My New Website!

Hi there, from now on, I will be posting new blogs on http://www.stopovereatingtips.com so please join me there every day for free tips on how to eat healthy and enjoy your life more.

I'd love your feedback. What do you like about the site? What do you think would make it better?

Thanks!

How to Not Overeat at 4th of July Parties

Hey there...I was going to write Part 2 of Why Fear Doesn't Motivate People To Lose Weight, but I'm going to put that on hold for a couple of reasons. First, I want to hear from YOU. How many of you have weight loss stories? What motivated YOU to lose weight and keep it off? Let me know by posting your comments below.

Secondly, I want to help people think ahead so they don't overeat during the July 4th festivities. I do this with my clients over the phone all the time. They tell me what social events they have coming up soon and what their game plan is so they don't go overboard and splurge like they used to do.

So, think about what you're going to be doing tomorrow. Going to a bbq? Having friends over? Visualize yourself at this social event and decide now what you are going to do to avoid overeating. Maybe you'll walk around with a cup of water or soda in your hand the whole time so instead of overeating, you can take small sips throughout the event. It helps to have something constantly in your hands so you don't reach for extra food.

Visualize yourself going through the buffet line only one time and eating the food slowly that you chose. Before going through the line, you can avoid impulsively spooning everything onto your plate by deciding what you will eat and how much of it.

For those of you with success stories who used new strategies to not overeat at social events, I want to hear from you! What worked? What did you try that was new, different, and successful? For those of you who overate, what would you do differently next time? What would you do the same?

Wishing everyone a very fun and healthy 4th,

Camille
Life Coach and Author of Stop Overeating Today!

p.s. Don't forget to tell me what motivated you to successfully lose weight by posting your comment - thanks!
p.p.s. For more stop overeating strategies, visit my website: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Why Doesn't Fear Motivate People to Lose Weight?

My sister-in-law is a dietitian and was talking to a doctor one day about weight loss. He told her that generally, when he tells his patients to lose weight, they don't follow his advice. They don't change their daily routine to fit in exercise and they don't change their eating habits. And the next time they go to the doctor they either way the same or even more.

This may come as a shock that people are ignoring their doctor's warnings, since doctors only tell people to lose weight because they want them to avoid a slew of negative outcomes: diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, and other problems. I know from talking to my clients that before they lost weight, they lived with a looming fear in the back of their minds that they could spontaneously have a heart attack one day and die. But that fear didn't equate to a strong motivation and actions to change. Why not?

One day seems like it will never come. One day you may get diabetes and one day you might have to take medication for it. It's different than, if you don't exercise today, you will suffer major consequences today! The reason that fear doesn't motivate well is that people become complacent and feel like they are getting by well enough. Maybe they don't consider their situation ideal, but it is not uncomfortable enough for them to get moving and make a change. They figure that to start changing their habits today would be more uncomfortable and inconvenient than just doing the same old same old.

So if fear doesn't motivate, what does? Stay tuned for tomorrow's post, that will be about the BEST way to motivate yourself to adopt healthier habits.

To read FREE chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, visit www.stopovereatingtips.com

How to Run Like a Tortoise and Beat the Hare

If you already have a copy of my book Stop Overeating Today!, you know that my first chapter/tip talks about the tortoise and the hare and advises people to not try to revamp their entire eating and exercise routines overnight. I want people to be excited when they read the book and be zealous, but I also want them to be realistic. Have you ever heard anyone say anything similar to the following:

- "I made a goal today to run for 30 minutes every day!" (This person never goes running)

- "I am going to bike for 10 miles 3 days per week." (This person has no habit of bike riding)

- "I made a goal to never eat cake again!"

I'm all for ambitious goals, but I want people to also feel a sense of accomplishment and success by setting smaller and realistic goals, especially when they're starting out. That's key to maintenance. Lots of people can lose a bunch of weight by doing something drastic like a juice fast, but six months later, did they keep the weight off? Let's revise the above goals:

- "I made a goal to go running tomorrow for 30 minutes!"

