Put down the Blackberry. Switch the computer to hibernate, turn off the television and shut off the cell phone. Even if it that means you don’t finish the rest of this thought…..you can’t do it, can you?
We’ve all become slaves to the technological culture that we have created for ourselves, a technological paradox if you will. What was supposed to be created to connect all us has now isolated us to our unhealthy selves.

That’s not to say that technology is not without its merits. After all, I would not be able to reach any of you if were not for it. However, all of these are more excuses why you are yet to get to the gym. Why you have yet to start that new exercise routine you have promised yourself long ago.

It all adds up. So you stay a little bit later in the office that day, one more person you need to Facebook, one more you tube you need to download, one more video you need to watch. All of these moments in time added up could easily equal an extra workout during the week or at the very least, an extra ten minutes on the treadmill.

Break free from the shackles of technology. Spend a little time on yourself. Take care of yourself, better yourself by undoing all of the damage you’ve done to you posture sitting at a desk for ten hours a day. Stave off the tide of carpel tunnel syndrome from hammering away on the Blackberry. Put those backs, hands, feet and every other part of your body to good use.

We are the only mammal created to stand on two legs, yet we’ve done everything to regress back to our pre-historic posture. Unplug.

Let’s take a moment to unlock the two most powerful demons that all of us seem to possess. Let’s use both of these demons to our advantage. Let’s take two negatives and make them work for each and every one of us, respectively.

Fear and guilt predominates our society in almost every institution. While I can’t offer a solution for the economy, or even our political climate, I can provide a solution when it comes to exercise, and that solution is to use both fear and guilt to our advantage.

Let’s be honest with ourselves, Fear and guilt are two of the more powerful vehicles that get us into the gym. Why not just recognize it, accept it, and embrace it. It may be as remedial as a fear of being overweight, to a fear of overall health deteriorating, to a fear of ending up with a debilitating disease.
In either case we have all experienced some form of this, and the guilt that we feel afterwards. The guilt we feel when we don’t follow through on a promise that we have previously made to ourselves. The guilt we feel when we have not reached a goal we have set, or simply the guilt that we feel after ordering that dessert.

We’ve all been there before and done nothing about it. Now is your chance to change all of that. Embrace your fear and guilt. Use it to your advantage by creating a motivator. Use it to achieve success.

1. Add flavor to meals without added fat by substituting low sodium chicken broth for oil or butter when cooking rice and pasta dishes.
2. Get more fiber and lower your chance for heart disease by exchanging whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet) for white rice and cous cous.  Cook them like rice and add to soups, salads, and stir-fries.
3. Add “no salt added” canned beans (easier and just as healthy as dried beans) to any meal for an economical and tasty fiber and protein boost!
4. Yogurt is a healthy choice, but be sure to get plain low- or non-fat Greek yogurt to avoid extra sugar, then sweeten naturally with stevia, honey, or berries. 
5. Answer your cookie cravings with healthier cinnamon graham crackers!
6. Candy doesn’t have to be off-limits, but control your portions by enjoying a 60 calorie Tootsie Pop or even two Mini York Peppermint Patties (100 calories/2 g of fat). 
7. Veggie chips aren’t as healthy as the look!  Make your own by spraying pieces of kale with cooking spray, sprinkling with sea salt, and baking at 350 for 10-15 min.
8. Avoid the calorie and sugar surprise of smoothies by making your own! Mix in a blender 1 container of 0% Greek yogurt, ¼ cup skim milk, ½ cup frozen fruit, 1 packet stevia, ice as needed.
9. Eat breakfast! It is the easiest way to lose weight, start your metabolism burning at full speed and prevent over-eating later on in the day!
10. An ideal lunch or dinner plate is ½ veggies, ¼ lean protein like fish, chicken or tofu, and ¼ complex carbohydrates.

Brought to you by Amy W. Shapiro, RD CDN
awsnutrition.com
amy@awsnutrition.com

No Pain, No Gain, the person who came up with that mantra was sadly mistaken, if you’re performing an activity that is causing pain, STOP! Chances are you’re doing something wrong. Exercise should be fun and enjoyable, something to look forward to, dare I say… the highlight of your day.

Some Quick Tips

Work Out with Friends
When you set a date to meet a friend in the gym or park, right away you establish accountability. Your friend is counting on you and more importantly looking forward to the workout, sort of like a “Grownup Play Date”. Like most things it’s always better when with a buddy.

Try Different Activities
Can you imagine performing the same discipline over and over and over again, you’ll start to feel like a broken record. Switch It Up, variety being the spice of life. Besides your body will start to plateau if you do the same routine over and over again, lessening its effects.

