One common characteristic of extreme diets is that they’re spawned by fads.

One moment they’re veritably unknown, and the next, they’re all over the papers and TV. Hyped ads, these diet plans usually die down as fast as they shoot up to fame.

Here are three simple reasons why most extreme diets will only work temporarily:

1. Many individuals taken by the hype jump into the bandwagon without first assessing how committed they will be.

   They’ll go hungry for a couple of days and decide that it’s too much as hunger pangs start gnawing at them.

   The following are a few things you need to first ask yourself before embarking on an extreme diet:

   • Are you prepared to take the flak?

     Expect the usual cynical questions and comments from family and friends, and decide how to deal with them.
     

     “Oh, you’re on another fad diet again, huh?” or “I’ll bet you a hundred you’re going to stop this foolishness after a week.”

   • Do you honestly think you can manage the changes?

     If your new diet calls for replacing meat with tofu or doing away with your usual comfort food such as pastries and potatoes, make sure you’re ready to make that change.

     Don’t falter and start to indulge in self-pity when you’re already there.

   • Would you be able to maintain a different lifestyle?

     If your group is into after-office cocktails, parties, or dining out often, do you think you can stay on track?

   • Are you equipped in the kitchen?

     Most fad diets call for cooking your own special meals. Study the equipment needed and decide if you’re determined enough to invest in the tools.

2. Those who aren’t well-prepared at dealing with crash diets find the extreme hunger intolerable.

   Some people succeed during the first few days – actually losing a few pounds – but binge on food when they feel like rewarding themselves. It’s sort of making the most of not having to cut down on food when they go on a diet day-off, such as during the holidays – resulting in yo-yo dieting.

3. Most fad diets are low-carb diets.
   

   Since carbs remind us of good times such as picnics with mashed potatoes and pies and holidays with turkey stuffing and scrumptious cookies.

   If you restrict carb intake or attempt to eliminate them from your diet, you’ll end up binging on them eventually.Rather than doing away with them, just change the types of carbs you eat.

   Moreover, once a person has reached the targeted weight, her mindset is that the diet is finished and she’ll end up going back to her old ways.

It makes good sense to have a change of lifestyle instead of obsessing over extreme diets.

As long as your diet is sensible, you need not skip meals. Stick with normal food but take less of it. To keep from starving, adopt a snacking habit instead of three full meals a day.

If you combine this desirable eating habit with regular exercise, you’ll shed pounds much slower, sure, but because you have developed a routine, it’s more likely to have a lasting effect.

M. Jamal

P.S. Ever been on a fad diet? Did it work out? How did it feel over the long run? Would love to hear your thoughts on this…

How I accidentally stumbled upon an interesting example that illustrates the “New Way To Look At Exercise” concept…

If you’ve checked out my previous blog post titeld “5 ‘Fit Steps’ To Getting The Most Out Of 2008” you would’ve came across what I call “A New Way To Look At Exercise”

It’s a mental shift towards enjoying your workouts and starting to look forward to moving your body.

Well, about two days ago, while researching the top New Year’s resolutions… I stumbled upon an interesting comment by a man called Richard Waddell that caught my attention, it said:

“The one resolution I ever kept was not for
New Year’s and it inadvertently helped me
to end up being fit at 60.”

Interestingly, it turns out that resolution came about because Richard has always preferred being sedentary.

The guy Rode a bike for over 20 years!

Strangely, he claims that he skipped more days than he rode because he hated it so much at first (typical for so many people trying to go from total sedentary to a fitness overhaul).

What’s interesting is that Richard started riding more consistently as he focused on the benefits, the mood change and elevated energy immediately after the workout.

The next phase is when he discovered how exercise allowed him to “zone out” mentally (this one is major for me, and if you’re often stressed from work you ought to have a feel for this next time you exercise. Simply block out everything other than working out for 40, 50 or 60 minutes when your at the gym or outdoors)

In his own words:

“And after a few months you develop the ability to “zone out”

so you can think, listen to music, or daydream and only be

peripherally aware of the physical effort.”

