the-passion-principle-related stories
Fired Up Quotes to Keep You Fit
The Passion Principle, Motivation
Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest legends in boxing history is famous for his quotes. He feels they led him down the path to greatness. Speaking positive words aloud, if said often enough has been the fuel for many successful athletes, professional and amateurs alike. Motivational quotes can be very powerful and make a difference between your own personal success or failure in and out of the gym.
On a flight one evening, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ali. I walked over and stood by his seat to say hello. Before I knew it he had motioned for me to sit down in the vacant next to him for a few minutes. This great man exuded such positive energy even in his physically compromised state, a possible result of his many years in the ring. He smiled at me and share a few words almost in a whisper. His eyes shined as he gave me his autograph and wished me well.
Ali is famous for his words that proclaimed he was the "greatest in the world." I really felt I was in the presence of true greatness. I read the following quote from him-- "I am the greatest, I said that before I even knew I was." Those words had a powerful impact upon his career.
Top 5 Reasons to Always be Fit
The Passion Principle, Motivation
Being fit can improve your sex life, your outlook on life and, oh, about a million other areas of your life! Sometimes we get so focused on making our waists thinner, our butts smaller and our arms more toned that we lose sight of the benefits we get by throwing on our tennis shoes, hitting the gym and eating right!
For some extra motivation to work out and eat healthfully check out these five reasons to always be fit.
- Improves Sex Drive. No doubt about it -- both men and women who lift weights on a regular basis experience elevated levels of testosterone. When the big "T" hormone goes up, so does your desire to have sex. An added bonus for men who exercise is improved erections. Do I have you thinking it might be a good idea to hit the gym?
- Boosts the Love-Yourself Factor. People who work out on a regular basis experience heightened self-esteem! Research has shown over and over again that by simply getting a move on via walking, running and generally being active several days per week, you can really feel better about yourself. Those with the lowest self esteem usually have the greatest gain in the love-yourself arena.
Get Fit With These Quirky Tips
The Passion Principle, Motivation
If you are at the point of popping in workout videos and watching from the sofa while sipping on milkshakes and eating popcorn, or you're supplementing your healthy diet with handfuls of peanut M&Ms, french fries and margaritas, well, then some new motivation is in order!
Heck, on occasion even I need motivation -- and I am known as an enthusiastic health and fitness advocate and motivator. I am only human, after all. So I decided to conduct a bit of research on some common and not-so-common motivators. I gleaned information from my body-obsessed hair stylist and from the editor of a popular fitness magazine. Plus, I checked out a few online sources. I came up with some "interesting" motivational strategies. Read on!
Set an alarm clock in your living room. There was a fellow who had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning to go to the gym. Since his wife and small children were sleeping, he felt it was easier to sleep in with the rest of them. So he decided to set two alarm clocks -- one by the bed and one in the living room. If the one in the living room were to go off, it would wake his children at 5 a.m., which is something he did not want to happen since havoc would inevitably ensue. So he learned to hop up when the first alarm went off, he turned off the one in the living room, and then he headed to the gym.
Laugh Your Butt Off - Science Says You Can
The Passion Principle, Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
Laughing is a cardiovascular workout. No joke. Not only does a mirthful expression of joy help increase your heart rate, it can also tone your muscles, improve circulation, energize your breathing and raise endorphin levels. Faking a smile can even make you feel happier.
Psychiatrist and laughter researcher Dr. William Fry, adjunct associate professor emeritus at Stanford University medical school, has been telling people for years that laughing is good for your health. And it turns out it could be beneficial for reducing your own, ahem, bottom line. Dr. Fry claims that laughing 100 times during a 24-hour period has the same cardiovascular benefit as rowing a rowing machine for 10 minutes or riding a stationary bike for 15.
The act of laughing raises your blood pressure and heart rate -- this is a reaction to the hormones released when you burst out in a guffaw. Your cancer-fighting ability increases too, because more of your disease fighting T-cells are released, thus boosting your immune system. And you get even happier because your stress hormones are lowered and feel-good endorphins elevate. Talk about a win-win situation!
