The Infonian

Are you having trouble finding the motivation for losing weight? Then keep reading! I know that it can be difficult to persevere with a weight loss plan once the initial enthusiasm begins to wane, but it can be done. This article gives ten weight loss motivation tips that will help you to keep going and reach your goal.

1. Reward Yourself

Take small steps towards your goal, and make sure that you give yourself some reward (not food!) at each stage along the way. Losing weight can seem like an endless task, especially if you’ve got a lot to lose, so it’s important that you enjoy a sense of achievement even before you reach your goal weight.

2. Dress well.

When your larger sized clothes become too loose, get rid of them. Many people have a wardrobe full of clothes of different sizes, but if you hang onto your ‘fat clothes’, you’re sending your subconscious mind the message that you are expecting to gain the weight back. Also, don’t wait until you’re at your goal weight before you purchase some really nice new clothes – try to get at least one new piece of clothing that you really like with every dress size that you drop. You don’t have to spend a lot if money is an issue, but just a few new (or new to you) well-fitting, flattering pieces of clothing can really boost your confidence and inspire you to continue.

3. Focus on how you feel.

Stay focused on how good your body feels as you start to lose weight. Many overweight people generally feel a bit tired and uncomfortable in their bodies, and as you lose the pounds, you’ll feel better and better (that’s assuming that you’re using a healthy diet and exercise plan). If you focus on these improvements in your day to day quality of life, you’ll feel motivated to stay the course and enjoy even more energy and a greater sense of well-being as time goes on. Remember that there’s more to weight loss than just numbers on the scale or smaller dress sizes; it’s also about increasing your sense of physical and mental vitality.

4. Exercise. Make an effort to take a bit of exercise on most days. This might involve dredging up some willpower in the beginning, but after you’ve made it a habit, you’ll find that the great boost to your mood that exercise provides will give you a strong motivation to continue. Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, and you don’t have to wear yourself out – choose an activity that you enjoy, and just do 10 or 15 minutes each time to start with.

5. Use personally meaningful incentives. For example, if looking good is important to you, you might find it helpful to hang one or more items of clothing in your ideal size, somewhere where you’ll see it often (although for others, this could be a depressing reminder of where they currently are). But if you like clothes, this can be a good incentive to continue.

6. Focus on your health. A lot of people are motivated to lose weight primarily because they want to look thinner, but it’s also worth considering the long and short-term health implications of being overweight, and the benefits (such as reduced risk of diseases such as heart problems, joint problems, some types of cancer, etc.,) that you’ll gain if you slim down. You’ll also have lots more energy, and may feel better mentally too.

7. Boost your confidence. In some cases, losing weight can help a person to feel more confident. If your confidence is being negatively affected by your weight, you may find it motivating to think about how much more at ease you’ll be in social situations once the excess is lost, and think about enjoying all the positive attention you’ll receive. You can also feel better about yourself right now by focusing on those aspects of your body, your life and yourself that you love just as they are. This is important, as many people overeat to mask feeling bad about themselves, so some positive self-talk can make it less likely that they’ll turn to food to feel better.

8. Try keeping a food diary. This is a very effective way to become aware of your eating habits, and it’s a great tool for motivation, as you’re less likely to overeat or eat mindlessly – and the more often you eat well, the easier it’ll be to continue.

9. Get some support. There are so many people who are in the same boat, and it can really help a lot to have somebody to talk to at those times when you just feel like giving up on the whole thing. There are several options here – you could join a formal support group, get together in an informal group with some friends, or join some of the many online weight loss forums and other communities.

10. Enjoy your food. Forget about ‘going on a diet’, and instead find a way of eating that you actually enjoy, and can stick with over the long term. Also, make sure you allow yourself some of your favorite foods as treats. Any weight loss plan that’s overly strict is very de-motivating. It’s certainly important to establish healthy eating habits, but you shouldn’t charge headlong into some extreme regime that no normal person could stick with for more than a few days at a time. You’ll be much less likely to over-indulge or binge if you’re enjoying what you’re eating on a day to day basis.

So, if you feel discouraged with your weight loss journey at times, don’t beat yourself up – this is normal, and happens to most people. Just be nice to yourself, and keep the above points in mind, and you’ll find it easier to maintain your motivation for losing weight, making the whole process much more straightforward.

Author: Lea Jones

For some bodybuilders, achieving the perfect state of pump can best be described as being what nirvana is to a Buddhist. It’s everything they strive for when working out. So it’s no wonder that some of the world’s most famous bodybuilders-including Arnold Schwarzenegger-have described the pump as, “the greatest feeling you can get in the gym.”

