How do I motivate myself?

• Put up a picture of you at your best, whether it’s from one or ten years ago.

• Use your daily planner. You have important commitments scheduled into your planner: meetings, doctor appointments, children’s’ activities, etc. Where is EXERCISE? It's as important a commitment (if not more) than your other activities. Mark it in bright letters!

• Hang up motivating pictures & quotes at your desk, on the refrigerator, on the bathroom mirror or in your car. ................

• Compete with your spouse or significant other. A little healthy competition is fun and you can help each other keep from midnight snacking.

• Make a friendly bet with a friend or co-worker. The competition will drive you and the winner gets a prize.

• Think of new activities that are enjoyable. Roller blade, play a game outside with your kids, swim, try water aerobics, jump rope, dance… the possibilities are endless.

• Take your dog or children for a walk each evening after dinner. It’s great bonding time and gets the ones you love in the habit too.

• Begin an accomplishments journal. At the end of each day, write down what you've accomplished that day to move you closer toward your fitness and/or life goals. Do not write down what you have not accomplished, but rather what you could do better the next day.

• Hire a personal trainer.

• Reward yourself. Whenever you reach a milestone, have something in mind, like a trip to the day spa, new shoes or clothes (as long as it's non-edible).

• Have kids? Look at their pictures to remind yourself that you want to be around to share life with them…with plenty of energy

• Keep the pair of your favorite jeans that you haven’t been able to wear. Try them on occasionally to keep yourself in check.

• Keep a journal of how you feel after exercise. On the days you just don't feel like exercising, look back on the good workout days for some inspiration.

• Keep in mind the 3-week rule. If you stick with something for 3 weeks, it will become a habit. Keep a journal for those days or mark it off on a calendar. Before you know it, your healthy habits will be your lifestyle.

• See exercise as stress release. If you've had a long, hard day at work, exercise is something to look forward to for stress relief and to revive yourself.

• Walk somewhere you need to go. Next time you have to pick up milk or mail a letter, walk to the nearest grocery store, post office, or mailbox instead of driving there.

• Remember that metabolism does not slow down just because you are a certain age. Many research studies have shown that loss of muscle tissue is the cause of slowed metabolism at any age. You can avoid this by dedicating yourself to exercise and strength training. A lot of people lose the motivation at a certain age because they think that hard work won’t pay off