Workout and diet secrets of top fitness coaches.

We look to personal trainers to guide us in the gym, but how do the instructors themselves maintain their perfectly honed body?

More than a quarter of British adults are classified as clinically obese. No surprise, then, that only one in three of us does any kind of exercise, and seven out of 10 men and eight out of 10 women fall well below their optimum activity level. But it is at this time of year, after a couple of weeks of eating more and moving less, that the idea of a better eating and exercise plan starts to have some sort of appeal. And who better to inspire you to get on that healthy treadmill than some of the world's most experienced - and strictest - personal trainers.

Nathalie Schyllert, 30 (above) 
When Nathalie Schyllert left the Royal Ballet School at 15 years old because of an injury to her foot, exercise became her obsession - kick-boxing and yoga filled the void that ending five hours of ballet a day had left open. Her ballerina frame turned into an athletic 'sporty, healthy' body that won her modelling contracts with Stella McCartney, Adidas, Vogue and Elle. But while good genes and a naturally active disposition played their part (her mother, too, had that dream body), Schyllert works hard in 

the gym. To keep her stomach flat and her arms and legs toned but not bulky ('something I have to really watch'), she trains at the gym where she also works as a personal trainer. Bodyism is the exclusive one-to-one personal training company based at the Bulgari Hotel in London. 'It's lengthening, strengthening and toning circuits and the clean and lean lifestyle that really works for me,' she says.

Three things that make a difference
Less stress is imperative. However it's caused - whether it's work, friends, family or even food-related [culprit foods include coffee and sugar] - an increase in the level of the stress hormone cortisol causes us to hold on to weight, particularly around the middle. Eat as much natural food as you can, cutting out sugar and bad carbs including pasta, bread, sweets, fizzy drinks and alcohol. Don't do long runs if you hate them. Do something you like; not only will you stick to it, you'll also be far less stressed so you'll lose more weight.

Weekly exercise routine
I pack in a lot around my working day, which starts at seven, either before my first client or during my lunch break. I usually manage two Bodyism training sessions, two hour-long dynamic yoga sessions and one regeneration session (either stretching, foam rolling my legs or a massage), plus I walk to and from work, which takes 20 minutes each way.

Total: 9½ hours per week.

Typical food diary I eat at least five times a day - you have to if you want to keep the metabolism revving. But that means preparing food to bring into work, unless I'm eating off the Bodyism menu at the hotel where we train. Options include sea bass and steamed vegetables or pan-seared lamb and aubergine. I'm lucky as I never crave the bad stuff, rarely have a blowout and hardly drink unless I'm at a birthday or a wedding, where I might have a bit of champagne.

Breakfast, 7am: two eggs and a green juice of a combination like kale, spinach and celery.
Snack, 10am: a handful of almonds.
Lunch, 12.30pm: salmon with spinach and quinoa brought from home.
Snack, 4pm: three slices of turkey.
Dinner, 6.30pm: prawn and avocado salad.

How do you stay motivated? I never step on my scales; I use my mirror or clothes to gauge my shape. Over Christmas I took no more than two days out from my usual plan. A couple of weeks out and you just gain too much weight.

Dalton Wong, 36

'Teaching people how to get fit and healthy is the only job I know,' says Dalton Wong, the founder the holistic training studio Twenty Two Training

(twentytwotraining.com), which lists some of Hollywood's biggest names on its books, including Jennifer Lawrence. Wong was born in Canada and moved to London in the late 1990s. He injects energy into classic one-to-one personal training (his dynamic circuit training mixes weights, cardio machines and stretching) in his gym studio in South Kensington. 'My father died of a heart attack when I was 10, and from that moment on I was made to exercise and eat for my health by my mother, and it stuck. I still think like that today.'

Three things that make a difference A body plan is key. I watch gym addicts train day in, day out but you just won't see change if you don't know what you're aiming for. It's mindless training. Just like a financial plan, you have to record your starting point [your vital statistics, and how fit you are], your budget [how much time you have to train], and your goal [your dream weight or how far you want to be able to run or how many reps you'll be able to lift]. Recording change - using old fashioned pen and paper, not an app; taking your phone into the gym is just a distraction - is the best drive you can give yourself. Set a good balance; there's no point working out so hard that you can't stop. Relax and enjoy your new body. As a rule I take one day off a week, and a week off every eight weeks. A good diet needs balance, too. I eat well for 80 per cent of the time and relax for 20 per cent. And most importantly never feel guilty if you eat badly. Remember, you're only one meal away from getting back on track.