Make Your Dream Bod a Reality
The Passion Principle, Motivation
Do you dream of being fit, trim and happy but never seem to reach your goal? A few techniques based upon NLP (neurolinguistic programming) might help you get out of your own way so you can turn your dream bod into a reality.
I'm fascinated with the idea of why some people fail in their attempts to achieve goals while others always hit their marks, especially when it comes to weight loss. In the neurolinguistic programming arena, it is believed that internal programming is often a key factor in how we behave and that by reprogramming our brains using specific techniques, we can achieve greater success. NLP was founded in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, and while it has received some criticism over the years, many have found NLP techniques to be highly effective.
Over the past two decades of educating and motivating people who seek to live healthier and happier lives, I have found strategies loosely based on NLP practices to be highly effective in helping folks achieve their diet and fitness goals. What I love most is that NLP helps to remove negative emotions from goals. I have observed in some people when they talk about their desires to be more svelte or ripped that they either have stars in their eyes, and they gaze off into the distance with whimsical looks or their faces become twisted, they slouch a bit and you can almost see the word shame written across their chests. In both of these scenarios, which I have seen so many times, unproductive emotions are getting in the way of those whose goals exist in the form of dreams. Once someone becomes more objective about their goal, it becomes easier to attain.
Emotional Eating - Win the Battle
The Passion Principle, Motivation
Your emotional state can affect your eating habits, so when you're depressed, you might find yourself diving into a pint of Haagen Daz and if you are stressed, that bag of salty chips and salsa might be just the ticket.
I had a wake-up call years ago after graduating from college with my degree in food and nutrition. I discovered while reviewing food diaries and in general exploratory discussions with folks that their food choices were often dictated by how they were feeling. Rare were the people who were so "good" with their diet that nothing "life oriented" knocked them off balance. Patterns began to emerge when I asked questions like, "What do you eat when you are stressed out?" or "What do you eat when you are sad?" Those who were often depressed chose foods such as ice cream and candy. Stressed-out people preferred salty items like chips or fries. Food and feelings go hand in hand for many. Yet, how in the world can we win the battle against our emotions when we are trying to lose weight?
Weight Loss Tips for a Summer Bikini Bod
The Passion Principle, Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
April showers brings May flowers. And May brings freak-out time for those who fear baring their legs, bellies and bottoms as the weather warms up. Familiar cries of desperation and tales of weight-loss woes can be heard everywhere this time of year, an all-too-common scenario that continues to occur, kind of like in the movie "Groundhog Day," where the same day keeps repeating itself every time the star character would awaken in the morning.
Listen, it isn't an easy task to lose weight, especially as the years begin to fly by. For many, losing extra pounds becomes a bit more difficult than in years past. Yet, I believe that by adopting the mindset and strategies of a weight-loss warrior, you can really do it this time -- and do it right, so that it sticks and you aren't freaking out this time next year.
Here are seven ways of the weight-loss warrior, sure to help you get your bod ready for Summer.
Eat for Success - Stop, Look & Listen
The Passion Principle, Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
So you want to lose weight but cannot seem to make it happen. What gives? Your thyroid checks out fine, you work out regularly and you follow a good eating program "most" of the time ... hold on ... did you say "most" of the time? What does that mean, really? Does that mean you remember when you eat well and not so well? Or does that mean you remember what you eat most of the time?
Did you know many people who are unsuccessful dieters eat mindlessly on a regular basis? I jokingly call the syndrome "eating amnesia." Do you ever feel this happens to you? For example, when you find a candy wrapper in your car and you can't recall actually consuming its contents? Or when you try to remember what you had as a quick "snack" in the middle of the afternoon and simply cannot remember what it was? Mindless eating is often the culprit behind stalled weight loss. I have seen this "condition" occur over and over again with people I've worked with over the years. The fix? To awaken the sleeping giant that is getting in the way.
Check out these 5 tips to becoming a mindful eater.
Find Fitness - Put on a Happy Face
The Passion Principle, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
Happy people are more likely to lose weight and get fit than their sadder counterparts. It's because happiness helps you maintain objectivity and stay on the path to achieving high-level goals, and for some, feeling happy might be as easy as looking at a mood-boosting photo.