(Have you experienced that during a workout? I find it comes easy when there isn’t many people around at the gym… or when your outdoors and looking far ahead, kind of ‘lost in the moment’)

Richard also mentions something which is often overlooked; visualization. (I touched on this concept in October’s post, “4 Keys to Mental Focus in Physical Training”)

His example may seem a bit weird at first, yet sometimes it’s good to illustrate a point with extreme examples:

“The pedalling is pumping the music into your body; it sweeps

through your system, refreshing the cells and taking the toxins with it.

It exits through your feet; the toxins dissipate and the

cleansed energy goes back into re-inforcing the whole cycle.”

OK, so you’ve got the mental picture of this guy’s journey… now what about his “Rock Jump” technique?

Well, it turns out Richard was pretty bored with the usual rope skipping so he tweaked it into a more interesting version he calls “Jump Rock”.

It’s worth a look if for no other reason to convince yourself that “You too can be creative, add bits to your workouts or variations to make them MORE FUN”

Here’s what Richard says about it at age 60:

“I believe I’ve developed more stamina
and added more muscle in the last two years
than I should be able to at my age.

I believe that’s because I actually enjoy JumpRock so I do it as much as I can…”

It’s worth checking out the video demonstration of JumpRock at this link (give it a few seconds to load).

Hope this inspires you to enjoy your next workout.

Even more, hope you picked up some mental tactics to experiment with, the kind that’ll generate momentum to make 2008 a great year towards achieving your fitness goals and a great figure.

To making a noticeable difference in 2008,

M. Jamal

P.S. Would love to hear your thoughts on this and how you’re planning to add momentum to your fitness plans for 2008.

”An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

Bill Vaughan

Quick: do you believe in New Year Resolutions?

OK, let me wish you a great, prosperous 2008 before I jump into this…

It’s not surprising that “Starting A Diet” or “Weight Loss” is on almost everyone’s top 3 ‘wish list’…. and… It’s not surprising that gyms experience they’re biggest spike in membership during January.

Yet, it’s estimated that 4 out of 5 people who make New Year’s resolutions never make it through (actually, a third won’t even make it to the end of January)!

Can you look this statistic in the face and get past it?

I bet you can.

Here are a few tips… some suggestions… to make the most out of your goal-setting for 2008 (as always, I’d love to hear your own tips, ideas that worked for you. So feel free to click ‘comment’ at the end of this post):

1. Be Specific:

   I bet you’ve heard this one before.

   It’s the difference between joining a gym and deciding to workout 3 times a week for a minimum 40 minutes.It’s even better to decide when you’ll be working out and plan a rough exercise routine to start with.It’s the difference between saying “I’ll eat healthier” and deciding to:

   • Eat raisins or baby carrots instead of indulging in sweets
   • Preparing a salad, or eating a vegetable, every evening.
   • Eat fish at least twice a week

   You get the idea. Start with simple changes, ahh… that’s the next one…

2. Avoid The “Do It Overnight” Temptation:

   In other words ‘be realistic’.

   Here’s an example, changing one meal a time is far easier than re-doing your whole eating plan for the day all at once.Let’s say you decide to switch to “whole wheat toast”, or “never skip breakfast”… or how about this one; “eating a salad before your meal”

   (By the way, this is a great way to cut calories.
   A study conducted at Pennsylvania State University on 42 women estimates this technique to cut down calorie intake by 12 % without your tummy noticing the difference.)

   Another way to look at this is “Avoid Crash Diets” or the temptation to ‘workout till you drop’.

   Don’t try to drop 10 pounds in 2 weeks, instead it’s good to start with a long-term goal like “lose 30 pounds and look toned by summer” then work your way back and set realistic monthly goals (a safe target is losing a pound a week).

3. Have Some Ammo To Blast Through The Obstacles Ahead:

   It’s inevitable that you’ll run through some circumstances that’ll run you off target.

   Maybe you’ve got to work long-shifts for a week, maybe you can’t get to the gym, or you could have days where you’re worn on… and so on (the same with your nutrition).Key word ‘Be Prepared’.Having a simple plan works best. How about:

   • Having some basic workout equipment at home (dumbbells, floor mat, exercise ball) for days when you can’t make it to the gym.
   • A shorter workout on days when you’re pressed for time (always better than skipping your workout).
   • Have some basic sports wear in your car. Now there’s no chance of going to the gym and quitting because realizing you forgot your sports wear.
   • Keeping some healthy snacks (e.g. raisins, carrots) in the car, or office, to avoid hitting the drive-thru or fast food spot.