-"I am going to bike for 10 miles this week."

- "I made a goal to only have a small slice of cake at the birthday part this weekend and to not go back for seconds."

After achieving success with your first small goal, you are now on your way to setting more small, simple, and reachable goals. The feeling of success with propel you forward and help you grow into setting even bigger and more exciting goals. Leave me a comment and let me know how your goal setting is going!

--
To find out more about the book Stop Overeating Today, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

I Just Want to Say "Thanks"

I just wanted to send a short and simple thank you to everyone who reads my blog and who finds its tips helpful for their lives. I am writing this blog for you and I am so grateful for the many subscribers and followers who come here for daily or weekly inspiration, rejuvenation, and ideas to live healthier and happier lives. It's no fun to write a blog that no one follows or subscribes to (trust me, I did it for the first few months) and so now that I have a lot of people to share my posts with, I am grateful for each and every one of you.

That's all. Good night. :)

How's your body image? Take the quiz.

In her amazing book, DEALING WITH THE STUFF THAT MAKES LIFE TOUGH, our friend, Jill Zimmerman Rutledge, M.S.W., LCSW wrote some cool stuff about body image. For over 20 years Jill has been counseling adolescent girls and young women who have eating disorders and she knows what she's talking about.

Here is an excerpt from her book:

Some people define body image as how we think and feel about our bodies, but that's only part of it. Body image is also created by what we think and feel about ourselves, how we behave, who we choose for friends, and the culture we live in. If you feel bad about yourself, you probably feel bad about your body too. Or if all your friends are dieting, you may begin to think you need to lose weight too. You may dislike your body for lots of other reasons. For one thing, magazines and other media can have a negative impact on your body image. When we look at pictures of very thin models, many of us want to lose weight immediately so we can look like them. Feeling bad about our bodies interferes with our lives. Your poor body image may make you feel awkward and self-conscious with guys. As 16-year-old Tina put it, "No guy wants a fat girl and I'm fat. I know if I start liking a guy, I'll just get rejected so why bother?" You may feel so uncomfortable about your body that you go to the beach in long shorts and a baggy T-shirt, instead of a bathing suit. When you feel dissatisfied with your body, it's important to look at your life as a whole. What else could you be unhappy about. Do you have low self-esteem? Do you exercise moderately but regularly? (Moderate-not obsessive-exercise helps you develop positive feelings about6 your body.) Are you having problems with family or friends? Are you eating healthily or loading up on junk food? Poor body image feels like it has everything to do with your body but in fact, it also has to do with how you're coping with life.

It is important to be realistic about your body compared to your body image. Here is a quiz Jill posted in her book. Let us know how you did on it and remember to love yourself and get healthy.

Do you have poor body image? Take this short quiz to see:

1. How do you feel about how you look?
a. Very good
b. OK
c. Mixed feelings
d. Bad, ashamed

2. Are you happy with your current weight?
a. Very happy
b. Happy enough
c. Somewhat unhappy
d. Very unhappy

3. Have you ever felt too fat after reading an article that reveals the body weight of a model or actress?
a. Yes
b. No

4. If you gained five pounds, you'd
a. Be OK with that-five pounds isn't a big deal
b. Feel neutral-not good or bad
c. Feel somewhat unahppy
d. Feel very upset

5. When someone says you look nice, you think:
a. I'm looking good.
b. They don't have anything else to say.
c. They're trying to make me feel good.
d. They're lying-they really think I'm gross.

Scoring: For questions 1, 2, 4 and 5, give yourself 1 point or a, 2 points for b, 3 points for c, and 4 points for d. For question 3, give yourself 1 point for a and 2 points for b. If you have a total score of 5-9, you're on the road to a good body image. Keep it up! If you scored 10-15, you may have some body image issues to work out. If you scored more than 16, you may have a poor body image.