I'm happy. I am sitting at my sister's house looking out the window as I write this, watching the birds flitting around, enjoying the breakfast buffet she placed in the trees for them. See, I have a thing for watching birds. It always lifts my spirits. There is just something so fun to me about observing them dart around and chirp to each other as they fill their gullets until their hearts are content. Good news for me: It turns out purposefully doing things that keep me happy will keep me on target for achieving my goals.
Good news for you: Researchers studying the happiness factor and its influence on behavior and thought processes are finding that a good mood may help one to remain objective and see the big picture. In a recent study published in the "Journal of Consumer Research," the authors wrote that "a positive mood enhances efforts to attain future well-being, encourages broader and flexible thinking, and increases openness to information." They found that by placing a happy face beside typed statements read by participants that these folks were more open to information and were able to think more abstractly than those staring down a frowning face. In other follow-up studies, people encouraged to recall happy situations enjoyed similar results. Researchers concluded that "those in a positive mood not only adopt higher-order future goals and work harder toward attaining them, yet also reduce their efforts when goals are proximal or concrete."
Body Haters - Love What Your Mama Gave You
The Passion Principle, Motivation
I want you to fall in love. With you. And with the parts of your body you wish you could change. It turns out that if you accept and love what Mother Nature has given you, you'll be a lot healthier! And if you don't like what you've got, then it may compromise your health. (More on this in a bit.)
Here's a question for you: What certain "part" makes you unhappy? Your feet? Your legs? Your chest? Your lips? You know, genetics have a way of passing on features for generations, and, really, it's best if you think of them as part of your history. Something to be loved, not hated. Case in point. Butts run in my family. I am talking booties that are just always there and always will be, no matter what we do. Instead of being tall, lithe and super-"modelesque," genetics has gifted me with more athletic build. And my daughters, now 16 and 20, have ended up with similar physiques. Ever since Victoria and Tarah were small, it's been tremendously important to me that they not grow up hating their bodies. So not only have I always told them how beautiful they are, no matter what phase they're going through, I've also dropped in that they probably will end up having "Mama's" derriere, which isn't a bad thing. Just more to love. As the girls went through puberty, sure enough, the curves made their debut. Statements like, "You've got the butt, girls!" or, "Your curves mean you are becoming a woman" were common. To this day, I have never heard either one of them say they hated their posteriors. Mission accomplished. Or was it? "I don't like my thighs" or "I wish I was tall" have popped up.
Optimists are Healthier and Live Longer - The ABC's for Pessimists
The Passion Principle, Motivation
I am an admitted member of the optimist club. As a matter of fact, a dear friend of mine claims that I am eternally optimistic. In spite of what appear to be roadblocks or hindrances that occasionally get in my way, I remain optimistic. I always believe in the most positive outcome. I don my rose colored glasses as I rise each morning to meet the day. Some may say I am crazy. Yet, I would rather hang out on the side of being happy, joyous and positive than being in a dark pessimistic space. The good news, according to recent research, is that I'm going to be happier and live a longer life. Alright!
Researchers consistently show proof that optimists do live longer and are healthier. Check out these interesting tidbits they've discovered.
- In one review of a Women's Health Initiative study with more than 100,000 participants, researchers found that optimists who expected good things instead of bad things to happen were 14 percent less likely to die than pessimists.
- Optimists were 30 percent less likely to die from heart disease, which was discovered during eight years of follow-up to the same study.
- Highly mistrustful or "Cynically Hostile" women were 16 percent more likely to die during the study period than those who were much more trusting. And the most alarming point: They had a 23 percent higher likelihood to die from cancer!
- Harvard researchers studying positive and negative thinkers tracked students who at age 25 were optimists and found they were healthier at ages 45 and 60 than their pessimist counterparts.
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine researchers found that pessimists were more likely to develop Parkinson's disease and dementia as compared to optimistic thinkers.
- Pessimism has been linked with lower incomes, increased risk of disease, suppression of the immune system, higher stress levels and shorter lifespans.
The good news for pessimists: You can defect to our side! Yes, it is possible to change the basic nature of being a pessimist.