Weekly exercise routine I always make time in my diary for exercise, treating it like an appointment. I have to make sure nothing clashes - it's as important as my work. I start work at 7am but make room for 90-minute Brazilian ju jitsu classes, a form of martial art, four times a week, two of my circuit-based sessions and 15 minutes of stretching to work on flexibility at least four nights a week. The hip flexor stretch is so good, particularly for anyone who sits at a desk all day. Get into the lunge position, lowering the back leg right to the floor, and step the other leg all the way through until you feel your hip muscle open out. Repeat on the other side.

Total: nine hours a week.

Typical food diary I eat a balanced diet but I do plan ahead - I always know what I'm eating tomorrow. I'll cook two portions for dinner and take the second one in for breakfast, something like salmon and spinach or a vegetable and chicken stir-fry. But I take my foot off the brake and eat out a couple of nights a week, plus I reckon drinking three units of alcohol a week is fine. It's far better for your health to relax a bit. One good tip is to choose a protein-based main and then go for a starter that is soup- or salad-based. I'll have desserts, too, but they're best shared, two mouthfuls satisfies a craving, any more is gluttony. The only thing my friends ever notice is how much I eat; I always order double the vegetables, restaurants always skimp on them. If I feel like I've gone off track I'll do a juice cleanse; my favourite is the sugar-free five-day juice delivery company Radiance Cleanse [radiancecleanse.com].

Breakfast, 7am: my prepared meal from the night before, an espresso, and we keep a juicer at the TwentyTwo studios as we all have green juices in the morning with kale, spinach, celery and pear.

Depending on how I'm feeling, I'll add ginger to boost my immune system or lemon for extra vitamin C. It's a truer, more effective way to get the right vitamins into your body.

Snack, 11am; half an apple spread with almond nut butter.
Lunch, 1pm: home-made turkey super-salad, with peppers, alfalfa sprouts, sunflower seeds and brown rice.
Snack, 3pm: a few almonds.
Dinner, 7pm: a stir-fry with chicken.

Striking a balance is key for me; over Christmas I didn't go into the gym as much but I made sure I stayed active by switching a run for a walk. A few days at a lower intensity won't affect your weight.

How do you stay motivated? I'm naturally competitive; I like beating my own targets and other people. For real focus I enter Twenty Two into triathlons, marathons and competitions like the Tough Mudder [toughmudder.co.uk] as a team.

David Higgins, 36

Growing up in the great outdoors with brothers in Melbourne, Australia, David Higgins has activity in his DNA. 'Exercise has always been, and still is, fun for me. It doesn't feel like a chore. And becoming a trainer after university where I studied exercise physiology and sports science felt so natural.' He moved to London in 2004 and in 2007 set up Ten Pilates (tenpilates.com), the supercool dynamic Pilates studio in London, and the current celebrity favourite for body sculpting, slimming and toning.

Three things that make a difference Water: I recommend a minimum of two litres a day. If you're dehydrated you just won't get as much from any workout.

Classes: they push you far more than you can ever push yourself. Failing that, work out with a friend - competition is always a good motivator.

Staying positive: having that inner voice saying Yes you can, rather than No you can't, is the most powerful and inspiring tool that you can have.'

Weekly exercise routine I prioritise fitness over everything. I put it in my diary and it stays there; meetings just have to work around exercise because I need two hours of weight training a week, as much for my mind as for my body. But I'm lucky. Part of my job is teaching three spin Cardiolates classes - a cycling and Pilates hybrid - and I've made it company policy to join two dynamic reformer bed Pilates classes a week.

Total: seven hours a week.

Typical food diary I'm never stuck behind a desk. I'm on my feet or training all day so I burn off about 5,000 calories a day. Putting on weight isn't a problem for me, and apart from a couple of scotches on the rocks at the weekends I'm not a big drinker, either, so I can afford to be relaxed about what I eat; but I do make a point of setting aside time in my diary to eat.

Breakfast, 6am: muesli and cup of tea.
Lunch, 12pm: chicken or tuna sandwich or a jacket potato.
Dinner: steamed vegetables with fish or chicken and brown rice.

I won't be making a tough new year's resolution to compensate for a few glasses of wine and some mince pies over Christmas. You never stick to it and for me it's all about consistency. Instead I might book myself in for an MoT, with a sports massage or general physio check-up at Ten Pilates, to check I'm good to go again.

How do you stay motivated? By setting goals and celebrating when you hit them.

