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If you exercise while listening to music, and are trying to maintain or increase your current energy output, the tempo of your music may have a measurable effect on how vigorously you exercise and the effect thereof on your body. Actually, this premise hasn’t been tested on exercising in general, but some British researchers did study it with respect to bicycling last year, and found that to be the case.

Here are the particulars: A dozen male college students were asked to ride stationary bikes at a pace they could keep up without discomfort for one half hour, while listening to six songs of varying tempos on headphones played at whatever volume they liked. They each rode three trial runs: once with the songs played normally, once played 10 percent faster and once played 10 percent slower. They weren’t told about the tempo changes.

Only Highly Conditioned Athletes Should Take on “Flight of the Bumblebee”

The results: The participants’ performance — and attitude — rose and fell with the tempo. When it decreased, so did their pace, their heart rate, their distance covered and even the degree to which they said they liked the music. When the tempo increased, all those things picked up right along with it; they even liked the same music 36 percent more.

Interestingly, the music didn’t somehow “mask” the extra effort they expended; they may have liked it more, but they reported being well aware of the increased exertion they were putting into it. The faster music wasn’t a painkiller, but a stimulant.

The influence of musical tempo adds to a body of exercising-to-music research which has already established that music both distracts the exerciser’s attention and physiologically energizes the exerciser’s heart and other muscles; it boosts both our motivation and our performance. Now researchers theorize that the body instinctively tries to match the rhythm of the music we’re listening to.

The conclusion: If it’s more vigorous and productive workouts you’re aiming for, go with the Stones and Springsteen, not Streisand and Sinatra. And consult your physician or trainer before moving on to heavy metal.

Oddball Research Discovery of the Year, Probably

One of the most intriguing and curious findings by exercise-and-music researchers was that a group of basketball players, who had been singled out for their tendency to choke during pressure situations, became much better free-throw shooters after listening to a recording of Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” the chipper, upbeat number sung during the crucifixion scene in The Life of Brian. Some study results just create more questions than they answer.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

Exercise and Music: Faster Workout Songs Lead to More Health Benefits is a post from: CalorieLab

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

The day started off easily enough. The weather was beautiful and I had some free time, so I thought I would go for a short flight in the Arrow. I did my standard pre flight inspection and engine run up and everything seemed fine. After calling the control tower, I was cleared for a departure toward the east. I advanced the throttle to full power and with the cooler weather, the Arrow was airborne in no time. I was thinking about the pleasures of being a pilot when, without warning at 500 feet above the ground, the engine started to sputter and with its irregular performance, the plane began to shake and I felt the power decrease. I immediately focused in an eerie calmness, and began a slow turn right, knowing that as well as my departure runway, our airport had a second runway that I felt I could make for an emergency landing. “Fly the plane, be aware, fly the plane,” were the only thoughts in my formerly more scattered mind.

After about three very long seconds, the engine began to run more smoothly and I elected to continue to fly, although my mind was not nearly as filled with extraneous thoughts as it was minutes before. I’m glad to report the flight had a happy ending. At that point, I had time to reflect on what had happened and a saying I learned came to mind: “Nothing focuses the mind like impending doom.”

Leading an unhealthy lifestyle will lead to an unhappy ending:

Although it may not seem as dramatic or serious at this time, just as sure as that ground will come rushing up to meet your too-rapidly descending plane, if you are not paying attention to your wellness, your life will take a nosedive as inevitable health problems begin to strike.

I received a call the day after that flight from someone I had attempted to help several years ago. She was already quite obese and had the beginning signs of several problems caused by obesity. At the time I had talked to her about beginning a health and fitness program, but she was very resistant to my suggestions. Now she has metabolic syndrome, weight-related knee and foot problems, and is barely able to move around her own home. Her options at this point are very limited and even worse than a few years ago when I had first attempted to intervene.

