Keeping Weight Off Harder Than Losing It

Many people manage to successfully lose weight. Sometimes the trouble comes in maintaining the weight loss.

This article from Nancy Hellmich at USA Today features the strategies that a number of people have used to keep off the weight they've lost.

Diets, exercise and motivational tools are all strategies people use to keep off weight that has been lost.

Learn about what's worked for others and what might work for you.

Eating Before Workouts

Diet before a workout.

This is an issue that's posed numerous questions and comment. I'm not sure anyone has the "right" answer because everyone is different. Different foods help different people become better prepared for a workout. Timing plays into this equation as well.

Check out this video featuring registered dietitian Kim Mueller from www.active.com. This will offer some guidelines as to how to best prepare yourself prior to a workout.

Muscle Up

As we move closer to summer, it's a great time to look to "muscling up".

Check out this video posted on the Fit Mom's Blog. It offers some Cross Fit exercises that will help you build up some strength as you move to prepare for your warmer weather activities.

There are some really great exercises here.

Getting New Running Shoes

As spring begins, it's a great time to think about putting on some new running shoes.

As most serious runners will tell you, purchasing running shoes is an important investment. You're selecting an item that will put enormous pressure on your knees, joints, muscles and other areas of your lower extremities. In other words, it's important to find shoes that will work well for you.

This post and video from the Huffington Post offers some great advice on the purchase of running shoes.

I would leave you with a few pieces of advice on this topic - make sure to go to a local athletic store where the personnel are runners and experts on their products. This isn't a purchase where you're looking to "skimp" and go to the nearest big-box discounter. Take time to try on lots of different shoes. Finally, when you find a pair you like, stick with them. I've been using Nike Equalons for years and I love them!

Planning Out Your Training

What about "periodizing" your training plan?

Check out Marisa Carter's post on www.active.com about how to plot out your training strategy for an event. The approach is referred to as "periodization".

It focuses on building yourself up, tearing yourself down and the importance of your recovery. Any training plan is pretty much built on this theory and how you must tear yourself down, but allow for periods to build yourself back up.

This post is pretty detailed, but it offers great rationale as to why this approach is beneficial to most athletes.

What Is Your Motivation?

It's different for each one of us.

What is different? Motivation. Each of us is motivated by something different in the world of fitness. While someone is motivated by regularly getting together with friends to run, many others would prefer the solitude of running by themselves. Others may find benefit in regularly changing up their routine with different exercise activities, while others prefer to engage regularly in the same activities.

Check out this post from the Fit Mommies Blog. It offers some interesting perspective as to what makes some of us "tick" when it comes to fitness.

Setting Benchmarks

Are you interested in learning the pace you should set in preparing for an event?

This article from by Michael Ricci for www.active.com will help you out. If you're running, swimming or biking, this article will show you how to set benchmarks as to what your pace should be as you're training.

Strength Training . . . An Oxymoron?

We learned at an early age about the weirdness of "oxymorons"?

Read the following post from the Shut Up and Run blog. An important question is posed. She explains how we regularly encounter oxymorons throughout our lives and strength training falls into that category.

Many of us don't pay as much attention to the things we can do in our workouts that are necessary to make us better, but aren't really fun or enjoyable. This is often the case for strength training.

Take a look at your workout routine. Are you ignoring valuable strength training opportunities?

Start Small

The new year started out with a bang . . . as usual!

A new gym membership with that $39 per month special. Great diet you found on the web. Do these sound familiar? Are they now a distant memory?

It's interesting to see how the 5 p.m. crowd that made the lines long at each machine in the gym in the beginning of the year is now long gone.

Maybe it's time to take another look at those resolutions you set for the new year. Were you too aggressive perhaps? This post from www.dailysparkblog.com offers great perspective on how you should start small with your new year's health-related goals.

Walking a few times per week or just doing some pushups and situps a few times per week are great ways to things started. Don't think you have to start by running a marathon or triathlon . . . just start small. And most importantly . . . get started!

Importance Of Strength Training

Strength training is an important part of any fitness routine.

Read these tips from fitness expert Joe Decker to learn why strength training should be a part of your workout routine and how to incorporate these activities into your program.

Whether it's weights, yoga or whatever, it's very easy AND effective to make strength work a part of your fitness. You can also work to tailor your strength training to help your specific training, whether it's swimming, running, etc.

Welcome To Super High Intensity Training

Welcome to the Super High Intensity Training program . . . or S.H.I.T. for short.

Yes, I can't help but share a little fitness humor as presented in everymantri.com.

This is a funny post. Check it out and hopefully you'll enjoy the humor the way I did.

Winter Motivation

You know that spring is just around the corner.

But if you're really behind from the "winter blahs", use these motivational tips posted by Chris Janzen featured in TriathleteMind.com to help get yourself going.

While the light is at the end of the tunnel, you may still be living through some lousy weather and need these tips to keep you in your groove.

Always Stretching

How often do you stretch?

Chances are - not enough!

I've found myself stretching a lot more often these days. As I get older, I find myself sore in areas I hadn't imagined and stretching really helps alleviate that feeling.

I have developed different routines to do before and after my workouts with the routines after my workouts a little more rigorous than prior.

This is a great way to prepare your muscles and reduce risk of injury. If you really want to enjoy some good stretching, I recommend you try yoga too.

Check out this post on the benefits of stretching.