Nathalie Desmier, 26

At the age of 16, Nathalie Desmier made the decision to leave athletics after three years competing at county level to become a professional dancer. She now does music videos, commercials and shows, tours as a dancer with bands, and works as a trainer at London's new retro dance studio Frame (in Shoreditch and Queens Park). Desmier has made her work life into her workout, which means she never veers from her petite

but perfectly toned body - despite her chocolate habit. But when you're racking up 18 hours a week, who's counting calories?

Three things that make a difference Regular intensive cardio workouts with stretching and toning; it means burning calories to keep the weight down but lengthening and toning at the same time so you don't bulk up.

Eat breakfast if you want to work out well.

Music. It has a massive impact on a workout. Whenever people come into my class looking lethargic, good music always peps them up.

Weekly exercise routine I'm working out all the time by teaching about 15 classes a week. I also love adding in a Pilates class to work on my strength and flexibility, too. Then there are the professional auditions and classes, which can last up to eight hours. I try to include a bit of cardio, toning and strengthening every day, and make it a habit to have one day of recovery a week.

Total: 18 hours a week.

Typical food diary I usually plan my food diary the night before - it's easier to take meals into work as that way I won't let my sweet tooth sway me. I keep snacks in my bag, too, and sometimes a chocolate bar. I have a couple of Bounty bars a week. But I don't really drink - maybe four times a month I'll have a glass of rosé. And I avoid

coffee. Overall I'm lucky, I don't have a massive appetite and portion size is key.

Breakfast: cereal and a cup of coffee - the time varies but I have it as soon as I wake up as I'm always starving.

Lunch: roll with salad and chicken, and yogurt.

Dinner: the biggest meal, including protein, some carbs and vegetables, often a treat like ice cream.

How do you stay motivated? I've got a loud inner voice which tells me to push myself; plus the dance industry is so competitive I have to look my best. If I know I have a big job or audition coming up I just picture that bikini - it always works. Over Christmas I cut my training to around half the hours to give my body a break. But I always step up my training in the new year.

Nicole Winhoffer, 28

Growing up in New Jersey with three soccer-mad brothers, Winhoffer is as fit and competitive as they come. She made her debut as a professional dancer on Broadway at 17, and has been Madonna's personal trainer for the past three years. She is also one of her choreographers on tour. Winhoffer works out for 30 hours a week. 'It is a real commitment that takes scheduling and planning,' she says.

Three things that make a difference Work out on an empty stomach in the morning so your body goes directly into the fat stores for energy. Do this for one week straight and I promise you will see change. Give it your all. You have to put 110 per cent effort into every workout to see results. I swear by probiotics for staying lean and sculpted.

Weekly exercise routine Personal workouts, client training and dancing daily.

Total: up to 30 hours a week.

Typical food diary I plan and pack all my foods - and if I'm on tour I work with the hotels and cater ahead for specific foods. I often travel with my box of steamed vegetables and lean protein so I don't get caught out. If I eat out, I make a special request for a green salad with some grilled fish or chicken and a little olive oil. And any time I have a hunger urge I drink 10 gulps of water and then wait 10 minutes. I aim for three litres every day. Three small snacks: I love the sugar-free, glutenfree, 20g protein-packed Think Thin protein bars, [£21.60 for 10, amazon.co.uk], and the green juices with kale, apple, spinach, celery and parsley from the American juicing company Blue Print Cleanse, [blueprint.com] and whey protein shakes. Two or three eggs (which I hard-boil six at a time) are a good snack [she eats two whole eggs and just the yolk of the third] and apples, too.' Dinner: grilled chicken, greens and puréed soups. Sometimes a glass of white wine, or a warm baguette and butter as a 'limited' treat. Alcohol is pure sugar, and if I do ever enjoy a glass of wine I cut down on calories, carbs and increase my cardio.

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How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise

Fat Loss via Better Science and Simplicity

It is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore what I refer to as the “slow-carb diet”.

In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means I’ve lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed…

Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates

Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.

Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again

The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:

Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
Chicken breast or thigh
Grass-fed organic beef
Pork

Legumes:
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans

Vegetables:
Spinach
Asparagus
Peas
Mixed vegetables

Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.

Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.

Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day:

10am – breakfast
1pm – lunch
5pm – smaller second lunch
7:30-9pm – sports training
10pm – dinner
12am – glass of wine and Discovery Channel before bed

Here are some of my meals that recur again and again:

Scrambled Eggology pourable egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, and microwaved mixed vegetables

Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole (Mexican restaurant)

Grass-fed organic beef (from Trader Joe’s), lentils, and mixed vegetables

Rule #3: Don’t drink calories

Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. I’m a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.