The point of potential return:

The reason I knew the altitude when the engine sputtered is that I immediately looked at the altimeter; I knew from my training and experience that 500 feet above the ground may be the minimum altitude point at which it may be possible to make a 180 degree turn and return to the same runway I had just taken off from. The most dangerous part of flight is considered by most pilots to be takeoff and initial climb. 30 percent of fatal aircraft accidents occur during these initial phases. Trying to return to the airport from too low an altitude with a poorly operating engine all too often crosses that point of no return. Many pilots have attempted a 180 with an engine failure on takeoff and have crashed out of control and perished rather than landed straight ahead in a controlled crash, which has a much higher chance of being survivable.

Health recovery limits

Fortunately, with wellness there is not such a strict recovery limit, and you can make that critical turn back to the safety of the airport runway with positive actions to improve your health at almost anytime in your life. Although you will have a better chance of success and an improved likelihood of complete recovery if you focus your mind to the task as early as you can, it is never too late to make that decision to help yourself.

Please be proactive with your health and wellness decisions now when you are still in control of your craft and not at the mercy of the many morbidities that are looming. The results will be much better than if you wait for diseases to begin, or parts to break before making those changes to prevent the impending doom.

Focus your mind to the task at hand. If you need to lose weight or get more fit, you know it can be done. If you need to stop addictive behaviors, you must face that and do what needs to be done.

As for the Arrow, I just talked to my mechanic and everything about the plane is ready for our next adventure, hopefully not too adventurous.

Nothing Focuses the Mind like Impending Doom is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

I first learned about Lenny Bruce in college at a Dustin Hoffman film festival. He was, in a word, different in a shocking way, although I should have used a four letter word to describe him.

The way we use words is interesting. Words can have so much power, often perhaps, too much power. We seem to be living in a politically correct time where our chosen words can elevate us to the heights of celebration, or crush a successful career in a sentence. Lenny was the anti-word, the politically incorrect, the shining beacon dropped into the mud, the whisper in the hurricane’s wind.

I’ve written about the power of words before, and how they can help us on our wellness journey. For Lenny Bruce, some words had a painful edge, and he wanted to extinguish their power. He suggested that we should continually use those words until the pain they caused could no longer be felt. Kathie Snow is also aware of the pain words can cause, and she hopes we will learn to use them more kindly to empower people rather than use them to marginalize people and tear them down.

The world hasn’t gone the way of Lenny Bruce’s thinking, in fact it has gone the opposite way. We have become more attuned and reactive to the effects of words. Of course the law still officially separates my verbally assaulting someone, or even flipping off an officer, from my actually physically striking them.

Words as labels:

At an early age, my sister was called retarded. If she had been born earlier in history, she would have been called cretin, idiot, imbecile, or moron, terms that have diffused from medical usage into the blog world, from what I’ve read. Then she became mentally retarded, mentally handicapped, mentally challenged, and intellectually disabled. She avoided mental subnormality and mental deficiency by being born in the USA, and now she has a cognitive or intellectual disability. Tomorrow, who knows what the euphemism treadmill will churn out?

I don’t think she felt much different about which term she was labeled with. Her focus always seemed to be on living her life as best she could in order to grow to be the successful woman she has become.

Words affect our perception:

Like it or not, the words we use can have a significant effect on our thinking. Take, for example, this study on using medical terminology. The study from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, was designed to investigate the impact of medical terminology on people’s perceptions of disease. The researchers surveyed people about the seriousness of eight different medical conditions. They used different names to discuss the same disease. Half the time they identified the condition by its official medical term, and half the time they used its more common layman term. For example, hyperhidrosis versus excessive sweating. Interestingly, those people asked about the condition when they used medical terminology, perceived the condition as more serious.

Is there an answer?

I don’t think there is a simple answer, but as Lenny Bruce felt, I do wish words did not have so much power to upset or hurt people, and as Kathie Snow feels, I wish we could learn to use words with a kinder correctness.

Until that happens, I realize it’s difficult for people to completely insulate themselves from the power of words, but perhaps it will soften the effects if they look for the speaker’s intent or make a conscious effort not to become overly sensitive or vigilant to the verbal imperfections of others.