Surviving Change 101 - 8 Ways to Be Happier & Healthier
The Passion Principle, Motivation
Change happens. I always wanted to create a bumper sticker with this reference to "change" to replace the one that says "@$!%& Happens!" Indeed, change does happen. To live is to experience change. Being classified as a "Change Expert," I find myself coaching and speaking about how to deal with change healthfully. I have had my fair share of dramatic "out of the blue" change and have come out on the other side wiser, happier and healthier in many ways. But the ride? Whew. At times, the discomfort of change can feel unbearable.
Discomfort and resistance to change go hand in hand. Resisting change may cause one to become unhealthy, both in mind and body, due to an elevation of stress. And as a result, not going with the flow may even cause folks to dive off their health and fitness tracks, to gain weight, to experience lowered self-esteem, to become more stressed out about relationships -- thus the spiral begins.
The Wheel of Excellence - 7 Secrets of Champions
The Passion Principle, Motivation
Do you REALLY want to achieve your health and fitness goals? Tell the truth now. When I ask the question, what is your fitness goal, do you really know? If you do, do you actually "feel" it in your heart? It turns out the hearts of champions are made up of some very unique qualities. You too can activate those qualities. If you are tired of failing over and over again, then maybe it's time to activate the champion that lives within you.
One of my favorite things to say when teaching fitness classes is "You've got to change your mind before you can change your matter." I believe it's true that you will never achieve your goal of performing 30 push-ups, losing those last 10 pounds or even breaking a world record if your mindset is not in the right place. How do you shift your mindset? Many of the worlds top performers not only in athletics but also in other pursuits, such as the arts, sciences, literature and business to name a few, all seem to have the secret to reaching the pinnacle of success. Is there a secret to achieving a high level of excellence? You betcha. Seven of them as a matter of fact, according to Terry Orlick, a mental training consultant to some of the world's greatest exceptional achievers including top Olympic and world champions.
Baby Steps - Roger Bannister Took Them, You Should Too
The Passion Principle, Motivation
Becoming the best you can be and achieving goals that seem unreachable is as easy as one baby step at at time -- and a whole bunch of "gumption," as my Grandma Ruby used to say. Case in point. There I was in the seventh grade, participating in my school's President's Fitness council testing. Armed with a bit of talent and a whole lot of mental "game," I became one of the best in the sit-ups category in the county. Nancy Ormsby, she was the champ. But I gave her a run for her money. I attribute my success as a "sit-up" superstar to my mental game, the daily sit-ups I did in my living room as my sister timed me, and my tremendous focus upon the specific task at hand: To do as many sit ups as I could in 60 seconds flat.
Roger Bannister, the fellow who first broke the four-minute mile, achieved his goal in a step-by-step fashion -- not by over-training, but with regular daily workouts that lasted less than one hour. Every day, he ran for 45 minutes, training specifically on breaking a four-minute mile. He knew in his mind it was possible. He believed he could do it. And he did. Click here to watch Roger share his refreshing point of view.
Slump - Dig Yourself Out With These 5 Tips
The Passion Principle, Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
"Snap out of it!" exclaimed Cher's character in "Moonstruck" when she slapped Nicolas Cage's character across the face. Do you remember that? Such a classic moment in film. I find myself at times saying it out loud in the midst of my very human moments -- the moments that have me frozen, unmotivated and well, basically lazy, the moments that prevent me from focusing on what's good for my health in body and mind. Yes, I can have very human moments. Such is life, right?
How do you get out of a slump so bad that you make a beeline for a fast food joint after work versus taking time out to find or prepare a healthier alternative? Or the kind of slump where you just feel like plopping on the sofa instead of going to the gym -- day after day?
We all need a little "Snap out of it!" help now and then. Today, help is here!
Here are 5 things you can do to get out of a slump:
- Try Something New -- Look, if the idea of going back to the same old workout routine is making you cringe, then maybe it's time for a change. If you have the freedom to do so, join a different gym. Look around for other types of fitness-oriented classes different than what you normally try. Have you ever been in a spin class? Why not give it a try? How about boot camp class? Talk about a way to get inspired! Or how about bringing it home? Instead of investing in a gym membership, invest in a new piece of cardio equipment, like a treadmill. The point is, if the "same ol, same ol" isnt' working for you anymore, then make a change.