Depending on who you talk to, you’re likely to get different opinions about the importance of the pump. For some guys, it’s kind of the “holy grail” of bodybuilding, but there are plenty of other bodybuilders who don’t pay much attention to it at all.

The guys on the “pro pump” side say that a good pump is what all bodybuilders should strive to achieve when they train. From their point of view, the pump signifies that you’re training with sufficient intensity.

They also say that achieving a good pump during a workout means that the systems are functioning properly and that you are delivering lots of nutrient-rich blood to the muscles, which in turn indicates that they are primed for growth. Furthermore, they say that when a bodybuilder is able to achieve a good pump quickly, it is a clear signal that his body is in an anabolic state, ready to grow.

Without getting too deep into the whole science of things, the pump is the result of both sarcoplasmic and mitochondrial hypertrophy, both of which generally occur at the highest levels through workouts that focus on medium or high rep sets. These types of hypertrophy result in an increase in the volume of the muscle, which gives the appearance of the pump. The downside to this is that this type of growth is temporary-it only lasts a short while and there is also no real increase in strength gains here either. This type of training is sometimes referred to as “form over function,” because while they may look good, the muscles are not nearly as strong as they appear.

Real muscle growth occurs through myofibrillar hypertrophy, which is the result of heavy training (heavy weight, lower reps). Myofibrillar hypertrophy is also the type of growth that brings about the big strength gains. The guys who focus on this type of hypertrophy are not only big, but they’re strong too. This is where you really get the explosive strength, but this type of hypertrophy does not result in much of a “pump.”

Which brings me to point of view of the guys who say that the pump isn’t all that it’s made out up to be. These are the guys who tend to focus not just on size but on strength as well. In other words, they don’t want to just look powerful, they want to be powerful too. When training, these guys focus on progressive overload and intensity, doing fewer reps with maximum weight.

In the gym, you’ll see them doing compound exercises like squats and deadlifts with heavy weight, not doing rep after rep of leg extensions with a light weight.

What you do is going to depend on what you want to achieve. One point of view isn’t right and the other wrong-they each just lead to different results. The decision is going to come down to a personal preference on your part. I will give you a tip though-you can have the best of both worlds. One way is to mix up your workouts, initially focus on high weight/low reps to get the myofibrillar hypertrophy going, and then afterwards move on to lower weight/higher rep sets to give you the pump. This will ensure that not only are your muscles primed for growth but they’ll get bigger and st

ronger too.

Author: Mike Westerdal

As important as a fitness routine is to your physical health, it’s just as vital to have a “well-being routine” that focuses on your mental health. Being well-rounded physically and mentally can foster balance between your work and personal lives, and help reduce everyday stress.

Stress is a major and growing health concern in America, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). In fact, a third of all Americans say they are extremely stressed, and 77 percent report experiencing physical symptoms associated with stress, according to an APA study.

“Stress is a normal part of life, and small amounts can actually make you stronger physically and mentally,” says Martica Heaner, a health, fitness and wellness expert. “But when stress builds up and becomes overwhelming, it’s time to take action to manage its impact on your life. Looking after yourself by focusing on your wellness is one of the very best ways to take care of what’s on the inside as well as the outside.”

Americans are more focused on overall wellness than ever before, a fact that has not escaped the notice of companies like The Body Shop, Heaner notes. The Body Shop, long recognized as leaders in the naturally inspired beauty industry, recently launched a line of wellbeing products that fit into four key aspects of a wellness regimen – Divine Calm, Total Energy, Deep Sleep and Pure Detox.

Your well-being routine should help you create calm, get adequate rest, re-energize and purify your body, Heiner says.

Creating Calm

* Manage small stressors. Try not to over schedule yourself or constantly react to every demand on your time. For example, rather than constantly checking e-mail throughout the day, schedule a few regular times to do so.

* Give yourself time to do nothing at all. Turn off the TV. Don’t answer the phone. Or soak in a hot bath seasoned with a calm-inspiring bath product. Look for products, like The Body Shop’s Divine Calm line, that incorporate naturally calming ingredients such as French lavender essential oil, camomile and soya milk.

Reaping the Rewards of Rest

* Sleep deprivation can leave you feeling “hung over,” impair you as much as several alcoholic drinks, shorten your attention span, make you feel sluggish and even cause you to overeat.

* Follow a calming routine prior to bedtime. Incorporate some pampering in your routine, such as a relaxing shower, soothing moisturizer and a spritz of calming scent in the room, on your pillow or bed sheets. The Body Shop’s new Wellbeing line includes five products designed to enhance rest, like the Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow and Body Mist.

* Get extra sleep whenever possible. Set the alarm to go off at the last possible minute, instead of setting it earlier and hitting the snooze button a few times. Your body will benefit more from those extra 20 minutes if they’re uninterrupted.