If you're spending time worrying about how you look instead of having fun, you'll want to read PICTURE PERFECT another cool book written by Jill S. Zimmerman Rutledge. It will definitely help you feel better about your body. You can purchase PICTURE PERFECT at HeyUGLY.org for $14.95.

Don't Let Your Box Define You

I was at church the other day and the speaker said something that reminded me of what a life coach would say. He said, "Don't let the box of your life define you. Be whatever you need to be in the moment." As I was listening I grabbed for a pen and wrote those profound words down on a scrap of paper.

His words remind me of one of the tips in my book Stop Overeating Today! The tip is all about how to play an empowering role. I blogged about it back in September: http://stopovereatingtips.blogspot.com/search/label/self-identity

If you are battling with your thoughts and emotions to stop overeating, "don't let your box define you" is a very important thing to remember. Take a break from your identity as someone with an overeating problem. Take a break from focusing on your weaknesses around food. Don't tell yourself who you are if your description is negative. Just be what you need to be in the moment, reinvent yourself, don't let negative thoughts about who you are keep you stuck in old patterns that never end.

I Want Your Feedback

Hey, if you have a minute, can you take a look at my new website: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com and let me know if you have any suggestions, comments, or ideas to make the website better and more interactive? I'd really appreciate your input. I am going to eventually transfer this blog to the new website.

Thanks and have a great day!

Going Overboard and Getting Back on Track

Ever had a day when you overate and thought, "What the heck, I've already gone off track, I might as well eat as much a I want?" I can definitely relate to this because this thought appealed to me sometimes when I was overcoming my overeating challenges.

But the logic in that statement is totally skewed. That's like saying, "Well, if I can't be perfect, I might as well become a hellion." Or, "If I get a speeding ticket today, I might as well drive 90 MPH the rest of the day because I've already screwed up." Not only is that all or nothing thinking not rational, but it can be costly.

So, what to do next time you do overeat and get off track? How can you keep yourself from that all or nothing thinking?

Come up with a phrase or mantra to counter the thought telling you it's okay to overeat because you've already gone off track. It could be: "Because I've already gone off track, I'm going to stop and get back on track!" Or it could be, "I'm already off my plan, so I'm going to quit feeling guilty and start being proactive and healthy again." It's your mantra, you come up with what works and feels genuine for you.

Readers, I'd love to hear some of the skewed rationalization you have used to overeat and what mantra you come up with to get back on track - thanks!

----
For 33 tips to help you get back on track, check out my book's website: www.stopovereatingtips.com

Self-Nurturing is Critical to Weight Loss Success - Do You Love Yourself Enough?

A lot of women who struggle with weight loss do not treat themselves with self-nurturing. They think thoughts about themselves like: I don't deserve to take better care of myself and I am disgusting. Just to prove to themselves how impossible weight loss is, they go overeat. Often overeating is out of self-hatred or despair. Sound familiar?

When women learn how to develop a nurturing attitude towards themselves, which is usually obtained by one on one life coaching, they start to take care of themselves by choosing thoughts and actions that are elevating and kind. The more they can start to believe that they are worth the effort and that they are a beautiful person on the inside, the less they will overeat out of spite or self-hatred or despair.

One might ask, "How do I begin to nurture myself better?" The first step is to not allow thoughts like, "I'm ugly, I'm not worth anything, or I am a mess" to penetrate their minds. They may have thoughts like that, but they can dismiss them by asking themselves the question, "is it really true?" Is it really true you are not worth it? As they ask themselves that question, it's important to not focus on the negative feelings of the moment, but to think about it logically. They can ask themselves, "Can I absolutely know that it's true?" to help them think more rationally.

Another thing they can do to start nurturing themselves more is to take time for themselves to do something special, like spending time every day to meditate or to go get that pedicure they've been wanting or to free up some time for a rewarding hobby. As they take care of themselves, they will start to feel more valued and worthwhile.

That's just a start. This topic of nurture will come up again and again in my blogs. What are ways that women can find time to nurture themselves even if they have a crazy schedule? Do you have any ideas?