Lenny Bruce and the Hurtful Power of Words is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

The OAF in the room

One would think with an obvious truth like the obesity epidemic, society would be waging a serious war of action to cage and control this growing beast. Unfortunately, we don’t just have an elephant in the room, because as the elephant grows, in its shadow, so does the OAF in the room!

The Obesity Acceptance Factor (OAF):

The OAF started very insidiously. It quietly infiltrated most every corner of the room before even the more vigilant people began to take notice and sound the warnings. Over time, there were undercover discussions with occasionally more strident voices, yet nothing was ever done to prevent its happening. Now, our acceptance of obesity is so widespread that it is approaching normal, and our prior state of health and wellness is slowly being relegated to some aberration that used to be back in the day.

Interestingly, there is a group acknowledgment of the growth of obesity as evidenced by all the continual conversation and discussion about the problem, but at the same time, there is individual denial that the problem even exists, as evidenced by the widespread signs and symptoms.

Signs and symptoms:

The signs and symptoms of our society’s acceptance of obesity are everywhere. Have you noticed how mirrors are disappearing? Clothing is vanity sized where the original number scale is now meaningless. People’s increasing girth has prompted size inflation throughout the fashion and apparel industry. The clothing industry has conveniently accommodated expanding Americans by increasing sizes. For example, what once was a women’s size 8 is now a size 4, and today’s size 8 would have been a size 12. Men’s clothing also has expanded where pants that were formerly termed a “regular” now are called a “slim cut,” or “easy fit,” and baggy styles have become popular to accommodate our excess weight. I’ve even heard that shoes are undergoing the same type of size inflation.

I think most of us are familiar with the increases in the size of furniture, interiors of cars, ambulances, and even coffins to accommodate our now accepted enlargement.

Arthur Caplan, chairman of the ethics department at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, had this to say about these signs and symptoms: “On one hand, we have to make the world safe for a fatter population, but the more we adjust our world to accept our weight, the harder it is to motivate us to do the healthier thing and lose the weight. If we tacitly readjust our world, in some sense we are responding to reality. At the same time, there is no doubt that making those adjustments makes it easier to live bigger.”

The fat acceptance movement:

Initially, the principal goal of the fat acceptance movement was to decrease discrimination against people who are overweight and obese. However, along with this worthy goal came those whose mission leaned more toward the feeding of the OAF and the societal acceptance of obesity as a condition that has not been proven to be unhealthy, despite voluminous data to the contrary.

It has now even been shown that our misperception of overweight status can actually increase over time in tandem to the increase in the average BMI of the US population. It seems the more overweight the people around us become, the more our sense of normal weight is increased, and the less likely we are to consider ourselves overweight, even though according to medical standards we actually are. Unfortunately, as in today’s world, the majority of individuals we interact with on a regular basis are likely to be overweight or obese, and it becomes more and more difficult to remember what someone with a normal weight looks like.

The big bottom line:

It is difficult for me to believe even with our growing Obesity Acceptance Factor, that the elephant can remain unnoticed in the room, yet a preponderance of the heavy evidence does seem to be weighted in that direction. I’m afraid that our population is getting fatter, and the fatter we get, the less we seem to notice, and the less likely we seem to want to do anything about it.

I fear that rather than confront this problem, we have, as a society, chosen to concern ourselves with a myriad of irrelevant issues rather than honestly face, and diligently deal with, the real problem.

The Obesity Acceptance Factor is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

My close friend has been gaining weight for a while, and due to my concern for his health, I decided to broach the subject with him. I was very careful to express my views in a caring and tactful manner. It turned out quite well. He wasn’t offended, nor did he tell me it was none of my business. Nevertheless, his brief response did surprise me. He said, “Thank you for your concern, but I don’t think I’m fat!”

As it turns out, my friend is not alone in his misperception. A recent study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, has even given a name to this condition, “Body Size Misperception.” It refers to the difference between one’s self-perceived body size and ideal body sizes.

