Tricks To Motivate Myself To Exercise: #6

Hi friends – Happy Wednesday! I am continuing the Exercise Motivation Tricks Series. This is trick #6 that I use to motivate myself to exercise! I was out of town last week and that threw me off my exercise routine, so I haven’t been getting many workouts lately. I may use this trick this week to jump start my metabolism this week!

What exercise tricks do you use?

Hugs,

Paola

Tricks to Motivate Myself To Exercise: #6 Use Exercise Videos

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I have a few exercise DVD videos that I use to exercise at home. I also use them when I travel and I know it may not be possible to exercise outside or at the hotel gym. When the weather isn’t nice outside, I have used these videos to exercise at my sister and my friend Lola’s house.

Currently, my favorite exercise videos are the Zumba DVDs. They are fun & the music just gets you  dancing. How can you listen to salsa and bachata, and not start moving your hips and shoulders? It is like a natural reflex for me. Maybe because I am Hispanic, haha. I also like exercise videos because I can do them at any time of the day and on any day of the week. Also, if I only have fifteen  minutes to exercise, then I just do fifteen minutes of the video and simply press stop. Fifteen minutes of exercise is better than not doing any exercise at all. It is good to get our bodies moving! It also helps our mood (gets us in a better mood), and gets the endorphins and metabolism going! When I use DVDs to exercise in the mornings, I simply get up, put the Zumba DVD in and the music starts playing while I change into exercise clothes. I put the volume high, once I hear the music I am ready to Zumba! Even on mornings when I am feeling sluggish, I may  not do the exercises 100% correctly or at full cardio level, but at least I am moving and that alone gets me feeling more energetic, before I know it, I am smiling!

DVDs are a convenient way to exercise, it’s like taking a class at a gym, but in the comfort of your home. In my opinion, they should also be fun. I have  few more intense exercise videos, like toning DVDs, and some hard core abs and boot camp videos. I have used those DVDs a few times, but honestly, they aren’t much fun for me.  Zumba is fun for me because I like to dance and it includes lots of dancing. I also like using my yoga DVDs when I feel a need to relax , stretch, and reflect. Everyone is different though, one of my friends really likes her butt toning videos and she is disciplined about doing them a few times each week, those are quite hard core for me! What matters is that you like the video and the exercises, and that you get the workout.

So, if you don’t have exercise DVDs and you think this is may be a type of exercise you may enjoy, then get some! The videos aren’t expensive, most cost between $10 – $25. You can find them at Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, sporting stores, and you can also buy them on-line. If you aren’t certain which video you may like, you can do a little research on-line and preview some videos beforehand. You can also preview exercise videos on YouTube.

Hope this exercise trick will help motivate you to exercise!

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This is a picture from a charity walk I participated in (I am the person to the farthest right, in the second row). Our team was on stage to kick-off the walk with a warm up and it was Zumba! It was a fun way to get the walk started!

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Tricks to Motivate Myself to Exercise: #5

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Tricks to Motivate Myself to Exercise: #4

 

 

 

Trick I Use to Not Eat Too Many Halloween Treats

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Tis’ the Season! For me, Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season! At this point of the year, I am happy enough to maintain my weight, to try to lose weight would be very, very challenging, haha! In addition to all the fun parties and outings, there is shopping for gifts and for food for special events, putting up decorations, wrapping gifts, and lots more to do. This leads to changes in my routine, in particular less time to exercise. I enjoy the holidays and like to also enjoy the special meals served this time of the year! It is all about moderation. For Halloween, I have tricks use to avoid eating too many treats!

1) Buy Candy I Won’t Want to Eat: I try not to buy chocolates because they are my guilty pleasure, so I know I will want to eat them! I usually buy hard candy, such as lollipops, or Starburst to give out. This way, I am not tempted to have some of it because I don’t really like these types of candy.

2) Don’t Open the Bag: If I don’t open the bag until Halloween night, I won’t eat any before that night.

3) Give Away Left Over Candy: As much as I love chocolate, any chocolates we don’t give out will be taken to my office or my husband’s office, to share with co-workers. If we don’t have it in the house, we won’t eat it. If we keep it at home, we will eat it, all of it, even if over a few weeks, that is lots of additional calories and fat!

This year my hubby bought the candy we will give out. Yesterday, he came home with all these chocolates! What? This is not a good strategy for me! This does not follow my tricks to not eat too many treats! It is like torture for me, haha! I had two pieces last night and four today! Yes, four! I didn’t open the bag of Twix to ensure I don’t eat any of those! I usually keep chocolate at home, but buy chocolate covered almonds or malt balls, so if I have a craving for chocolate I’ll just have a few small pieces, not an entire candy bar.

Ironically, I had just gotten home from a Zumba class at the gym before I took this picture! And yes, I ate some chocolate. It’s so hard to resist!

Happy Halloween everyone! Enjoy the treats, just don’t have too many! And if you do eat too many, exercise more or watch your calorie intake in other meals for a few days. Or, if you want to avoid eating too many treats, try the tricks I listed above….and don’t let your husband buy candy you will want to eat!

What is your favorite Halloween treat?

Hugs,

Paola

I LOVE CHOCOLATE!

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Darn…I want one! The temptation! To taste the sweetness melting in my mouth!

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And, I just had to have one!

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Or two!  DSCN5646

Yikes, look it all the calories and fat in three pieces!

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And…the calories in two pieces of these! DSCN5649Note to self: Tell hubby to please not buy chocolates for Halloween next year! Or at least not chocolates I like! I didn’t open the large bag because I don’t really love the chocolates in that package!

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