Rule #4: Take one day off per week

I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t downregulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.

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Sort out Christmas stress

Let go of tension, and enjoy yourself.

Is your Christmas wish for peace, serenity and less stress? Read on to find out how to let go and enjoy yourself, with these tips from leading psychologists and wellbeing experts

Rub your toes
Next time you feel irritated, stiff and on edge, simply press on the area where your big and second toes meet and massage gently. Acupuncturists call it the ‘great thoroughfare,' says Rachel Peckham of the British Acupuncture Council, and rubbing it will help you relax.

Have an ‘unlucky' dip
Guests always offer to help, so this year, plan ahead. ‘I write chores on scraps of paper and ask guests to pick one out of a hat,' says psychologist Linda Blair. ‘It works brilliantly because it's a bit of fun. People like to feel useful and it gives them something specific to do.'

Sniff sweet-scented flowers                                                                                                                                                            ‘Their beauty will lift your mood, while the soothing scent relieves stress,' says aromatherapist Jennie Harding, who recommends rose and lavender as the top relaxing scents. For calm you can take with you, slip Tisserand's Lavender and Chamomile Rollerball (£5.25, 01273 325666; www.tisserand.com) into your bag, to rub on your pulses whenever you feel tense.

Think of stress as a glass of water
‘If stress levels rise to the brim, it only takes a few drops for it to overflow,' warns neuropsychologist David Lewis. Keep stress down with the bo-tau breathing method he teaches to top athletes (www.bo-tau.com). Using your left thumb and forefinger, squeeze your nose lightly just above your nostrils. Inhale for five seconds, hold your breath for five, and exhale for eight as you imagine the tension streaming out of you. Repeat four times.

Understand family fallout
‘Conflict is bound to happen at Christmas - it's all a matter of re-adjusting to each other as a family,' says Professor Cary Cooper of Lancaster University. He believes it's better to express strong feelings than to let them simmer away while you watch the 'EastEnders' special. Better still, get up from the sofa and find an active way to relieve the tension. ‘Have fun together - go bowling or ice-skating or play board games. Then any issues come out naturally,' he explains.

Making healing hot chocolate
This delectable twist on a winter favourite, from TV's 'Grow Your Own Drugs' ethnobotanist James Wong, will help you calm down and catch up on sleep. Don't worry if you can't find all the ingredients - you'll enjoy it just the same, he says - and omit the valerian if you're pregnant or on medication. Add 1tsp each valerian root, lemon balm and lavender, a passion flower and two leaves, the peel of ½ orange and 300ml (½ pint) whole milk to a pan. Heat gently for 5-10 min, then strain and return to the pan. Add 20g (7oz) good-quality dark chocolate and a dash of vanilla extract, stir constantly until melted and pour into a mug.

Stretch the celebrations
‘You'll enjoy Christmas much more if you extend the festivities,' says psychotherapist Gael Lindenfield, author of '101 Morale Boosters'. ‘Don't try to cram everything - a family gathering, drinks parties and work dos - into two weeks. Plan a party a few weeks after Christmas, when you're more relaxed and everyone needs cheering up.'

Take it easy
Avoid putting stress on your body when you're shopping, wrapping or cooking, says physiotherapist Sammy Margo. Carry shopping of equal weight in each hand and wrap presents on the ironing board (it's the perfect height). And if you need to lift the turkey out of a low oven, stand at the side of the door, not straight in front of it. It means you can hold the load closer to your body, reducing the strain on your back.

Get to parties on time
‘Shy people often slip in late so they won't be noticed, but by that time it's too noisy to talk and people have split into groups,' says Professor Bernardo Carducci of the US Shyness Research Institute. ‘It's less stressful if you arrive early, when it's easier to meet people and you can hear them.'

Stop for lunch
‘If you skip a meal or just grab a coffee when you're busy, your body releases adrenaline, so you feel even more stressed,' explains nutritional therapist Marilyn Glenville. ‘You'll be more focused if your body is calmer, and that means eating regularly.' To help, try taking a supplement like Tranquil Woman Plus, (£20,www.naturalhealthpractice.com) with B vitamins, magnesium, Siberian ginseng, L-theanine and aloe vera to help you cope.

