10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination

When a person is bored or uninterested, certain tasks and projects can seem like torture! This feeling usually leads to procrastination, and procrastination often leads to guilt. Here are some practical ways to avoid these situations and overcome procrastination:

1. Recharge Daily
Be sure to get enough sleep and rest each day so that you have the necessary energy you need to accomplish your tasks.

2. Get a Friend Involved
It's harder to procrastinate when another person is involved. If you have a task you aren't looking forward to, invite a friend over to help you out. If you have errands to run, find a buddy who you can run errands with.

3. Reward Yourself
You're much more likely to complete that boring task if there is a dinner out or a new CD waiting for you when (and only when) the task is complete.

4. Do Things in Pieces
Procrastination often comes from feelings of overwhelm. Break tasks, even small ones, into steps so that they are manageable and provide you with a sense of direction.

5. Use Music
Turn on some fun and upbeat music and let it pump you up! 80s music and show tunes are often great pick-me-ups that will give you needed energy to tackle your tasks.

6. Don't Be Afraid to do 2 Things at Once
Don't be afraid to balance routine or monotonous tasks with something that is more likely to hold your interest. You can pay bills while you watch TV, or talk on the phone while cleaning up the house.

7. Delegate
Do you find yourself procrastinating on chores at home like cleaning and laundry? Or maybe paperwork at the office? Delegate them! Kids, cleaning people, laundry services, administrative assistants and more are all available to take some of those boring tasks off your list and free up your time for the stuff you'd rather be doing.

8. Prioritize
Perhaps you're procrastinating on a task because it's really not that important. Maybe you'd love to re-organize your book shelves, but never get around to it. If it sounds like a good idea but in the end it's really not that important to you, don't let it hang over your head.

9. Get in Touch with the End Result
Before you begin a task or project that has high procrastination potential, get in touch with the outcome. When the task is finished, what will that mean to you? What will be better in life as a result?

10. Just Do It!!
Don't think about it too much, just jump in and get it done!

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Adam Freeman
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Being Fit is a Gift to Others

Last week, a friend of mine was telling me about her 2 aunts. Both are about 60 years old. One aunt has always been athletic and fit and the other has always been sedentary. Now, at 60, the fit aunt is still active and the sedentary aunt is still sedentary – only she has trouble standing up from a chair!

After my friend told this story, I kept thinking about how much more fun the fit aunt must be to her family and friends than the sedentary one.

I feel that, although we think we do it for ourselves, being fit and healthy is a gift to our family, friends and the community in which we live. This is true in so many ways. Here's just a few of them.

For our Family:

For our spouses, we give them the gift of being paired with someone who looks good and feels good. Waking up everyday next to someone who has the energy and spirit to embrace the day is life enriching.

Does the "looks good" comment sound superficial? Think about this. How does it feel to be at a social function and know that the man or woman across the room receiving "attention" from people his/her own age (or even younger) is the person that chooses to be with you everyday? It feels good doesn't it? This feeling is a gift to our spouse.

Superficialities aside, we give our spouses many other gifts by being fit. Better sex and love making is a very important one! Fit people have more strength, endurance, energy and better blood flow. All these contribute to better sex…. Not to mention feeling good about our own body helps us to be freer with our partners.

By being fit and healthy, we increase our spouse's confidence in having a long and active life with us. A wonderful gift indeed!

For our children, we give them the gift of healthy, active parents. Having fit parents is predictive of our children being fit themselves. We give them the gift of being more patient and helpful to them because we have the physical resources to do so. We give them the freedom from worry that we will require hospice care while they are still young adults raising their own kids.

For our grandkids, we give them the gift of being able to play with them - I mean really play with them. How proud will they be to have such "cool" grandparents? We show them how important fitness is to living long, active and fun lives.

For our sisters and brothers, we give them the gift of being loved by someone who respects themselves enough to take extra good care of their body.

For Our Friends:

We give them the gift of having lots of energy for them. Cultivating good friendships on top of meeting family obligations requires energy – and being fit gives us the energy and health to "go the extra distance" with our friends at middle age and later in life.

For Our Community:

We remain healthier longer and don't place a burden on the health system. We remain productive, enthusiastic members of the workforce longer. After retirement, we have time and energy to volunteer our services and skills for worthy causes. We help younger people see and feel that aging is not something to be afraid of. We are able to help those who need us.

For Our world:

Every workout, every nutritious meal, every full night's sleep and every other way we take care our bodies is a gift to someone else. It's not about being selfish. It's about keeping the body healthy so that the mind and spirit can contribute to the lives of others better and longer.

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

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Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

Is Cardio Working for You???

Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn't add up.