If weight loss is truly a goal, the more nurturing that occurs, the more likely that weight loss goal is to be taken seriously and worked on consistently. I like that make-up commercial tagline: "You're worth it!"

-------------
To request a complimentary coaching session or to read free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

How to Do Things You Dread

Do you have a list of things to do right now but you dread getting started? Here are a couple of time management tips I have used to help my clients that will help you too, whether your goal has to do with healthy eating or anything else.

First, go get your list so it's right in front of you. This won't work unless you're holding it in your hand. It could be a list of things you have to get done for work, for cleaning the house, or anything. Start reading from the top of the list. What is your first item? Why are you dreading it? You need to put your excuse into one short and concise sentence. For example, "I am dreading following up with Michelle because I don't know if she will get back to me." Or, "I am dreading exercising because I am tired."

Sometimes just acknowledging why you dread doing something can help break free from total avoidance. When you have identified what's holding you up, you can reason with yourself. You might be able to tell yourself, "Who cares if she doesn't get back to me, I need to at least give it a short." Or, "If I don't exercise I'll still be tired in an hour, so I might as well make it a more productive hour."

Now, the next step is to visualize yourself getting started on that task. For example, watch yourself sitting down at your computer to send Michelle an e-mail. Watch yourself typing it out, clicking send, and then crossing off the task from your list. Feels good, doesn't it? I love the feeling of crossing things off. It's even a better feeling when you cross something off you've been dreading, because you conquered something that took self-discipline.

Or, visualize yourself putting your hair up, getting you exercise clothes on, and sitting down on that exercise bike with a good magazine to read or in front of a good TV show. If your goal is to exercise for 30 minutes, imagine the digital clock on the bike at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 28, 29, 30! How are you going to feel when you finish your goal? Let yourself feel that feeling to energize you to actually get up and make it a reality.

Visualization is such an awesome tool that can be applied to accomplishing any task, big or small. If you need help getting started with visualization, send me an e-mail for a free one on one introductory phone coaching session: info@stopovereatingtips.com

My website is under construction for the time being, but it will be up and better than before in a couple of days. If you want to purchase a book in the meantime, you can do so on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Overeating-Today-Camille-McConnell/dp/0984153705/ref=sr_1_1/186-4910858-1688853?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276298335&sr=8-1 The book has a chapter dedicated to visualization and how to use it to change your eating habits.

Have a great weekend!

Cat litter can help you lose weight

This is a guest post by Betty Hoeffner, heyugly.org

The other day I bought some cat litter at the store. The 28lb Scoop Away was on sale so I decided to scoop up two. As I lifted these heavy vessels into my shopping cart I thought to myself - wow this is really heavy. Then I thought how grateful I was that I didn't have to carry that heavy container around with me because I had a cart.

Then I thought ... wait a minute - how much extra weight am I carrying around on my bones? I did a quick calculation and I thought - darn, I am carrying the equivalent of this container of cat litter around with me. It made me take a minute and actually pick up another container of the litter and just hold it so I could fully understand the sense of what the extra weight on me must feel like to my body.

So, the next time you are in the grocery store, take a visit to the pet section and pick up a container of cat litter and just let it sink in about what the stress of carrying around that much weight can do to your body. No wonder our backs, knees, ankles and feet sometimes hurt. Remember that the next time you reach for seconds or think you'll take on pass on exercising. Let's get to be that "size healthy" Queen Latifah talks about and make ourselves a little litter, er... lighter.

heyugly.org

------------

To read free chapters of the book Stop Overeating Today! and see why Dr. Laura made it her Book of the Week, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com/preview.htm

Oprah Here I Come!!!

Oprah is looking for a NEW face for a NEW talk show. I have an idea for a talk show that is desperately needed in today's world. Did you know that the news channels on TV use negative headlines because negativity attracts people? People hear words like disaster, death, and tragedy and they want to know more about it.