Body Size Misperception: The Study

The study, done by Dr. Tiffany M. Powell of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and her colleagues, investigated Body Size Misperception among 2,056 obese men and women who were participating in the Dallas Heart Study. The researchers evaluated the individuals’ body perceptions by having them look at a series of nine figures in a row, ranging from very thin to very obese, and first asking them to choose their ideal figure, and then to choose the figure that most resembled them. People who chose ideal body sizes that were the same or bigger than their actual obese body size were classified as having Body Size Misperception. This study found that eight percent tested positive for this condition. Prior studies have found the value in overweight individuals who misperceive their weight to be normal to range from 21 percent to as high as 46 percent.

Several problems seem to occur with people that have this perspective. Many of these individuals had previously undiagnosed medical problems. 44 percent had not seen a doctor at all in the past year, compared to 25 percent of those who accurately gauged their size. When the person with Body Size Misperception did see a health care provider, they were much less likely to discuss their diet, physical activity level, or whether they needed to lose weight.

In addition, those who felt this way were more likely to mistakenly say they felt more healthy than their peers of the same age, and they were less aware that they were at a high risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure. Also, two-thirds of the already obese respondents felt their lifetime risk of eventually becoming obese was low. The conclusion was that these individuals failed to recognize the need for weight loss or physical activity in regards to their health and wellness.

Unhealthy Body Image and Obesity

“Based on these findings,” Dr. Powell said, “physicians may want to take a step back before discussing lifestyle habits with their obese patients, and asking them first about how they perceive their weight and whether or not they think they need to lose weight. The fact that many of these people may not see a doctor at all also makes it important to reach out to them in the community.

“The study points to really a lack of understanding about the effects of obesity. You walk a fine line, because you don’t want people to necessarily have an unhealthy body image, but you also want people to understand that they need to lose weight.”

I remember watching a rerun of an old Mary Tyler Moore show where Mary confronted the overweight Mr. Grant about his weight. Interestingly, his response, “I appreciate your concern Mary, and if I ever think I am fat I will do something about it,” evoked laughter from the audience.

Unfortunately, because of the health and wellness repercussions of this viewpoint, it is no longer a laughing matter!

Body Size Misperception is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Sitting: Not Nearly as Safe, or Simple, as it Seems

A German scientist, Risto Koiva, has invented what he calls the “Intelli Chair,” a concept that could have interesting applications for the health-conscious in general and the weight-conscious in particular, even if it does have a wincingly lame name. Koiva’s declared foe is back pain, specifically the kind caused by sitting for too long or too poorly, and his chair uses seat and back sensors and a bluetooth computer link to monitor the sitter and make a noise to alert him or her to shift position.

This concept seems particularly timely given recent research that links health problems and even premature death to the simple act of habitually sitting in one position for hours on end, just as a sedentary daily routine has been found to go hand-in-hand with obesity. If the chair were rigged to sound off whenever a person had sat motionless, or remained sitting without rising, beyond a certain time limit, it might stir people to interrupt their sedentary stretches with one-minute activity breaks at regular intervals.

This won’t turn the cubicle crowd into Speedo models, of course, but research indicates it would be to the measurable benefit of everyone, and especially those grappling with weight. Indeed, Koiva might want to add a special dieter’s version of his chair that makes a noise — a Navy attack siren, for example — whenever the person in it exceeds a certain weight limit. The chair could be wired to become uncomfortably hot, too. One can already see the ad campaign: “Victimized by extra pounds? Give ‘em The Chair.”

Think of it as a Kind of Unappetizer

If exercising before meals just leaves you hungrier, try watching other people exercising before your meals. Really. Cornell University food researchers found that people who watched TV ads about exercise-related products such as running shoes and fitness centers prior to a buffet lunch consumed 22% fewer calories than those who watched commercials for car insurance and major appliances. The researchers speculate that the exercise-related ads focused their attention on health and fitness and their own bodies. Put more bluntly, watching the finely-toned models in the commercials probably reminded them how out of shape they were.