   
   

4. A New Way To Look At Exercise:

   Ask ten people at office what they think about exercise and chances are 8 out of 10 would probably say things like: painful, too much of an obligation, don’t have time, impossible to keep up for more than a few weeks, needs too much willpower.

   Now notice the mental shift in these expressions: makes me unwind, a great escape from the pressures of work, peaceful me-time, gives me energy and heightens my mood.

   Do yourself a favor; grab a piece of paper and jot down as many Reasons To Be Fit And Healthy as you can. You’ll need these to make it through.

   Here’s a powerful technique I’ve recently been experimenting with: how about having a weekly treat or goal?

   For example, I’m getting more and more into wakeboarding. So I try to hit the water on weekends (too bad I couldn’t make it last 2 weekends because of the usual windy weather these days!).

   Anyway, when I’m working out during the week I’m thinking: “Make the best of every exercise, it’ll help when I’m on the water next weekend”

   You get the picture, it’s like I’m practicing for an event. It’s not a competition and I’m not about to win medals, it simply means a lot to me and that’s what counts.

   What means a lot to you? What’s a powerful image you can have in mind when your training next week?

5. Get Focused, The Power Of ‘One’: In brief, instead of focusing on 4 New Year resolutions trim them down to one.

   There’s power in focus and it increases your chance of achieving that goal.

   “Sometimes we take on too many changes and create too many goals all at one time,” explains Erica Wright, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist who practices in New York City and Fairfield, Conn. “Instead of being able to maintain these new habits, we fail because we become overwhelmed.” (see here for more)

For now I’d like to leave you with two inspiring quotes:

“My New Year’s resolution is to look up more often than I look down. I can’t remember the last time I looked at the clouds or the stars. Sometimes you forget to when you’re walking around in New York City. (I just hope I don’t step in any dog poo!) I also need to cut back on the Diet Coke!”

by Broadway pros Annaleigh Ashford.

“We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives, not looking for flaws, but for potential.”

Ellen Goodman

M. Jamal

P.S. Again, I’d like to wish you a great 2008 and don’t hesitate to add your thoughts, you very own ideas on how to make the most out of New Year’s resolutions. Click ‘comment’ to add yours.

Today… as I was done with my grocery shopping… I noticed one kid running up the escalators.

Then another image came to mind: my cousin’s children… (when they gather they’re like a small football team, all ages 4 to 11)… and what they’re always up to every time I’m around.

It’s like every time they meet at my uncle’s house all they do is play, run around and challenge each other. I mean it’s all physical movement – while use adults sit, talk and hardly move a muscle!

Then I thought about it some more and asked myself:

What Changes As We Grow Up?

How come all the fun-filled games (that usually involve putting our bodies to good use) get thrown aside?

Even worse, if you’re anything like me then most adults you know would probably do anything to avoid physical movement!

Here’s what’s interesting…

Is this shift due to the environment we live in (external factors). At least that’s what comes to mind when you speak to most people.

Things like having more responsibilities as you grow up… taking care of the kids, your loved ones and all kind of chores to sort out.

Or… could it be more of a mental state (internal factors). It’s that decision to go for a 15 minute walk 3 times a week… it’s that decision to grab a chicken salad instead of a Big Mac… it’s that decision to go up the stairs instead of taking the lift every time… and on and on.

As we grow up… what part of our brain starts to think “Physical movement is a burden rather than a pleasure”?

It’s amazing how to some people this whole “moving to stay fit” idea (and optimizing your nutrition) is considered a burden, or something to do quick to lose a few pounds then get back to their old habits… while to the select few determined women, it’s more of a lifestyle, a pleasure, a joy to feel great and look your best.

Whether you’re a Fun Lady Fitness subscriber or spend some time browsing this blog… chances are you’re one of the select few who take “moving to stay fit and healthy” as a lifestyle, as pure joy.