Most of people who work in a cardio program do seven, ten or more hours per week, and still have fat in their waist to burn for a long time. But there are other people who look great with the same or with even a smaller lapse of time. Some researchers in Great Britain went insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren't previously exercising.

The subjects exercised for 12 weeks, 5 times per week. That's a lot of exercise and it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, but it worked better in young men, who need the help the least!

If we analyse the results we'll find some surprises. The best subject lost 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, but the worst subject actually gained 3.74 pounds. That's an immense variance in fat loss terms.

So, these were not good news for the scientists. At least not for the ones that wanted to go home. They discovered there were 2 groups of people, they called them "compensators" and "non-compensators". The first ones were hungrier and consumed extra calories every day, whiping the slate clean in cardio results terms. So, they lost just small amounts of weight.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does, research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts. So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your appetite and calorie intake to see if you are "compensating" for your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

The research of a professor in Australia (Professor Steve Boucher) has show that interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. If that hormone increases, causes fat-burning benefits like reducing appetite, among others.

In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

What you have to do is check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity exercise a go for your next workout program. Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity training.

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

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Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com

Fat Free Doesn't Always Mean Fat Free

The amounts of foods labeled fat free have infiltrated the market at every turn. Fat-free cheese, fat-free chocolate, fat-free ice cream, fat-free dinner entrees and other foods labeled fat-free have become regularly stocked merchandise in stores. These foods are indeed better for you. However, consuming these foods does not always result in a fat-free body.

The reason why is people believe that these foods are fatfree is because it says on these food labels fatfree and it even says; 0 grams of fat on the nutrition label on the back of the package. However, this does not always mean that the item is fatfree. This is because the fatfree label may not necessarily represent all the kinds of fat that are in a food.

This does not mean that all foods that say they are fat free are not completely fat free. It just means that you have to watch very closely on each food label to see exactly what fat has been removed from the food so you know exactly what to expect when you eat it. You also need to be aware of the types of fat that are contained in food as well.

The different types of fat that people take into their bodies include trans fat, poly and monounsaturated fats and saturated fats. Saturated fats and trans fats and are the ones that are most used to fry foods and/or to increase the shelf lives of foods. These are the ones that are most likely to cause high cholesterol and to clog a persons arteries. These types of fats are found in a variety of foods.

Saturated fats are found in most meats, dairy foods, and eggs. They can also be found in certain oils such as coconut, palm, and kernel oil. These are the types of fats that are solid at room temperatures.

Trans fats are fats that have been made into a solid or a partial solid. Therefore, even though trans fats are considered unsaturated they have become a concern because they have a similar function as the saturated fats in many cases. As stated earlier they have the potential to raise a persons cholesterol level and to clog the arteries.

Any foods that have the ingredient; partially hydrogenated cooking oil or hydrogenated cooking oil are considered to contain trans fat. These should be eaten in very small doses. If not, these food substances can become harmful to ones health. Some types of foods that trans fat include crackers, cookies, snack chips, and fried chicken. It is also included in ingredients such as shortening, lard, butter, or hard margarine.

Trans fat is one source of fat, which until recent years, had not been included on food labels that say fat-free. This is one reason why food labels that say fat free might not necessarily be fat free. Therefore, be careful when reading fatfree food labels. You want to make sure that it says; 0 grams of trans fat and 0 grams of saturated fat, before you purchase the fat free item.

One other aspect of fat-free that you will need to consider is that carbohydrates that are not used up by the body turn into fat as well. Therefore, even though a food item says fat free on the package you still need to eat it in moderation.

One example of a fat free food that many people eat is pretzels. You cannot eat a whole bag of pretzels and expect to lose weight. The reason why is that pretzels may contain a high carbohydrate count. The more carbs you take in the more chance you have of having these carbohydrates turn into fat. This is perhaps one of the most important points to remember when choosing fat free foods and incorporating them into your diet.

Choosing to eat fat free versions of most foods can be very beneficial to you. The point is, however, to make sure that you remember also to eat a balanced diet. Not only that, but you need to have an exercise plan. Even if you eat less food you may not lose as much weight as you want to lose if you do not exercise.

For the best results, you will want to incorporate a balanced diet that gives you the nutrients you need from day to day. That means that you should have a specific amount of grains, meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and fats in your diet (the amounts of each vary depending upon which diet you follow). This along with a regular exercise regiment that helps you burn fat will benefit you the most.

If you follow through daily on a regular diet and exercise plan you are likely to lose weight and keep it off. In this case, fat free foods will benefit you and help you stick to your healthy lifestyle.

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Adam Freeman
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Becoming a Success Story

Have seen those amazing body transformation success stories in the magazines?

You ask yourself, are these people for real? Did they really do that in 12 weeks? HOW did they do that in 12 weeks?

I will tell you exactly how those ultimate body transformation success stories are so successful, and this information dips well below the basic dieting and exercise information.