My talk show takes a different approach and focuses on heroic events and amazing stories of American people who have overcome tragedies in their lives and inspired others. It would roll out the red carpet and interview teachers, firemen, and people with heroic and uplifting stories.

Here's what I'm asking you to do. Let Oprah know that you agree that my show is needed in today's world. Can you do me a favor and vote for my video? Here's the link. http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html request=video_details&response_id=6911&promo_id=1

As a way to say "thank you" for your vote, I am offering my book Stop Overeating Today! at a 40% discount, for a special price of $7.80, for the next three days. Use Google Checkout and the coupon code OPRAH. (I have never offered a price so low and may not ever again).

Thanks for your support!

I Forgot to Tell You My Story about Meeting Dr. Laura!

Many of you probably first heard about me and my book by listening to the Dr. Laura Radio Show. Every week she highlights a book that she thinks is GREAT as her Book of the Week. Mine was highlighted on January 4th (Oh, Blessed Day). If you missed it, you can listen here: http://stopovereatingtips.com/drlaurawav.wav

Anyway, I completely forgot to share my story about how I met her. I was listening to her show as I frequently do and she was talking about coming to the grand opening of Nordstrom's at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I live a few miles away and thought, yess!! She was there to promote her Glop and Glam hair styling product line that she owns as a partner with her hair stylist.

I figured there would be a long line and it would be hard to see her. But I gave it a shot anyway. I only had a 30 minute window because I was on my way to a funeral, but I swung by. Luckily, it had just opened and there was only a small cluster of people around her and it took less than five minutes until I could introduce myself.

I wanted to thank her for using my book on her show. So many people would not have found out about it if it weren't for her and her producers. It caused a HUGE increase in sales and was my basically my big break. So I thanked her and told her about the lady who bought my book and lost 50 pounds by implementing its strategies. She replied, "You and I make a great team!" She was very nice and very approachable and I got this picture of us together.

Just wanted to share my fun story. Go Dr. Laura!

To share my excitement with you, you can save 20% when you purchase my book, Stop Overeating Today!, by using the coupon code DR LAURA when you purchase through Google Checkout. Go here to find our more about the book: "http://stopovereatingtips.com">and here to purchase with your coupon code: "http://stopovereatingtips.com/buy_the_book.htm">

Have a fabulous day!

Are you Being Rude?

I was working with my client over the phone the other day (I'm a life coach) and she was explaining why she wasn't doing very well with her healthy eating goals. Some of her reasons included the following:

1) I am a mess.
2) I am not able to handle my life.
3) I can't do it.

Wow. I responded, "Would you ever talk like this to a friend? If a friend was explaining how they were struggling, would you say, "you are a mess, you are not able to handle your life, and you can't do it?"

"No!!" She said, "that would be awful."

"Well then," I replied, "You need to stop being so rude to yourself."

Epiphany! "I'm being rude to myself, you are right! I would never say these things to someone else, I shouldn't say them to myself either."

Ok, so it's confession time. Do you think or even say aloud things rude things about yourself when you're struggling? Even in joking?

Tisk tisk. Start paying attention to the critical thoughts you have about yourself and imagine saying those things to your friend's face. You never would, right? You shouldn't say those things about yourself, right?

If you talk down to yourself, remember to stop being rude and to replace those thoughts with encouraging and supportive thoughts instead. You will stick to your goals and be in a more positive mood throughout the day if you start treating yourself like you'd treat a best friend.
----

BONUS! Today only I am offering my book at a 25% discount if you order through google checkout, but you must use the coupon code CHOCOLATE: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com/buy_the_book.htm
EXTRA BONUS: Get a free 30 minutes of life coaching upon purchase of my book. Cheers!

Learn How to Say NO to Yourself

Have you ever taken a young child to a grocery store and heard them relentlessly ask you to buy them lots of sweet stuff? "Hey, can I have that Snickers bar?" "Hey, I want a doughnut!" It could go on and on. It's especially bad in the checkout aisle, where the stores strategically place all of the little candies and gums that are just the right size for little ones to grab and eat.