Enjoy a mocktail
‘Have an adult, alcohol-free drink to give your liver a night off,' suggests TV nutritionist Amanda Hamilton. ‘I like posh tonic with a squeeze of lime, or soda water with a dash of ginger beer and angostura bitters. Both are delicious yet totally sin free.'

Decide what really matters
Do you want a fabulous Christmas dinner or is the meal unimportant as long as you see loved ones over the break? Thinking about your priorities shows you what to focus on and what to let go, advises psychotherapist Andrea Perry, who wrote 'The Little Book Of Procrastination'*. ‘But don't try to control everything - let the unexpected happen. It might bring the magic you hope for.'

Roll away the headaches
Sitting cross-legged or kneeling, move your head gently to the right, then back, to the left, and forward. Do three circles to the right, then three to the left. ‘It not only releases tension in the neck, it also helps to remove calcium deposits in the joints and helps firm a double chin,' says yoga expert Barbara Currie. Find out more in her 'Power Of Yoga' DVD (£12.99, www.amazon.co.uk).

Remember your best-ever Christmas
‘Concentrate on what has been fun in the past - for my kids it's charades,' advises Good Housekeeping's GP Dr Sarah Jarvis. ‘Ask everyone what they enjoy and incorporate their favourite traditions if you can. But negotiate - don't surrender - or you'll feel resentful. Remember, it's your day too.'

Act the part
Be the one they all warm to, even if you feel like the Grinch that stole Christmas inside. Actors use ‘sense memory' to recall how they behave when they're happy or sad, says actress and coach Leonie Mellinger (for courses, visit www.mellinger.co.uk). ‘Switch on the emotion and it soon stops being an act. Then you'll find you really are enjoying yourself, and your enthusiasm will inspire everyone around you.'

Eat a healthy snack
‘Christmas can mean abandoning all idea of healthy eating, so you end up fat, bloated and broke,' says nutrition consultant Ian Marber, author of 'Supereating'. ‘If you're going to eat late, have a smoothie with pumpkin seeds for magnesium or an avocado dip for essential fats and vitamin E. Or snack on a hard-boiled egg, full of B vitamins and zinc.'

Introduce change
‘Many people have a fixed picture of how Christmas should be, but you can't stop children from growing out of Santa or your brother from getting divorced,' says marital therapist and author Andrew G Marshall. ‘Make a deliberate decision to bring something new into this year's celebrations. That way, change becomes something to look forward to instead of a loss.'

Have an energy break
‘If you build in recovery time, you'll have more energy and less stress,' says hypnotherapist Paul McKenna. ‘Once or twice a day, relax all your muscles deeply for five minutes. Remember a time when you felt really good and let the feelings wash over you. Then return to consciousness refreshed, feeling a sense of calm and inner confidence.'

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9 Secrets of Motivated People

Real-life strategies that will help you to actually accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself this year.


New year, new you. It’s the perennial January catchphrase that holds such conquer-the-world promise. And then, well, you get sidetracked with conquering your to-do list. But even the loftiest resolutions (running a marathon, writing a book) don’t have to fall by the wayside come February. Staying motivated―and achieving what you set out to do on that bright New Year’s Day―is surprisingly possible. Just follow these nine mantras, provided by researchers who study motivation and backed up by women who have used them to realize their biggest ambitions.

1. When you make a plan, anticipate bumps. Before even trying to achieve a goal, target potential pitfalls and troubleshoot them. Peter Gollwitzer, a professor of psychology at New York University, in New York City, says that people who plan for obstacles are more likely to stick with projects than those who don’t. In a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Gollwitzer compared two groups of women who wanted to be more active. Both groups were given information on leading healthy lifestyles. But the second was also taught how to foresee obstacles (example: “The weather forecast is bad, but I’m planning to go for a jog”) and work around them using if-then statements (“If it rains, then I’ll go to the gym and use the treadmill rather than skip exercising altogether”). No surprise, those in the second group fared better. Michelle Tillis Lederman of New York City practiced this strategy when she was writing a book last year. She installed blinds on her home-office door to minimize disruptions and hired an editor to give feedback on each chapter so she wouldn’t get stuck along the way. She also established rules, like checking e-mails only after she had written for two hours. “It was easier to follow this plan,” says Lederman, “than to wrestle with every distraction in the moment.” Her book, The 11 Laws of Likability (American Management Association), will be published later this year.