Re-energize Your Body

From improper nutrition, to lack of sleep or exercise and dehydration, there are many reasons why you might feel fatigued.

* Never skip breakfast. Even a small bowl of cereal or a piece of fruit can help you energize for the day ahead. Eat more if you exercise in the morning and will be expending energy.

* Put nutrition first, and worry less about calories, carbs or fat. Add some colourful vegetable or fruit to every meal – spinach or red peppers on your sandwich or pizza, beans in your salad or pasta.

Purify Your Body

You can minimize your exposure to environmental toxins with a few simple steps:

* Choosing organic foods can help you reduce the amount of toxins you ingest.

* Eat more walnuts and walnut oil, which are high in Omega-3 fatty acids that help quench free radicals in our bodies.

* Drink more water. To function at their best, every cell in your body needs to be properly hydrated. Getting enough water can help you feel less tired and flush toxins from your body.

Choose all-natural products in every aspect of your life, from the cleaning products you use in your home to your beauty products. The Body Shop’s Wellbeing products are made from all-natural ingredients like guarana, wasabi, lavender, camomile, eucalyptus and jujube date. Plus, every product contains ingredients sourced through the company’s Community Trade program, so while you’re taking care of your own well-being, you’re also helping communities around the world in places like Ghana, Brazil, Zambia, Namibia and Nicaragua.

* Have a plan and post your goals.

Whether it’s losing weight, increasing endurance or just feeling healthier overall, having a plan makes it easier to stay on track. Posting your goals gives you something to work toward. Print out your goals and hang them on the wall above your treadmill or start a personal fitness blog and put your goals out there for everyone to see. Do some research online and talk with your doctor to make sure your goals are healthy and realistic. Unrealistic goals mean certain frustration.

* Reward yourself when you reach your goals.

Did you manage to exercise 30 minutes a day for an entire week? Reward yourself by getting a relaxing massage. Did you lose a few pounds? Take a night off, relax and watch television or read a book. Have you reached your weight loss goal? Splurge on a new MP3 player to listen to during your continued workouts. Try not to use food as a reward, especially if your goal is to lose weight.

* Work out with a friend.

Exercising with a friend can make your workout time fly. They may have new ideas and you can help keep each other on track.

* Try something new.

Working out can be fun with a new piece of equipment like a Sports Hoop — a weighted hoop you swivel for just 10 to 15 minutes to provide cardiovascular benefits, tone muscles and burn calories and fat. Spend time each day working out with the Sports Hoop Workout DVD and you can trim your waist 2 inches and lose up to 4 pounds every month. For more information the workout that feels like child’s play visit www.Sports-Hoop.com or call toll free (866) 700-5668.

* Change the order of your exercises.

If you’re in a routine you could be in a rut. Simply changing the order you exercise in can help shake things up. If you walk three days a week and do cardio on Tuesdays, try walking at a different time of day or doing cardio two days in a row.

* Take it outside.

A change of venue can add great motivation, especially when you’re out in the fresh air and sunshine. Even inclement weather can provide an extra push — you’ll run faster when you want to get out of the rain!

* Subscribe to a fitness magazine.

Magazines offer new plans and inspiration. Plus the photos of fit people can be great motivation when you picture yourself fitting into those new workout clothes.

‘Muay Thai’ is one of the most popular spectator sports in Thailand that is also growing in popularity in other countries as well. The furious punches and level of intensive competition becomes ever more intense when watching the fighting up close and personal.

Thai boxing matches are not only frenetic when it comes to the actual fighting but also in the spectators as the furious making of bets takes places with every fight. Other highlights of the matches are the musical accompaniments that feature at the start that utilize a diverse range of instruments.

Boxing in Thailand is more important and symbolical than normal boxing as when fighters enter the ring they perform a special dance and don a headband that is given by their trainers; a sign of their dedication to the sport.

Before the actual commencement of the fight each boxer performs a standard dance that is known as ‘wai khru’ and involves each fighter bending their knees and bowing three times as a sign of respect for their trainers.

Bouts consist of 5 rounds that are each 3 minutes long and are accompanied with a varying level of music that matches the action that is taking place which provides a level of entertainment that is not commonly seen around the world.

These bouts are an important part of Thai culture and heritage representing the rich heritage of the country and its way of life. Visitors to Thailand can catch these bouts at several venues around the country. Matches are held on Fridays at the Boxing Stadium in Phuket while various demonstrations of the boxing style are demonstrated at various tourist destinations around the country, but these are purely for show and are not actually fights.

The Millennium Resort Patong Phuket provides hotel accommodation in Phuket that provides convenient access to the Boxing Stadium offering its guests ample opportunity to visit a spectacular bout.