition? Replay events with alternative outcomes? Suffer insomnia or nightmares? Battle damaging or life-threatening situations? Pay the cost no more. Effective intuitive techniques aid your decision-making process.

The comfort zone technique helps you measure your comfort level when facing options. For example, you consider attending a financial management course. Rate your comfort level from one to four. One and two represent high and low discomfort, respectively. Three and four represent low and high comfort. How do you intuitively feel about attending the course? High and low discomfort signifies the course is too expensive, untimely, or unsuitable for you. Low and high comfort signifies the course is reasonably priced, timely, or appropriate for you.

The sensory signaling technique helps you detect a pleasant or unpleasant feeling or sensation when weighing options. For example, you consider taking a vacation and read brochures related to countries of interest. For each country, ask yourself, "How do I intuitively feel about traveling there?" An excited feeling or soothing sensation indicates travel pleasures, such as enjoyable tours, fine dining, or rest and relaxation. A red flag feeling or gnawing sensation indicates travel frustrations, such as adverse weather, lost luggage, or shoddy accommodations.

Listen to your body, your intuitive feelings and sensations, and benefit from wise decisions. Save yourself time, energy, money, and regret

Author's Bio
Darlene Pitts has sixteen years of intuition study, research, experimentation, and teaching. She promotes awareness and understanding of intuition, to help people control and enhance their lives. She discovered her own intuition in the 1990s, after an angelic encounter during sleep and a series of prophetic dreams. Through her Intuitive Life Review technique, she realized she has been intuitive all her life. She has been a guest on many radio programs and written intuition articles for several magazines.

This month's exercise strengthens the entire body, but especially the legs. It provides great functional, reactive, dynamic neuromuscular efficiency. You must have adequate CORE strength and functional flexibility in the Lumbo Pelvic Hip Complex and the calves, in order to perform this movement without compensation. Here are some common compensations: Excessive Lordosis. (If your butt sticks out a lot and your stomach does as well from the side; basically, you look like a duck, you probably have this compensation.) Stretch Psoas / Rectus Femoris ( these are the hip flexors). External Rotation of Foot/Knee. (Are your feet turning out to the sides instead of pointing forward when you stand up or squat?) Stretch Gastroc / Soleus (these are your calves).

PREPARATION:
You will need a medicine ball for this exercise. Beginners: 1-2 pounds, intermediate: 2-4, advanced: 4-10. (Beginners may also just focus on doing the lunges without using any ball, but instead simply simulating the rotational movement holding an invisible ball.) Be sure to maintain good posture throughout the exercise with shoulder blades retracted and depressed (shoulders down and back), good stability through the abdominal complex, and neutral spine angles. Activate core by moving your belly button to your spine, but make sure you can still breathe naturally. (COunt each rep you're doing and then you'll know you're not holding your breath.

HOW TO DO IT:

End

Middle

Beginning

• While maintaining total body alignment, step forward descending slowly by bending at the hips, knees, and ankles, keep most of your weight in the forward leg and AVOID letting your back knee touch the ground.

• During the descend into your lunge, a partner will pass you a medicine ball from the side of your body.

• Catch the med. ball , rotate away from your partner towards your lunge leg.

• Use your hip and thigh muscles to push yourself up and simultaneously rotate back towards your partner throwing the med ball back at them.