Source: TV effect — “Eat less, move and lift…,” Nanci Hellmich, USA Today, 10/11/10, p. 6D.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

2 Possible New Weight-Loss Aids: A Chair that Nags You, and Watching Others Exercise is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

I’m sure many of you have been following the amazing story of the trapped Chilean miners. As their struggle is coming to a miraculous end, the world is watching as the 33 miners are being brought back to the surface and reunited with their families.

The miners have been hoping for this rescue since an access tunnel caved in on August 5th trapping them.

Nothing like being buried a mile underground to inspire a little weight loss…

In order to extricate the men, a 2,040 foot shaft had to be slowly drilled down to their location. The escape tunnel could only be about 26 inches wide, about the diameter of a typical bike tire. In addition, a rescue basket to carry the miners to the surface would further reduce the available space in the shaft. Because of these space limitations, the men were told they all must meet a maximum waist circumference of no more than 35.4 inches (90 cm). Interestingly, the average American male’s waist is 39.4 inches (100 cm), and the average American female’s is 37 inches (94 cm).

From the first contact between the rescuers and the trapped men, they were told of this requirement and warned not to gain weight ant to lose weight if needed. A program including exercise and other activities to keep them from gaining weight was immediately instituted. In addition, they began eating a special diet recommended by NASA and doing additional exercises that were designed to aid their rescue as their escape drew nearer. Some of the men may have had to lose 20 pounds or more.

Motivation is as motivation does

Motivation is an interesting concept. It seems so unattainable at times, until something comes along that inspires us to look deep within and find what we had felt was impossible.

Of course it is not as extreme as being in a hole deep in the ground, but obesity will have significant effects on your life, nonetheless. It is well established that obesity causes a myriad of diseases and problems which, as sure as being in that mine, will negatively affect your life. Just as those miners were living a limited life, so is the person with obesity.

There is so much more that you can experience and so much more that you can be.

Yes, it may be a long way from where you are to where you want to be, but every day you wait, it becomes one less day you have to reach the surface. One more day of being trapped in that mine. One step at a time, one foot at a time, there is a way out. You just have to start climbing. I know that in many ways it feels like you are looking up that skinny hole that is preventing you from reaching your freedom, but it can be done. Others have done it, and so can you. CalorieLab is here to support and help guide your efforts. We want to help with your climb to health and wellness. We strive to be your light at the end of the tunnel. Together we will see the light of a new day.

The Chilean Miner Diet is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

The obesity epidemic and its attendant increases in multiple debilitating illnesses is a serious issue facing all of us. I have stated many times how I wish society in general would be more helpful to everyone struggling with this problem. Unfortunately, not only is that not going to happen, but it seems that society will do everything it can to prevent any helpful changes from occurring.

Recently, in her inaugural lecture, Professor Elizabeth Murphy,
Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the University of Leicester’s College
of Social Science, a leading social scientist, made the point that society’s desire for its lifestyle choices and freedoms creates a significant limit on the effectiveness of any positive public health intervention.

Public health issues have previously been much more amenable to governmental actions, for example, improving sanitation or air quality,
or controlling infectious disease. The use of vaccinations against small
pox and polio were some of the greatest triumphs in the history of
medicine.

Today’s Issues

The issues of today, however, like lack of exercise, smoking, drinking
alcohol, and an unhealthy diet, have demonstrated that legislation is
not very effective in tackling these problems, as these health issues
are closely tied in with an individual’s lifestyle choices and freedom.

Over the last 50 years there has been a significant change in both
public health interventions and clinical medicine, with a much greater
emphasis on attempting to prevent non-infectious and chronic health
conditions directly attributable to lifestyle behaviors, such as
cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. The problem with this
prevention is that much of it relies on the compliance of the
individual in following the warnings and using the information provided
to them.

Disease and illness are not only personal and family tragedies. They
also significantly effect the welfare, day to day living, and
productivity of the entire population.

Promoting Wellness in a Free State?

Is it possible, within a free state, to promote the health and wellness
of the population without excessive limiting of individual choice and
freedoms? Unfortunately, if one looks at the data, although some areas
have seen slight progress, and some individuals have benefited, the
impact on the continual growth of obesity has been relatively
insignificant.

