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Ben's Belly

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How to Overcome Excuses to Not Exercise

July 16th 2008 15:21

I admit it, I have a huge list that I refer to whenever I need an excuse not to exercise:
*Need extra sleep!
*I'll do it tomorrow
*I'll wait until I lose a little bit of weight (???)
*After work
*After dinner
*I'll just do those visualization exercises...that's supposed to work, right?
*Ummm... I don't wanna!

So as you can see, these excuses (just a small sampling) are pretty lame. I think the main theme for every excuse (except the last one) is procrastination. I DO want to exercise, because I realize the end result, but I DON'T want to have to do it now, or today or ever.

Recognizing the excuses as being a form of procrastination is a big step towards actually exercising. Once you see through your excuse, you can combat it head-on by saying something like: "I know that excuse is just another self-defeating thought. I'm not going to let it get in the way of my health and ultimate weight-loss goal."

We need to be on guard against anything that tempts us to procrastinate. Recognize these things as soon as they enter your mind...the earlier you do, the easier it is to overcome the thought.

Another suggestion is to replace any excuse with a "reverse-excuse." In other words, say you are thinking: "I need to take a nap now. I'll take my walk tonight." Replace that thought with something like: "Will a nap REALLY be beneficial to me right now? What if I took a nap right after the walk?"

I want to write more about our thoughts in coming posts. For now, I'm going to do some laundry. Well, I think I'll wait until after my walk!

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Posted By: Ben Desmond - Category: No Category

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Ben's Behind...

July 16th 2008 01:25

Get the double entendre? I've been 'behind' in my posting and I'm going to talk about my backside. It's sort of a theme thing... I will likely run out of exciting titles soon, so submit your ideas in a comment.

My behind is getting plenty of rest lately. It's amazing how easy it is to keep the backside in place all day. If you've seen the amazing Pixar flick, Wall-E, then you know the result of excessive sitting/lounging.

But it doesn't take a movie-goer to realize that a lack of movement sends a certain message to the brain:

"You must not be well since you're not moving around."

Now I'm not a scientist or doctor, but it seems to me that our brain and muscles expect us to move around a bunch. And if we don't, then our muscles (and I wonder what else) begin to denigrate, resulting in the swapping of fat for muscle. But I wonder if the lack of movement signals to the brain that we are not well. Hmmm... would that explain the constant lethargy and ill feelings?

I've just come back from a business trip that involved lots of rich, heavy foods, and I am having trouble getting motivated to eat healthier and begin my walking regime. In a future post, I will delve deeper into the ruts we get into, and what I'm going to do (and you can too!) to get out of them.

First step, though, is to get off your behind! Go ahead, get up out of your chair/sofa. Good! Now you can plop back down. Try that exercise five times. Don't worry, I'm doing it right now!

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Posted By: Ben Desmond - Category: No Category

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Belly Intellesting

July 6th 2008 01:16

So I'm going on a business trip tomorrow. And that means I have to pack my clothes--enough for a week. Now, normally, I wear a comfy pair of jeans and an XXXL t-shirt both at work and in my personal time. For the trip, however, I need to dress a bit more "business-causal" which means I need to have a collared shirt and some khaki slacks.

Imagine my surprise at how big I've "grown" when I tucked in one of my favorite collared shirts into a barely-fitting pair of khakis. If you are overweight and need to be reminded of how large you are, try to pack for a business trip!

The point I'm getting at is that if you wear comfortable clothing all the time, your self-perception can be skewed. You might think you're the same size as usual, when in fact you might have grown a bit around the edges. (This doesn't apply if you're perhaps overly aware of your actual or perceived body size.) So, today's tip is to occasionally try on some clothes that you haven't worn in a few months. Take note of how you feel in those clothes.

You've most likely heard the cliche, if the shoe fits...wear it! Well, if the shirt doesn't fit...keep visiting my blog for regularly posted tips on getting rid of our bellies!

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Posted By: Ben Desmond - Category: No Category

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A Blog for Big Bellies and Their Owners

July 4th 2008 21:25

Perhaps a bit misleading, this blog is for (mainly) guys with big bellies. Only it's time to get rid of those tires that we're wearing around our waists. With so many men and women becoming obese, this blog seeks to "belly-up" to the issue of weight-loss, exercise and good nutrition.

Perform a search for "weight loss" or "diet" on your favorite search engine, and you'll come across tons and tons of ads for weight-loss miracles. The reality of the situation is that weight-loss and good health can be the most natural thing we come to, if we face the reality of our situation. Sure, certain supplements and diets will work, but only if you understand the principles of health

[ Click here to read more ]

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