Well, today I was in the checkout aisle and saw an assortment of Mrs. Fields Cookies (yum!) all in a row. They had snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies, but the one that caught my eye is the original chocolate chip cookie that Mrs. Fields is famous for.

The debate in my head was like the cartoon scenario with an angel perched on one shoulder and a devil on the other. Devil said: "Mmmm, that looks good, that would hit the spot right now. Angel: "Yeah, but all that sugar will make you crash." Devil: "Maybe, maybe not. But it sure looks good. Look at those gooey chocolate chips on the packaging. Could just melt in your mouth." Angel: "You don't need it."

I could have gone either way and it didn't really matter what I did in that moment. It only cost 59 cents and it wouldn't have sent me on an overeating sugar binge or anything like that. But something in me felt like it was important for me to practice saying no to myself.

There is so much instant gratification in our society. I think it's healthy to practice saying no to ourselves so we learn that we don't need to leave the store with a treat each time and that we are not entitled to something sweet just because we see something that looks good.

The obesity rate is climbing in the U.S. The last Wall Street Journal story I read said that one third of our country's adults are obese and one half are overweight. Can we do something about it? Yeah! Don't put in your mouth everything that looks good in the moment. Hold back and practice self-control and discipline. Being able to say no to your impulses to eat is the key to ending overeating and weight loss because it won't just be a one-time thing, but a pattern you develop that will effect you every day of your life.

To check out free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

The Wait is Over...!

Hi again. So the website I mentioned last week is up and ready to visit. Here's the link: http://www.yourkickinthepants.com Check it out so you can get your daily motivation to exercise and have more energy, enjoy a better mood, and be more productive.

On a different note, I am doing a product review of Trader Joe's brownie mix. Some people call it No Guilt Brownies, others call it No Pudge Brownies. Whatever. They are the same thing.

I saw it the other day on a shopping trip and it intrigued me because it says it's fat free. I thought, "yuck, that can't be appetizing." I've never had fat free brownies before. But I wanted to try it out, because I've never eaten anything that wasn't yummy from Trader Joes. So into my cart went the No Guilt Pudge Brownies.

The secret ingredient that you replace the oil with is vanilla yogurt. I stirred it together and it seemed too dry, but after a couple of minutes I had a nice shiny glop of dough ready to go into the oven.

Thirty minutes later I tried the brownies. Verdict? They were REALLY REALLY GOOD. In fact, I think I may switch to these as my new favorite brownie recipe. Usually brownies feel heavy in my stomach because they are weighed down with oil. Not so with these. I felt light and like I was digesting it really easily.

So next time you are at your friendly neighborhood Trader Joes, give them a try!

To read free chapters from the book Stop Overeating Today!, visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Need a Little Motivation to Exercise? Here's Your Daily Dose...

Hi friends. Every now and again I'll introduce you to another website that I find particularly useful in one of these areas: diet, exercise, overeating, and overall wellness.

My friend, Heidi Marshall, has created such a site. Its concept is to provide daily motivation for moms to exercise daily via a short blog post or a video. Heidi practices what she preaches and is a regular exerciser. But she acknowledges that sometimes she doesn't feel motivated to actually get up, get going, and start exercising. How many of you moms out there can relate to this struggle? (I do! I do!) Our schedules are hectic to say the least and sometimes we make other things a priority instead of exercising because we feel overwhelmed and short of time.

The site's official launch date is June 2nd, so stay tuned for your daily dose of motivation!

------To read free chapters from the Book Stop Overeating Today!, please visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Greek Method to Stop Overeating

Have you ever heard of macrobiotics? It is a Greek-derived diet that favors locally grown grains and vegetables. I'm not going to focus on that part of the diet, however. It's the manner in which people are taught to eat that is interesting to me.