And it don’t matter whether you’re just getting started or been at it for 3 years… it’s an interesting journey that’s far more rewarding than sitting idle and enjoying the body you’ve been blessed with. So feel proud… take another step forward and reward yourself next weekend.

M. Jamal

P.S. It’ll be interesting to hear your thoughts on the ‘mental shift as we grow up’ and whether you’d think it tends towards external factors or your mental determination.

P.P.S. Here’s a fun clip I captured last holiday… a cute baby girl running around the fountain inside a shopping mall. How come we easily forget how fun it used to be to move our bodies when we were kids?

I just got back from Doha, Qatar last Saturday where Wakeboard World Championship and World Cup reached its peak with finals held on 2^nd and 3^rd November. Apart from catching a sun burn, it was sure exciting watching the most talented and daring athletes compete.

It’s one thing to see a talented athlete perform at their best… and, it’s even better when their enthusiasm, determination and passion for the sport rubs on you and inspires you.

One such athlete is Dallas Friday who won the ladies events in spectacular fashion. She’s truly amazing to watch and came top in 32 out of 34 events during 2003 to 2005.

Now what most people don’t know is that she broke her left femur (leg bone between pelvis and knee) during competition in Singapore 2006. Yet she came back to win 1st place a year later in 2007. Talk about sheer determination and passion for the sport.

Whether you’re into wakeboarding or not, I hope this gets you pumped up, excited… overcome your usual excuses… and start getting passionate about looking and feeling your best.

M. Jamal

P.S. Here’s a clip of Friday’s winning run…

What separates the women from the girls during athletic competitions?

It’s their attitude towards what they are doing that spells the difference. Our bodies can do amazing things when we are driven by a clarity of purpose.

Have you ever heard of people incredibly lifting heavy objects during fires and disasters?

This is made possible because of an adrenalin rush which is induced by your mind commanding your body what to do in such a situation. The same goes for preparing for or engaging in physical activity.

Unlike having a mindset such as that which athletes use in competition, where they psyche themselves up using an end-goal of winning the crown, you have to keep tabs on small successes by focusing on one training session at a time.

Before you even started with your program, you knew the reasons why you decided to work out – it may be because you’re looking at a particular target weight, you’re preparing for a strenuous activity, or you simply want to improve your heart rate for better health.

To help you stay focused on your goals, you can try various techniques such as Imagenics (the creation of mental pictures of what you want to be) or Centering (helping an athlete “stay in the moment” and not worry about future thoughts and worries).

You can also study focusing techniques using the concept of intrinsic motivation.

When this type of motivation is applied to any physical activity, a person could derive fun and enjoyment from the said activity rather than drudgery and fatigue. This then makes the experience worthwhile and entices the person to “keep coming back for more.”

There are four psychological concepts that can help an individual become more “intrinsic” with her physical activity, making it more enjoyable and easier to adopt as a routine:

1. Vision This is the first step and it helps people “reach into the future.” One should have the ability to visualize herself as an exerciser by first imagining her future physical self. A person should be able to first see herself exercising before actually doing it – doing so would make exercise personally meaningful.
2. Mastery This focuses individuals on the exercise experience itself.As one develops mastery, she can then bring in her natural longing to improve and grow. With mastery, people can base their successes based on their own criteria and not on checklists provided by others. This also helps them achieve a mindset that enables them to exercise under any condition – whether good or bad.
3. Flow This is the third secret to becoming an intrinsic exerciser. It is defined as an optimal psychological state that involves total connection to an activity.When you get into the flow of exercising, you will acquire a sense of self-expression and consequently achieve self-satisfaction. Flow is important to keep you from being distracted. All there is and all that’s important is the task at hand.
4. Inergy This refers to the energy that emanates from the inside. It is based on the philosophy of well-being, which extols what is natural in each person.Once inergy is established, the body-mind-spirit connection is roused. This works on the principle that “a life without movement is not really worth living.”

When these 4 key concepts are learned, exercising becomes a welcome activity, and adherence to a program is easily achieved.

M. Jamal

P.S. For me personally, ‘Vision’ and ‘Flow’ can make a big difference when it comes to mental focus throughout my workout. It’s like those few minutes I spend while warming up… imagining how good of a workout I’ll have, how easy it’ll be to perform each repetition, each set with great form.