2. Channel the little engine that could―really. A person’s drive is often based on what she believes about her abilities, not on how objectively talented she is, according to research by Albert Bandura, a professor of psychology at Stanford University. His work has shown that people who have perceived self-efficacy (that is, the belief that they can accomplish what they set out to do) perform better than those who don’t. That self-belief is what helped Ingrid Daniels of Newark, New Jersey, leave a stable corporate job to develop a T-shirt line after the birth of her first child. “It never occurred to me I could fail, even though I had no experience,” she says. Today Daniels runs two successful small businesses (the T-shirt company and a line of stationery), which allows her to stay at home with her three children.

3. Don't let your goals run wild... When your sights are too ambitious, they can backfire, burn you out, and actually become demotivating, says Lisa Ordóñez, a professor of management and organizations at the Eller College of Management, at the University of Arizona, in Tucson. Instead of aiming unrealistically high (such as trying to save enough money for a down payment on a home in six months), set goals that are a stretch but not an overreach (come up with a doable savings plan for your budget).
 
...But work on them everyday. According to Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us ($27,amazon.com), taking small steps every day will not only help hold your interest in what you’re trying to achieve but will also ensure that you move slowly, but surely, toward your goal. So, for example, set up a down-payment-fund jar and dump your change into it every night. You’ll get a sense of accomplishment each day, to boot.
 
4. Go public with it. Instead of keeping your intentions to yourself, make them known to many. “Other people can help reinforce your behavior,” says James Fowler, a political scientist who studies social networks at the University of California, San Diego. After all, it’s harder to abandon a dream when you know that people are tracking your progress. Take Stefanie Samarripa of Dallas, 25, who wanted to lose 20 pounds. She created a blog and told all her friends to read it. “I wanted something to hold me accountable,” she says. Samarripa weighs herself weekly and announces the result on Desperately Seeking Skinny (skinnystefsam.blogspot.com). During her first three weeks, she lost six pounds. “People read my updates and make comments, which helps me keep going,” she says.
 
5. Lean on a support crew when struggling. Think of the friends and family who truly want to see you succeed. Enlisting those with whom you have authentic relationships is key when your motivation begins to wane. Choose people who may have seen you fail in the past and who know how much success means to you, says Edward L. Deci, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, in New York. For Jane Arginteanu of New York City, support came in the form of her fiancé, Glenn. Arginteanu had smoked from the time she was a teenager and had tried to quit before. When she decided to give it another go, Arginteanu says, “Glenn stood by me and told me, without ever issuing an ultimatum, that he wanted to grow old with me. That was terrific motivation.” A year later, she’s smoke-free.

6. Make yourself a priority. Put your needs first, even when it feels utterly selfish. You will derail your progress if you sacrifice yourself for others in order to please them (such as eating a cupcake that a coworker baked even though you’re on a diet). A few years ago, Karen Holtgrefe of Cincinnati was at the bottom of her own priority list. “I had a demanding full-time job as a physical-therapy manager and was teaching physical therapy part-time,” she says. “Plus, I had a husband and two children to care for.” As a result, she found herself stressed-out, overweight, and suffering from constant backaches. “I hit a wall and realized I needed to make some changes for my sanity,” Holtgrefe says. So she quit the part-time teaching job, joined Weight Watchers, and scheduled nonnegotiable walks six days a week―just for her. In a year, she lost 85 pounds, and her back pain (and stress) disappeared.
 
7. Challenge yourself―and change things up. It’s hard to remain enthusiastic when everything stays the same, says Frank Busch, who has coached three Olympic swimming teams. To keep his athletes motivated, he constantly challenges and surprises them―adding a new exercise to a weight routine or giving them a break from one practice so they can recharge. Amy Litvak of Atlanta did the same thing. She had several half-marathons under her belt but wanted something new, so she signed up for a series of mini triathlons. “Each race was longer than the last or had a slightly different challenge,” she says. She breezed through them and is now training for a full marathon.
 
8. Keep on learning. To refuel your efforts, focus on enjoying the process of getting to the goal, rather than just eyeing the finish line. Janet Casson of Queens, New York, set out to teach yoga. She completed her training, but finding a position took longer than anticipated. So she wouldn’t lose steam and become discouraged, Casson used the time to perfect her skills. She attended workshops and studied with different teachers. “It was invigorating and kept me working toward my goal,” says Casson, who now teaches five classes a week.
 
