As young schoolchildren, our physical education classes made sure that we had exercise at least three days a week. Now, as adults, we find it excruciatingly difficult to haul ourselves to the gym once a week, or get up and go for a run before work. Our body’s physical fitness greatly depends on the mind’s fitness, and whether it feels committed to having a long and healthy life.

Some ways that people can improve their physical fitness begin at home. Watching what we eat, spending less time sitting in our living room’s and watching television are important steps we can take at home. At work, we can take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or ride a bike to work instead of drive, and try to set some time aside during lunch to workout or go for a walk. This can do absolute wonders for our physical fitness.

Outside of work and home, we are in the best position to exercise and care for our bodies. Using our free time to exercise and get our bodies in shape can help to improve our energy levels and increase our metabolism. Some of the most popular sporting activities are often the most effective, such as biking, running and swimming. If people commit to doing one of these things a few times a week for thirty minutes a day, they will see a substantial rise in their physical fitness levels almost immediately.

Lifting weights, walking the dog, playing Frisbee with friends or jogging on the beach can all be things that we can incorporate into our lifestyle with little pain or hassle. Americans are notoriously bad in being out of shape, unfit, and generally obsessive/compulsive eaters and dieters. Rather than continuing an unhealthy way of doing and thinking, they should look to Europeans, especially the Mediterranean countries, who have a healthy work outlook balanced with natural foods in their diet.

Unlike their American counterparts who spend thousands of dollars each year on diet pills, weight-loss plans and faddish foods, Europeans have taken physical fitness to mean getting some exercise, eating simply and wholesomely and not being adhering to an idealized body type to ensure happiness.

I found a great post today on the Top 100 Weight Loss Blogs, which lists blogs started by people who are actively losing weight, or have successfully lost weight. These blogs can give you motivation, encouragement, and advice when you’re feeling low about your weight loss efforts.

We know that changing your lifestyle isn’t easy- if it were easy, everyone would be able to do it, and obesity wouldn’t be such a issue in our society. The important thing is to focus on taking small actions, each day, to reach your goals.

On the days when you aren’t sure if you can make one more change, read some of the blogs from the Top 100 list for additional motivation.

We often think that positive thinking means looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. But that isn’t the case at all! Re-framing our negative thoughts in a more constructive light often empowers us to move beyond the limitations that negative thinking creates. How many times have you found yourself in one of these negative weight loss thought traps:
* All-or-nothing – “I cheated and ate the whole bag of chips. Why am I even trying?”
* Making rash conclusions- “My friends are going to see me as a failure, I’m going to lose my job and the world is going to come crashing down around my ears.”
* Over-generalization – Using the words like “always” or “never”, often creates unrealistic generalizations about our situation. I always crave chocolate on Sunday.
* Discounting the positive – How often have you completely ignored the compliments you receive and dwell entirely on one negative comment?
* Personalization – “My mom criticized how I feed my child. I must be a terrible parent.”
* Labeling – “I’m a loser.” “I’ll always be fat.”

One of the most immediate life-changing exercises you can do to help you lose weight is to begin paying attention to these negative-thinking pitfalls. When they pop into your mind, stop and then re-frame them. This will give you a more positive outlook and may help you lose weight and establish a new relationship with your body and your life.

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