The book gives an arsenal of things to help. You’ll get reasons to motivate you. You’ll learn how to set goals. Then, you’ll get the tools to make it happen.

It’s not a guarantee. Only you can supply that. What you will get is a clear path to success. How can you fail?

Begin with a Wellness Plan is a post from:

I wanted to write a convincing message to help you make the choice for health. However, the decision isn’t just about losing weight. It’s about a change of mind set to approach fitness and wellness from a different perspective. There is no fast track to getting back to a normal weight. It take commitment and hard work.

Understanding what a healthy lifestyle means is the first step on the journey, which is exactly what it is. It is a journey for life. It’s not one day, one week or one month. It is about making conscious choices. I hope that this e-book can spark some deep thought about making changes that you can live with. Your health is such a precious thing, not only for you, but your loved ones too. Achieving your wellness potential is a gift to them.

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Photo by Rotorhead, stock.xchng

There are plenty of excellent reasons to maintain a normal weight. If you need another one, a study published Online First by the Archives of Neurology provides another reason for getting in shape. Researchers have found a positive association between a hormone associated with belly fat or visceral fat and all-cause dementia.

Alzheimer disease takes nearly 75,000 lives each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the disease progresses, brain cells literally degenerate. Risk factors include age, family history and poor health. Some of these you cannot control, of course. However, the findings of the findings of the study provide some insight in ones that you may be able to reduce.

The hormone identified by the researchers can affect how your body responses to insulin. Poorly-controlled diabetes is another risk factor for this devastating condition. Looking at diabetes, being overweight is a major risk factor. The study suggests that insulin resistance and inflammation may in turn, increase the chances of developing all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease.

All of these data point to an action you can take to help ensure your quality of life as you age. Namely, weight control is imperative. Not only will you reduce your risk of diabetes, you can manage other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure. If you needed a reason to take charge of your weight, these findings are hard to ignore. Personally, I can’t imagine anything more devastating for anyone to endure than Alzheimer disease. If my weekly exercise sessions will help prevent it, I need no greater motivation.

Weight Control and Dementia is a post from:

The interface is clean and easy to navigate. The mobile app includes a barcode scanner for easy entry. The food portion is loaded with user-added foods and drinks. You can also add your own recipes and share or not share them. The app keeps track of your favorites for quick entry.

Where It Excels

DailyBurn.com has a few features that set it apart from the rest. With foods, you can track a variety of nutrients with a pro account (read: paid). I track sodium and potassium because I have high blood pressure. You can track water too, if you need this feature. What really is outstanding about the program is its ability to track servings of things like fruits, veggies and meat. That sold me on a pro account. Frankly, I wasn’t sure how much I was getting on average. I wanted to know.

The meal planner features allows you to plan meals or copy previous ones for lightning fast entry. I typically have the same breakfast each day, so this was another selling point for me.

The exercise portion includes workout plans with a purpose. I’m doing the bikini ready program. The exercises are challenging, but doable. I can set my schedule to my needs. What’s cool here is that it tracks the amount you lift in a workout. Knowing you lifted over 2,000 pounds makes it more meanful. It also calculates calorie burn based on the exercise you do. Now, you’ll know how much you burn when doing 100 squats.

The personal challenges are another nice feature. You can select from hundreds of challenges such as burn off 5,000 calories, lose five pounds or walk the Appalachian Trail. These challenges are very motivating. The app is geared toward helping you deal with the obstacles to fitness that you face. You can customize it to your needs.

It also includes a mobile app and a mobile site. I prefer the former. I was surprised at how easy it was to enter data. I have to say that I’ve been more faithful about entering with this app than previous ones. Just make it easy is all we ask. DailyBurn.com also includes apps for iPhone, but since I’m an Android girl, I can’t comment. Suffice to say, you can take a photograph of your food for even more hands-off entry.

Where It Needs Work

Like most apps, it’s a work in progress. There’s always more you’d like an app to do. I wish that I could view previous workout notes. I would like to keep track of things that worked or didn’t for me–and come back to them. I’d also like some more flexibility to customize an existing workout to change exercises, for example.

I don’t have a problem with the $9.99 a month cost, but some may. I feel as if the added features give it a boost that is worth paying for. I’ve lost a few pounds using it already. I can see the definition in my arms. For me, that is motivation enough to stick with my plan.

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Cardio Trainer Pro has numerous features to keep you on track. There are the standard ones like scheduling and reminders. Those features work. It also has some more subtle features that really pay off. I like it, for one, that it shows the calories I’ve burned in the last week. I have a goal of at least 1,500 calories. A badge in my notification area shows me my running total. I know at a glance if I’m on track or if I need to kick it up a notch.

There is also that weekly calendar. I can see how many times I’ve completed a workout by looking at the number of green figures versus red. There are also those reminders. Time and again, you’ll read that if you schedule workouts, you may be more likely to keep the date by viewing it as an important appointment.

With the pro version, I can integrate my music on my phone into my workout. Listening to music can increase your endurance, and thus, the benefits of exercise. The app also includes interval training workouts to up the intensity and calorie burn.

One of the features I really like is the voice notification. My husband and I take walks together. Rupert, as I have dupped my trainer voice, alerts us at 1.5 miles so we can turn around and get our three miles in. At intervals you set, you can get alerted regarding distance, calories or pace. You choose. If you are doing your own interval workout, this can be a helpful feature.