9. Remember the deeper meaning. You’re more likely to realize a goal when it has true personal significance to you, according to Deci. (For example, “I want to learn to speak French so I can communicate with my Canadian relatives” is a more powerful reason than “I should learn French so that I can be a more cultured person.”) And when the process isn’t a pleasant one, it helps to recall that personal meaning. Not all dedicated gym-goers love working out, Deci points out, but because they have a deep desire to be healthy, they exercise week after week. Jennie Perez-Ray of Parsippany, New Jersey, is a good example of this. She was working full-time when she decided to get her master’s degree. However, she knew that pursuing that goal would mean spending less time with her friends and family. “But I was the first person in my family to get a degree, so it was very important to me,” Perez-Ray says. She kept this in mind every evening that she spent in the classroom. Although the sacrifices she made were hard, she reflects, “reaching my goal made it all worthwhile.”

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14 Reasons You Can't Lose Weight

Are you eating well and exercising, but your weight just won't budge? Or it's going up? Desperate attempts to lose weight can be so frustrating and create a real stress in our lives. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that weight is the NUMBER ONE stress for women I know. 

It's a vicious cycle of trying to control what we eat, feeling like a failure because the scale doesn't move, punishing ourselves for not being "more in control," and then manifesting a huge amount of bodily stress that causes further havoc in our bodies. Then we binge or take our diet to an extreme (never healthy) and the cycle continues… 

Oh gosh I’ve exhausted myself just typing that!

Our self-esteem is measured by what the scales say, right? 

Of course not, but that’s what I believed. Now I believe that when we are kinder to ourselves, and practice positive thinking, our body will start to work in our favor. And the weight will go down.

Of course it’s not thaat simple, but it's the first part of being more in control of your own body weight. 

And it doesn't need to be such a stress! There is a way to live without worrying about your weight and watching everything that enters your mouth. Once we have the skills in place to find happiness and psychological wellbeing, healthy eating habits (and a healthy weight) will follow easily. 

Here are 14 reasons you may be hitting the wall with your weight… 

1. Your hormones aren't balanced. 

If you are fatigued, suffer from PMS, experience irregular menstrual cycles, find it hard to lose weight, feel depressed or anxious, you may have a hormonal imbalance. Best to see a nutritionist or doctor who can support you and suggest certain tests that will confirm this so you can take appropriate action. 

2. You're not getting enough Vitamin D. 

A huge number of the population have low Vitamin D, which is associated with weight gain and several metabolic processes. If you spend much of your life indoors, get your Vitamin D checked with your doctor.

3. You're exercising, but not in a way that’s benefiting your body! 

You are either exercising too much or you need to mix it up a bit and give the body a bit of a shock. (Funnily enough, most people I see who over exercise tend to put on weight easily.) Enjoy a variety of workout techniques: weight training, Pilates, yoga and interval training. Quick and hard bursts are good. And weight training is very helpful to raise your metabolism.

4. Your digestion and absorption is not optimal. 

You are not what you eat; you are what you digest and absorb! Our gut health will determine our overall wellbeing. The bacteria that lies in our gut helps us to fight disease, process our food, make nutrients and make hormones etc. 

5. You're sitting on your ass all day.  

You're not moving your body enough throughout the day, and your body does not like this. I understand some of your have office jobs and are tied to your desk, but is it possible to go for a few minute stroll every hour? Or walk 20 minutes to grab lunch?

6. You're eating too much. 

I'd love to be able to say you can eat as much healthy food as you like, but unfortunately this is just not the case. The body cannot cope with a lot of food at once. It's vital to put good portions on your plate. (I usually say: ¼ of the plate should be protein, ¼ carbohydrate and ½ veggies.) Fill that plate with your greens, my love, and eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. We must learn to listen to our bodies when it's full and to stop eating! We all need to work on this.

7. You're not chewing your food. 

Chewing your food until it's liquid will really help with weight loss and better digestive performance.

8. You're stressed and not finding balance in your days. 

Stress can impact your weight in a number of ways. Long term stress = high cortisol, which is linked to blood sugar imbalance and weight gain around the mid-section.

9. You're not sleeping enough. 

Sleep = repair. When your body gets enough rest, it's able to perform.

10. You're a fad dieter. 

This is not way of life. I often ask people are you weight conscious or health conscious? They're very different mentalities that foster very different choices. 

11. You're eating out too much and not cooking at home. 

Trust me, you just don’t know what that restaurant is using to cook your food. Assume they're using the worst vegetable oils, heavy amounts of butter and oil, and poor-quality produce. Unless you're dining at a place that claims healthy cooking and uses healthy produce, learn to love your kitchen!

12, You're not adding protein to your plate. 