In many ways I feel that it is our addictive freedoms that, as a
population, doom us.

Swelling Opinion Versus a Swelling Public

Perhaps the answer is a more quiet coercion, a more underground swell
of growing healthy public opinion that will eventually persuade the
masses to make the better lifestyle choices. It is obvious that
governmental interventions are not working. I would suggest that future
interventions would consider the idea of incentives, and be slanted
towards encouraging or possibly manipulating people, not of a punitive
nature.

It is all in the Health Choices we Make

I’m guessing that society will not be heading to that brave new world
anytime soon, so that leaves us with some difficult choices that we
must make for the most part by ourselves. We will first have to
recognize the problem of our unhealthy relationship with food, and low
activity levels, and second, we will have to take the more difficult,
challenging path as the world will continually work against our being
successful. Whether we will make this effort is up to each and every
one of us.

Is Our Freedom to Choose Hurting Us? is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Contributor: “Dr. J”
Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

Stuck on the Tracks

I’m probably unusual this way, but I do not stop to gawk at what I generically term “train wrecks,“ unless I am early on the scene and I feel that I might be useful in helping the injured. Accidents do not fascinate me, stopping or slowing down to see the damage only contributes to the hazards of the situation, and the victims will arrive at the emergency room soon enough where myself or other trauma surgeons can do some real good.

Stuck in Life

I have found myself having the same reaction with some of the websites I read. The writers are stuck, and the trains-a-coming down the tracks! I want to just drive on by and visit websites written by people who are making better progress with the promises they have made to themselves and their readers.

However, unlike with the real wrecks, I do keep going back, hopefully not as a morbidly curious voyeur, but rather as someone who cares and tries to offer helpful advice, because unlike a train wreck, this potential damage can still be reversed prior to needing that ambulance ride to the ER.

It’s tough when you are stuck in some area of your life. You want to change, but it just doesn’t happen. You find yourself tediously saying the same promises to yourself, saying the same repetitive excuses. The same hope-filled claims of trying to change for the better are spoken yet never actualized.

The good news with trains is that they are restricted to their railroad tracks. If you are struck on that track in harm’s way, you can escape that wreck by getting off and going on to a better pathway.

Getting Unstuck and off the Track

Most of us find ourselves stuck in some area of our lives at times. It isn’t easy, but during those periods we can do things to help us get in motion again. To do this, you must first be open to being different. If you expect to keep being the same, and things are going to change for the better on their own, it is not going to happen. You also need to become aware of secondary gains that could keep you stuck because they provide some reward for you, such as sympathy and care from others, or allowing you to avoid facing unpleasant, but necessary responsibilities.

Stop, Look, and Listen

First, you must be sincerely committed to stop being stuck. Second, you must be willing to take an honest look at your situation. Third, you must learn to listen to your inner voice crying out for you to be different.

Some Steps to Get on a Better Track

1. Do not use excuses as your go-to defense for not taking advantage of opportunities. If excuses are the the banner you wear, or flag you wave, lose them.
2. Do not continually express your fears. Fear is a stern master and you will remain its slave. Do not express your fear of rejection or failure. Doing so will get in the way of the actions you need to take to change your behaviors.
3. Negativity is your worst friend. Stop constantly saying negative things about yourself.
4. Stop saying “yes, but” to every piece of advice given to you. Some of the advice must be alright.
5. Stop saying why you fail at things. Talk about reasons to succeed, not reasons why you can’t.
6. Stop talking about how circumstances, situations, or people are to blame for your shortcomings. Take responsibility and move on to become what you can be.
7. Do not use the expression, “I am trying.” Perhaps at one time this meant action, but now it has become an overused excuse to allow failure.
8. Stop rationalizing and offering reasons for not being what you claim you want to be.
9. Instead of predicting the worst outcome in every situation for yourself, predict the outcome that you want to occur.
10. Make your mantra “I am doing it,” not “I am going to do it.”

In the end, you just have to do it. As with every journey, it begins with that single step.

How to Get Moving Again When You Feel Stuck is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News