The macrobiotic way prescribes that you take smaller bites of food and that you chew them thoroughly. This means it will take you twice as long or even three times as long to finish your meal if you eat like most Americans do, quickly and unconsciously.

Have any of you ever fed a baby? You have to give them tiny bites of whatever they are eating so they don't choke. It takes a long time. I know, I've got a 14-month old.

Try this today, even if it's just for a small snack. Take extra time to take small bites and chew them thoroughly, so that the food is totally liquefied in your mouth before you swallow.

Although it's probably not realistic for you to adopt macrobiotic eating for the rest of your life (who has the time?), it's good to slow down, savor the flavor, and enjoy each bite. The whole purpose is to cut down on overeating, and this tip will help you do just that.

-----------

To find out more about the book Stop Overeating Today! and read free chapters, visit http://www.stopovereatingtips.com

Get Over Your Excuses! Top 5 Excuses to Not Exercise.

This is written by a guest blogger, Personal Trainer Susie Lohse - Enjoy!

-----------------

So many excuses, so little time. Where do I begin? Throughout my many years as a personal trainer I feel like I have heard them all. We ALL use excuses as a psychological self defense mechanism to take the easier route. The route might include eating ice cream while watching the Biggest Loser instead of exercising yourself. I thought I would share with you my top five favorite excuses. Do any of these sound familiar?

1. Exercising just isn’t for me. This by far has to be my favorite one as I am always shocked when I hear it. Scientifically, the human body requires a certain amount of exercise to ward off those pesky things such as gaining weight, atrophying muscles, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weakened immune system, heart disease, diabetes, etc. You might as well say, exercise isn’t for me, but future hospital stays will be. If you surround yourself with people that use that same excuse you will be solidifying your excuse. Break free and join a healthy lifestyle so that you can enjoy a better life.

2. I don’t have time for exercise. When people give me this excuse I ask them later on in conversation what their favorite TV shows are. After they’ve rattled off eight must see shows I ask them how they can have time for that since they don’t have time for exercise? GOTCHA! Fact: the average American watches FOUR hours of television per day. Think about how much time you spend on Facebook, Twitter, and Google. It comes down to what you value in your life. If you don’t value your health you will use this excuse.

3. I’m too busy with my kids. Do you like being able to spend time with your kids? So much that you don’t have time to exercise? Studies have shown that lack of exercise can significantly decrease your lifespan. They have even compared the effects to being a smoker! Every parent that wants to watch their children grow old will take the time to exercise. One third of American children are now obese, an even GREATER reason for you to exercise WITH them. Take your kids for a walk, play soccer in the backyard, pop in a fun and easy workout video to do together. Become your family’s leader to a higher quality, longer, happier life.

4. I’m dealing with a life crisis. We will all go through several major life crises. I have seen many people fall off track due to a job change, divorce, death, or relocation. It all starts to snowball from there. They gain weight which affects their self image. Their health starts to fail, they begin to get sick more often and miss work more. Finally a major health issue has them in the hospital. The doctor THEN prescribes exercise. The entire circle could have been prevented by using exercise as a tool against depression. According to the Mayo Clinic, here are the reasons you need exercise even more when facing a life crisis:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)

• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression

• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.

• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.

• Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.

• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms.

5. I don’t know what to do. When you decided what you wanted to do for your career did you give up because you didn’t know how to? No, you went to college or another type of training to gain the knowledge needed. The same thing applies here. Most of my clients first come to me because they tried themselves but without any results. They come to me because they wanted an expert to put them in the right direction instead of wasting time or causing injuries. Lose the excuse and get educated. Next time you hear that little voice in your head telling you “no” to exercise, stop and realize the negative impact the little devil on your shoulder can be. Take control, step out of the victim role and reward yourself with a worthier and longer life.

Susie Lohse, Your Portable Personal Trainer www.trainwithsusie.com

--------------
For more information about the book Stop Overeating Today! and to read free chapters, please visit: http://www.stopovereatingtips.com