Protein is the satiety macronutrient that helps us to balance out blood sugars and therefore helps to control our weight

13. You're scared of good fats. 

Don't be! Good fats are so so important to your brain and for making hormones. (So you can imagine why many of those who suffer from hormonal imbalances usually eat a low-fat diet) and your heart. The body actually uses the good fats and they will help to lower your LDL cholesterol.

14. Your liver is sluggish and you need a good cleanse! 

If you're feeling low, tired, and moody and your diet contains alcohol, coffee and sugar, you need to give your body a break. When your liver is sluggish, it struggles to process substances/toxins/hormones efficiently and this leads to toxic build up and this will inevitably cause weight gain. You might benefit from a seasonal cleanse. 

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How Exercise Changes Our DNA

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We all know that exercise can make us fitter and reduce our risk for illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. But just how, from start to finish, a run or a bike ride might translate into a healthier life has remained baffling.

Now new research reports that the answer may lie, in part, in our DNA. Exercise, a new study finds, changes the shape and functioning of our genes, an important stop on the way to improved health and fitness.

The human genome is astonishingly complex and dynamic, with genes constantly turning on or off, depending on what biochemical signals they receive from the body. When genes are turned on, they express proteins that prompt physiological responses elsewhere in the body.

Scientists know that certain genes become active or quieter as a result of exercise. But they hadn’t understood how those genes know how to respond to exercise.

Enter epigenetics, a process by which the operation of genes is changed, but not the DNA itself. Epigenetic changes occur on the outside of the gene, mainly through a process called methylation. In methylation, clusters of atoms, called methyl groups, attach to the outside of a gene like microscopic mollusks and make the gene more or less able to receive and respond to biochemical signals from the body.

Scientists know that methylation patterns change in response to lifestyle. Eating certain diets or being exposed to pollutants, for instance, can change methylation patterns on some of the genes in our DNA and affect what proteins those genes express. Depending on which genes are involved, it may also affect our health and risk for disease.

Far less has been known about exercise and methylation. A few small studies have found that a single bout of exercise leads to immediate changes in the methylation patterns of certain genes in muscle cells. But whether longer-term, regular physical training affects methylation, or how it does, has been unclear.

So for a study published this month in Epigenetics, scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm recruited 23 young and healthy men and women, brought them to the lab for a series of physical performance and medical tests, including a muscle biopsy, and then asked them to exercise half of their lower bodies for three months.

One of the obstacles in the past to precisely studying epigenetic changes has been that so many aspects of our lives affect our methylation patterns, making it difficult to isolate the effects of exercise from those of diet or other behaviors.

The Karolinska scientists overturned that obstacle by the simple expedient of having their volunteers bicycle using only one leg, leaving the other unexercised. In effect, each person became his or her own control group. Both legs would undergo methylation patterns influenced by his or her entire life; but only the pedaling leg would show changes related to exercise.

The volunteers pedaled one-legged at a moderate pace for 45 minutes, four times per week for three months. Then the scientists repeated the muscle biopsies and other tests with each volunteer.

Not surprisingly, the volunteers’ exercised leg was more powerful now than the other, showing that the exercise had resulted in physical improvements.

But the changes within the muscle cells’ DNA were more intriguing. Using sophisticated genomic analysis, the researchers determined that more than 5,000 sites on the genome of muscle cells from the exercised leg now featured new methylation patterns. Some showed more methyl groups; some fewer. But the changes were significant and not found in the unexercised leg.

Interestingly, many of the methylation changes were on portions of the genome known as enhancers that can amplify the expression of proteins by genes. And gene expression was noticeably increased or changed in thousands of the muscle-cell genes that the researchers studied.

Most of the genes in question are known to play a role in energy metabolism, insulin response and inflammation within muscles. In other words, they affect how healthy and fit our muscles — and bodies — become.

They were not changed in the unexercised leg.

The upshot is that scientists now better understand one more step in the complicated, multifaceted processes that make exercise so good for us.

Many mysteries still remain, though, said Malene Lindholm, a graduate student at the Karolinska Institute, who led the study. It’s unknown, for example, whether the genetic changes she and her colleagues observed would linger if someone quits exercising and how different amounts or different types of exercise might affect methylation patterns and gene expression. She and her colleagues hope to examine those questions in future studies.

But the message of this study is unambiguous. “Through endurance training — a lifestyle change that is easily available for most people and doesn’t cost much money,” Ms. Lindholm said, “we can induce changes that affect how we use our genes and, through that, get healthier and more functional muscles that ultimately improve our quality of life.”