For me, it works because motivation is wrapped up in the app’s performance. I’m exercising more regularly and starting to see the results. I can view and share my GPS-ed workouts online if I choose to add to the motivating factor. As far as a fitness app, it is the single best purchase I’ve ever made.

Finding Motivation for Exercise is a post from:

I work will using programs with reminders and nags. Procrastination is my worst barrier to fitness. I know it, yet I still put things off. To keep me exercising, I use Cardio Trainer. This program provides a history of my workouts and the ability to schedule them. A nice reminder pops up 15 minutes before my scheduled session to prevent me from “forgetting.” I nicknamed the British male voice that coaches me through my workouts as Rupert.

I’ve gone back so many times with pedometers. I’ve finally settled on one, Noom Walk. It displays my steps right on the top of my screen to fuel my motivation. Of course, you have to carry or wear your phone, but considering I use it to track outdoor workouts, that’s not a problem. Numbers motivate me to this one works.

When I’m on the treadmill, I like to listen to something to keep me distracted. Old Time Radio is my go-to program. I love old radio shows, especially mysteries and detective stories. Available from the Amazon App Store, this program streams live radio programs. The advertising from back in the day is a hoot. The reminders about it being such and such war time are sobering but a good reminder. A 30-minute radio show makes my workout fly by.

Exercise doesn’t have to be dull. Fitness apps can make it more productive and satisfying. Nothing feels better than seeing that badge from Cardio Trainer showing that I’ve burned 1,000 calories this week.

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One stumbling block that we had was my husband’s back issue. He hurt his back and was out from training for three weeks. That set him back. I of course, wanted to run with him. So, up until race day, there was some doubt if we would actually be running.

Then, there was the weather. We knew it was going to be tough. With a 70 percent chance of rain, there was going to be no avoiding it.

So, the challenge became what to wear?, how to avoid getting makeup in my eyes?, how to prevent blisters if my feet got wet?, and how not to slip on the wet pavement. The rain wasn’t a cold rain, but it could certainly get uncomfortable quickly.

We managed. Despite the humidity that robbed each breath of half its oxygen, we muddled through and crossed the finish line. My time wasn’t the best, but I’m thrilled I finished. The volunteers along the way were FANTASTIC, especially those at the end. They really helped me draw deep inside for that last bit of energy to keep going strong. So, on to the next!

We Did It–Celiac Run 5k! is a post from:

I’m planning on a bit of carb loading before the race. I’m going to not exercise on Thursday and Friday. Thursday for our dinner out, we’re going to an Italian restaurant for yummy pasta. Bring on the carbs! I’ve never tried this strategy before, so I’m anxious to see if it has any impact. Biology favors a positive outcome.

I took the advice of Jeff Galloway’s site and some info I read on CookingLight.com, of all places. I did foundation runs prior to the race to get myself overprepared for the actual run. I’m hoping this will give me an edge. I have to say that I’m SO glad that my husband and I have been walking outside the past few weeks. Walking/running on the treadmill is NOT the same thing as walking on the ground. You may burn the calories just the same, but yuo are in no way, shape or form training your body for running outdoors. The only way around it is through it.

I’m going to do a light run tomorrow to get the juices flowing and set the stage for supercompensation. Wish me luck for a good race this weekend!

Down to the Wire is a post from:

I’m not sure why this always surprises me every year. Snow shoveling is damn hard work. It tests you every bit as much as a vigorous weightlifting workout. You get a cardiovascular workout as well as a strength training workout in one session. How’ s that for exercise efficiency? A 155-pound person can burn off 422 calories an hour, though I wouldn’t advise it at an hour a stretch. So, I decided to come up with my own winter storm fitness plan.

First, move to Minnesota.

The snow isn’t going to come to you. Take heart though. When it’s not snowing, you can ski or sled or just enjoy snuggling in front of a fire.

Get geared up.

You’re going to need warm boots, perferably insulated. You should also get some heavy duty socks. You don’t move a lot, so you have to rely on your body’s furnace to stay warm. Oh, and don’t forget your gaiters. We do serious snow in Minnesota. The 20″ last week was just another snowstorm.

Move to the west side of a lake.

Our 3 to 4-foot snow drifts were the result of blowing snow. There’s no better way to get some extra inches than to have the snow blowing off of a wide open, unobstructed surface like a lake. If you’re serious about winter fitness, this is your best plan for maximum results.

The great thing about Minnesotans is that they have made peace with the winter. They don’t whine like those out east because of the snow. Sure, the commute is going to be brutal, but we’ll manage. The south has its hurricane parties. We have our winter storm parties.

Photo by Karin Lindstrom

The Winter Storm Fitness Plan is a post from:

If you are developing or following your own exercise plan, don’t forget these household tasks. Sure, they are not formal exercise sessions, but they are every bit as hard work. Shoveling snow burns 6 calories a minute. It is not an easy task. My husband is recovering from surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Therefore, the snow-shoveling duties fall upon me. That being so, I know intimately how strenuous it can be. Today, I shoveled for 30 minutes, burning 207 calories for my effort. For all of its pain, this counts as my strength training workout for today. Activity is activity even if it is not in the formal sense.

If you have set strength training goals for yourself, don’t discount workouts like shoveling snow or yard work. These activities deman lots of energy and effort. They are every bit as worthy as a weightlifting session. If snow has covered your path, your efforts to clear your way count. Add them to your list of strength training workouts for the week.

Photo by smats, stock.exchng

Everyday Tasks Count as Exercise is a post from: