I can remember when the speed limit was 55. Even back then, though I drove a pokey 4-cylinder Chevette, it seemed slow. We're accustomed to doing everything fast -- driving, working, running errands; everything is a race for time.

When it comes to eating, you're better off taking your time. Not only will eating slower give your brain time to get the message that your stomach is full, it also helps you enjoy your food more.

Shape Magazine recommends counting to 10 between bites. It gives you a chance to appreciate the aroma and sight of your food. Then chew slowly and enjoy the flavor fully. When you retrain yourself to enjoy food -- instead of shoveling it down as if the first one finished wins a blue ribbon -- you won't grow bored of healthy fare.

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As much as we fitness writers want to make exercise out to be awesome (!) and fun (!) and other exclamation-point inducing adjectives, that's not always the honest truth. For many people, exercise is nothing but a pain in the rear. Even if you know all the benefits of exercise and how necessary it is for good health, there are times that you'd much rather plop on the couch and watch TV.

I'll admit that I used to feel that way. Then, several years ago I started trying to lose weight. I forced myself to exercise every day and, other than the gratifying sense of accomplishment I felt when it was done, I hated every minute of it. A couple of months later, I had a really stressful day at work. When I got home, I wanted to exercise. Somehow, amidst all my "hating" exercise, I had learned to use my workout to relieve stress. Totally weird, because usually I turned to chocolate when I was stressed out. That's when I began loving exercise -- I finally realized that as I was working out, the physical activity was working for me.

If you're exercising while hating it like I was, keep at it and try some positive self talk while waiting for your workout epiphany. Ashley Tisdale admits that she hated going to the gym. Now she says: "Before I work out, I think, 'I love exercise' -- and it works." Take a tip from the High School Musical actress and fake it until you make it. And remember to find activities you can enjoy ... it really makes a difference.

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A common recommendation for people who are trying to lose weight is to take more time while eating -- put your fork down in between each bite, chew slowly, and really taste and enjoy your food. It looks like that recommendation was spot on.

Recent research has found that many overweight people find fatty or sugary food less enjoyable than thin people do. Subsequently, those overweight people may eat more of those less-than-healthy foods in order to satisfy themselves. Women who had fewer dopamine receptors in the "pleasure center" of their brain seemed to eat more in order to trigger a pleasurable response, whereas women with more dopamine receptors could experience the pleasure with less food.

Food is meant to be enjoyed, but not to the point that it goes beyond your body's needs for energy and sustenance. Take your time with your food. Relish each bite and enjoy it. When you give your body more time to experience the taste, you'll find you eat less overall.

[via FitSugar]

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Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

There was a time in my life when exercise was tedious, torturous even. It was something I did out of necessity -- sometimes to slim down, more often because my high school gym teacher made me. I couldn't wait for it to be over. And, not surprisingly, I didn't keep it up regularly.

But somewhere along the line, things changed. Yeah, I still have days where I check the clock every five minutes, but more often than not, I don't think about time. And even if I do, I keep going because I know the way I feel afterwards will make it all worth it. When I'm feeling lethargic, when I have something on my mind, when I want to start my day right, I head to the gym. And I love it.

But what about you?

You've only got a limited time to enjoy the summer, now that we are already into August. If you are like me, many of the fun things on your summer fun to-do list either haven't gotten done yet, or seem so monumental that you don't feel like attempting them anymore... canoeing with a three-year-old comes to mind....

Never fear, you can enjoy summer with some easy activities that keep your body active and your mind serene. Ten healthy ways to enjoy summer include:

• biking
• yard-saling
• enjoying nature
• brewing sun tea
• enjoying a good book
• grilling
• fishing

Visit Monica Resinger's original article for all ten ways and then go out and have a healthy rest of the summer.

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If you love something, say a good movie or a special moment in your life, you don't want it to end. You want to slow it down; you want to savour it. So let's say the thing you love is food. Why, then, are you shovelling it into your mouth as quickly as you can? Take some time to enjoy the flavours, to chew your food, to enjoy the company you're with. Not only will you enjoy your meal more, you'll find you don't eat as much when you give your stomach time to realize it's full.

Here's another reason to love the food you eat: If you're trying to lose or maintain your weight, you should only be consuming a certain amount of calories per day. So why would you waste those calories on something you don't like that much? If you're going to eat, eat something you're crazy about. And savour it.

For tips on loving your food and still losing weight, check out this article.

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I was reading an old issue of Self magazine today and came across a neat little project they completed. They encouraged all of their readers to take a "self day" and spend 24 hours just doing nice things for themselves. I enjoyed reading letters from those who had called into work and chilled out. Some of the things readers did were: read books, watch movies in pajamas all day, go to the beach, clean house, go hiking, or go to the spa.

It made me think what I would do on my 'self day'. Oddly enough I've had a hard time considering doing anything but getting more work done. But if push came to shove, I would do the following. Sleep in late. Grab my buddy Marcia and make her fight with me (kickboxing) for at least 12 rounds. Then I'd shower and go to the fanciest spa in town for a facial, manicure and pedicure. I'd have lunch with some girlfriends and gossip for as long as possible. I think I'd come home and take a nap afterward. During my dream 'self day' my closet would only be filled with clothes that I love and I'd throw on something great to wear on a great date with my husband. Asleep by 10:00PM. (I really value sleep, because I rarely get it.)

I loved reading the experiences of those Self Day celebrators. Is it the simple things you'd go for, or extravagance?What would you do? Let us know. If you've already done it....brag, brag, brag. Maybe we'll all be inspired to section a luxurious 24 hours for ourselves as well.

There are two trains of thoughts out there. One that says to stay completely focused on every moment of your workouts to get the best out of it, and then there is mine. Mine says do whatever it is you need to do to accomplish your goal, make the time fly by, and allow your training to remain as enjoyable as possible so you continue to go back to it.

For example. I love exercise! In fact, I've made my career out of it. I'm also human. Sometimes my four mile jog just becomes freaking dull and if I don't have anything to take my mind off of the constant 'left, right, left, right' in my mind I would just be one more quitter in the world. So this is what little Miss Fitzness does to pursue her amazing goal of ultimate fitness. I get on the treadmill, stepper, gauntlet, rower, etc, completely armed. I bring an mp3 player, cell phone with ear piece, magazine, and then I usually set up in front of a T.V. At that point I set my magazine with many pretty pictures (think Cosmo or Glamour) on the machine and start to run. Then I choose my noise. Sometimes I chat, and sometimes I listen to music. Sometimes I talk on the phone, while looking at pictures and then check out the scroll on FOX News.

Does any of that make my workout suffer? Heck no! It allows me to complete it. All of these nonsensical distractions allow me to avoid any silly chatter in my head that would talk me out of finishing. In fact, usually I end up going harder than I planned, because I'm not bored to death! On the flip side, when I'm training for my sport, Full-contact Kickboxing, I'm 100% without interference. Fully focused. Ready for everything. If you are an athlete, I encourage you to do the same.

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