Have you experienced the difference this makes or do you simply overlook it and jump straight into your workout? Or maybe you’ve got little mental tricks that take you back in focus during a workout? (Let us know, hit ‘comment’)

“We’ll be arriving at 1115” said the announcement on the plane.

Hmm… why didn’t he just say 11:15?!

That was last weekend as I took a trip to Dubai to get a brand new wakeboard (these things are expensive, but the thrill, fun…and yep, the workout side-effect… is worth every bit).

Anyway, I hop on a taxi and make my way to the Metropolitan Hotel. I call the guy who’s getting me the wakeboard and it turns out he’ll be late some 40 minutes (ouch, I hate waiting).

So what do I do?

Well, firstly I pretend I’m a regular at the hotel and start strolling around.

I’m hungry. OK let me see, as I entered the small mini-mart, among all the chocolate bars and crisps… where is it?

Where do they keep an acceptable snack?

Ahh… nuts. I pickup a small packet, some apple juice (well, not really fresh but better than Pepsi ‘-)

I’ll tell you what happened to that apple juice and nuts in a moment (plus some photos), but first let me get into a point I skipped…

You see, most of my friends would consider me nuts to just go out and buy a top notch wakeboard without having a clue where I’m gonna ride it! (mind you I’m hungry, stuck at the airport as I type this. Maybe that’s why I keep repeating ‘nuts’. The packet just finished!)

But you know what, there’s a certain “Jump right into it, ask questions later” mentality that can serve you if used properly. I mean it can improve your workout at times.

Here’s a common example…

Whether you’re just getting into fitness or trying to get back into it after some time off… there’s always a tendency to procrastinate.

“Ah, I don’t have my meals planned yet”… “I didn’t eat healthy today so I’ll just leave it till next week”… “I’m not used to dumbbells” you know these kind of thoughts that just keep you in check.

Instead, you could simply slip into your sports wear and hit the gym (or start some warm-ups in case you workout at home)…. and then figure out how to do the perfect workout, eat healthy, the right amount of nutrients, and so on.

I’m not saying go out and do the wrong kind of workouts cuz you’re not sure, what I mean is “decide… take action asap” just to slip into that mind frame again (taking action) instead of waiting till everything’s perfect.
Ok here’s another example…

(this happens to me almost every month. And if you workout right after work I bet you experienced this at least once)…

I’ll come out of work feeling tired, and sometimes in a low mood… on the way to the gym my mind’s saying “Ahh, wouldn’t be so relaxing to just hit the bed… relax… skip workout for today”.

But I keep driving towards the gym.

I’m thinking, “OK I’ll decide when I park my car by the gym”.

And when I park, I’m thinking “Hmmm I might be tired, but let’s try to do just the first workout… just one set… that isn’t too bad. And if I feel tired afterwards I’ll leave”

What ends up happening is, instead of quitting that days workout too early, I’ll start feeling better after my warm-up… then I feel ok as I approach the weights… and as the blood rushes to my muscles, it’s like my brain’s awake again and ready to hit the next set… the next exercise… and before I know I’ve completed that day’s workout.

“Mind tricks”, this can be fascinating heh?
Everyone’s got a few mind tricks that can turn procrastination into action… what’s yours?
Ok, back to where I left off; the nuts and apples juice (darn I’m stuck waiting for check-in with no restaurant or food around! The place is being refurbished. Ouch I’m hungry, this ain’t good. I should’ve brought more emergency food)

So after I picked up my snacks… a few minutes later I notice the hotel actually has a cinema at the back! Woop, now that’s something. Talk about luxury. Well, maybe another time.
A mere 2 minutes later and “Baang” my apple juice smashes to the ground!

I pick it up and go to toss it in the bin. And just like when they say “everything happens for a reason”, I turn around and notice a small fountain with turtles!

Aha, I through in a few nuts. I guess turtles can have a snack too :-p
But they hardly eat it or give it a second look! (Maybe they just had a turtle protein shake full of greens and fish ‘-)

Well, that’s it for today. Let us know what’s your mental tricks to “Get into action” and have a focused workout.

Have a great workout,

M. Jamal