Do you HAVE to workout or do you GET to workout?

I was recently discussing this with a colleague at the gym and wanted to share my thoughts on the differing perspectives when it comes to working out and how that manifests itself in your results (or lack thereof).

When I sit down to plan out my schedule for the week, I immediately look for the open spots in my days and say to myself, "that's when I'll get a chance to workout". That comes naturally to me. Exercising has become something that I look forward to and anticipate. However, a lot of people sit down and go through the same routine of planning out their week and look at those same open slots and say, "that's when I have to go workout". Now...on first glance, those responses don't look much different. But they are! Anything that you do in your life with excitement and eagerness....you will do better than if you approach the same task with dread and a sense of obligation. Our attitude is everything!

I understand that looking forward to exercise doesn't come naturally for everyone. It's hard work. But, if you can begin training yourself to approach it with a positive attitude and say to yourself "I have an opportunity to improve myself. I get to spend a few minutes today making myself a healthier person", you will be amazed at the difference you will see and feel during your workouts. And those positive thoughts and feelings will translate into better results....I guarantee it!"

App Review: Lose It!

I'll preface this by saying I'm a huge app fan. There are becoming fewer and fewer things that I can't/don't do with my iPhone and I love it! This morning, a fellow trainer was showing off a new app she had downloaded so I naturally joined in on the conversation. The app is called "Lose It!" and is available for both android and iPhone users. At first glance it appears to be just another calorie counter. There are hundreds of those out there and few bring anything new to the table. However, after playing with this one for a couple hours throughout the day, I'm sold!

Lose It, like other apps, will walk you through the steps of determining a daily calorie goal based on your weight loss goals and offers a daily tracker to keep you honest. You plug in the food you eat during the day and it keeps a running total of your intake, as well as the number of calories you have left, and calculates in the impact of any exercise you have gotten during the day. It also allows you to interact with social media to share your progress, goals, etc.

The two unique/appealing functions of this app are a barcode scanner and a nutrient tracker. The barcode scanner allows you to scan the barcode of any product you are buying at the grocery store and have its nutritional info displayed. You can then indicate that you have eaten it and it will be added to your daily food log. Very cool!!

Secondly, the nutrient tracker is something I haven't seen on other apps. This allows you to not only track your calorie intake but also your intake of other important nutrients such as fat, protein, sodium, carbohydrates, etc. So much time is spent on calories, and rightfully so, but we often forget that there are a lot of other factors to good nutrition and weight management.

One thing I would like to see added in future updates are restaurant menus. A few other apps have started doing this and it can be very helpful when eating out. All in all though, I think this is one of the better weight management apps available. Give it a try and see what you think!