Play Team Sports
Remember kickball as a kid, what about little league? In case you’ve forgotten they’re still fun; “Return to Youth” and enjoy you. Besides many of these leagues are co-ed, you might make a new friend or even more, you won’t know till you try.

Take a Trip
Go on a vacation that doesn’t consist of lying around on a beach for 8hrs a day or eating the 24/7 buffet on a cruise ship. Be active: hiking, biking, swimming, white water rafting, skiing, etc… It can be challenging, rewarding, and above all else fun.

Give Yourself a Treat
If you’ve accomplish your fitness goals for the week indulge a little, remember just a little. Anyone who’s exercised knows that that piece of cheese cake tastes so much better if you earned the right to eat it. Or maybe go out and buy yourself something nice, because now it actually fits.

Before you set out on that journey known as exercise, you first must recognize that it is a journey — not a destination. Secondly you must know WHY you are going on this journey! WHY are you waking up earlier to work out? WHY are you caring about pushing yourself past your comfort zone? WHY are you making this commitment?

You have to be up front, honest and accountable with yourself BEFORE you begin this journey! After all, if you are not completely on board with your WHY, you won’t have as much motivation to succeed.

Yes, if you want to get into tremendous shape, you need to use the power of your mind, not just the power of your body.

After all, there will be plenty of time along the journey when you will find yourself exhausted, busy, overwhelmed with other things to do — and you will find yourself questioning: WHY do I need to take the time to work out? WHY is working out so important?

With your WHY in place, you’ll be more willing too make those needed sacrifices and put in that extra effort.

So before you begin your journey, TODAY take that time to find your WHY.

I promise that when the time comes that you feel ready to give up — as it will — you will simply refer back to your WHY, and will find it much easier to keep your drive alive!

Before you set out on that journey know as exercise, because after all it is a journey not a destination, you must and have to know one thing, WHY? Why am I doing this, why am I undertaking such an endeavor, why am I making this commitment to myself, and do I want to put myself through all this?

You have to be up front and honest with yourself, you have to be accountable for your own actions, it ultimately starts and ends with you and if you are not completely on board you will be hard pressed to succeed.

That is what the “true meaning behind the reasoning means”. Look deep within yourself and ask, why I am doing this? You should find a reason why and in turn it will all be worth it. Undertaking such a commitment is not easy and neither is exercise. If you are not fully committed to what you’re doing it won’t work.

You have to be willing too make sacrifices, to revisit an old adage, if it were easy everyone would do it. Find that one thing, that one thing within you that is going to “keep that drive alive”, that will provide you with motivation.

There will be plenty of time along the journey when you question yourself, what am I doing? why am I doing this? is it all worth it? Don’t worry or be distracted, that question is to be expected. That is when you refer back to that one thing that enabled you to start this journey in the first place.

Remember why you even got started on this road, what is your source of motivation, of inspiration, and “the true meaning behind the reasoning”.

Mind Over Matter Health & Fitness is a Manhattan based in-home personal training service providing fitness professionals to you in your home. We offer a variety of disciplines including Personal Training, Yoga, Pilates, and Boxing, all under one umbrella.

When you train with one of our professionals you get access to every other discipline. Variety is the key, after engaging in the same discipline over a sustained amount of time your body stars to plateau and the exercise loses its overall impact. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

We’ve all heard it before, and yes it is contrived, clichéd, and hackneyed. However, the reason you keep hearing this is because it is true. The “Journey not a Destination” philosophy has been with us much longer than fitness has, and when undertaking fitness as a discipline, this philosophy holds true.

Like any other life altering discipline that an individual takes on it should be looked at as a journey, and fitness is no exception.

When fitness is done the right way it should be something that becomes part of the rest of your life. If you are looking for life long success, then it would stand to reason that fitness should be life long.

While every individual should have his or her short term goals everyone needs to have overall health and wellness as a life long goal.

Let’s be honest, most people get into shape just for that wedding, reunion or vacation. It’s good to have a focus, but more times than not once those events are over or once that short term goal is realized, most tend to fall off the wagon.

What’s the sense of putting in all of that hard work and dedication if it’s all going to be over in a couple of months? Why not take that discipline with you through out the rest of your life.
Take comfort and be proud that you have accomplished your short term goal but do not lose sight of the journey.

Remember those moments along the way that got you to where you are now.
Remember the fun you had, how great you looked, and more importantly how glorious you felt when you were done.

Remember the journey, half the fun is getting there.