When most people venture onto a body transformation goal they outline the prefect plan and start it full force at the beginning of the week. They are die-hard, and by the middle of the second week they have usually burned out.

Sound familiar?

If your body transformation program fizzles out before you get it started, these 11 steps will be a great help and give you the advantage on your next body transformation journey.

Step #1 – The Primary Rule

Before you even get started with your body transformation challenge you need to set the primary rule, which is to set goals. If your body transformation process entails 12 weeks, break your goals down into a few short-term goals and one long-term goal. If you fail to take advantage of the primary rule, you may as well stop now.

Step #2 – The Closing Date

Along with writing out your goals you need to end your plan with a deadline. Everyone has a starting date, but very few write down a closing date, the actual date they plan to finish their program. If you don't give yourself a deadline to attain your goals you won't finish your program and you won't be a body transformation success.

Step #3 – Scheme of Combat

After you get your goals set in stone with a deadline in place you need to create a plan of action. This plan is the course you must take each day to ensure daily success that will take you to your ultimate goal.

An example of a coordinated plan is to write out exactly what you will do each day to make each day successful, such as eating 6 meals a day, drinking a gallon of water, working out, etc.

In your starting notes, jot down your scale weight, body fat percentage, body measurements, and take pictures of yourself from 4 different views (front, back, and each side).

Step #4 – Dedicate and Commit

Once you have all your ducks lined up, start your plan of action. Put it into full effect Monday morning. Follow it as outlined each day. Make your plan of action a part of your daily life.

Keep in mind that just because you have goals set and written, an action plan, and started your new transformation journey doesn't guarantee success. If you want to be a transformation success you have to stay dedicated to your plan of action.

This dedication isn't an on and off relationship, it's the whole kit-n-caboodle. You start fresh Monday morning and follow through each day 100%, no swaying, no cheats, just pure dedication and commitment. It's only 12 weeks.

Step #5 – Sneak a Quick Peek

After your first two weeks on your transformation program take your stats to see what changes have occurred. Is there a change in weight and/or body fat percentage? Have your measurements changed? Can you see visual changes in the mirror and how your clothes fit?

Note any changes, good or bad, and use that as information to tweak your program to keep you moving in the direction you want to go.

Step #6 – 30 Day Photo Shoot

After a full month of staying 100% dedicated to your plan of action take some more full body pictures of all 4 angels (front, back, and each side).

These 30 days updated pictures are ammunition to better tweak your program. Put them side-by-side to your starting pictures. Note any physical visual changes.

Step #7 – One Month Evaluation

Also, at your 30 day photo shoot, evaluate your one-month's progress. Check your weight and body fat percentage and measurements again. Note any changes.

After one month of being fully dedicated to your program you should have stat numbers and photos that give you good insight on how well you are doing on your program.

If everything is going according to your plan, then keep on that same course of action. If you are not transforming you need to modify and make changes to your diet or cardio.

Step #8 – If It Is Not Broken, Don't Fix It

A big mistake many people make when doing a transformation challenge is they "tweak" every few days if the scale is not showing them the number they want to see. Tweak your plan only when it's necessary. A tweak is a small change, not an overhaul of your program.

Step #9 – Excuse Me

If you want to be a transformation success story, stop making excuses such as "I cheated because it was my birthday," "I had to attend a luncheon," "my kids have (fill in blank) practice," "I went out and had a few drinks," etc.

These excuses are just that, excuses, and excuses are the path to nowhere. If you want to be a transformation success story, stop the excuses and just do what is required.

Step #10 – Can the Self Trash-Talk

NEVER talk or think about yourself in a negative sense. If you refer to yourself or pictures as "fat," fat butt," "fat a$" that's what you will become. No successful bodybuilder, figure or fitness competitor, or transformation success story refers to themselves as fat. They only visualize themselves in the shape they want to be in, and speak of themselves in a positive frame of mind.

You can absolutely alter your thinking to produce the results you want, but you have to think and speak in positive terms. Hoping for a fit body but thinking and speaking negatively is worthless.

Your mind is a powerful tool so use it to your advantage!

Step #11 - Repeat

Repeat steps 4-10 every thirty days until you reach your deadline or ultimate goal.

Conclusion

It's not enough to just want to transform your body, you have to have a passion for it. You have to have determination. You have to do what it takes even if you don't feel like it. Successes always go that extra mile to be their best.

Do what it takes every day and follow through on your program 100% every day you will be the one shining in the spotlight of victory.

Are you struggling to reduce body fat? Click below to sign up for my FREE 7 Day Trial online fitness program to see how you can reach your goals .

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Train Hard!

Adam Freeman
Master Personal Trainer
AdamFreemanPT@yahoo.com