danae marie: Motivation for Monday

As a health fanatic/running athlete, I've learned a lot about being healthy over the years. On Mondays I'll share what I know about running and give what advice I can about making good choices and living strong. Again, this isn't textbook-official, just me speaking from my experiences over the years as a runner.

Here's a common question people ask: How do I lose weight?

Personally, I don't think that's the right question. Healthy isn't about weighing less. It's about being stronger and feeling better. The wrong opproach to dieting and exercise has the opposite effect on us.

It's about changing the way you approach your lifestyle.

Running won't make you skinny.
It's true! If you must lose weight, most of it will happen in the kitchen (eating the right food at the right time). Also, everyone has a different body type, therefore, everyone's body responds to running differently. For example, there are over twenty girls on my cross-country team. We all run the same amount of miles and do the same workouts, yet our body shapes and weight are all different, even though no one is over weight. That's the key. Don't compare yourself. Your goal should be to get in shape, not be skinny.

Lifting makes you strong.
(Duh) Lifting helps runners and non-runners. Lifting has the capacity to transform your body (I'll post my lifting routine next Monday). You don't need a gym membership, just motivation and determination that lasts long enough to feel yourself improve. Building muscle also speeds up your metabolism, which is beneficial for your overall health. There's nothing like noticing how your body is capable of doing things you never thought possible. LIVE STRONG.

You can't spot reduce.
Have you ever tried doing 100 sit-ups every day and then became discouraged when your abs didn't look any different? Well...maybe not. However, if you did, they probably wouldn't change much. Focusing on one muscle group, like for instance, your obliques (where love-handles appear) isn't going to take extra weight away, but eating right will.

It all comes down to food choices and portions.
I'll get into food choices more on another Monday. Regrettably, there isn't one magical diet plan that will give you a perfectly healthy body. Lots of people have different opinions on food and what's acceptable and what's not. However, we all have a basic understanding of what's good for us (didn't your mom always tell you to eat your veggies?). It's a matter of choosing healthy that is more challenging. BUT WORTH IT!

Have a motivated Monday!