Best Workout Songs Ever

Some people genuinely love working out, but even they will often tell you that the time spent exercising goes by much more quickly and pleasantly with an upbeat, motivating playlist. The best workout songs ever show up time and time again on fitness magazine recommendations and fitness professionals' blogs and YouTube videos.

Workout songs get your blood pumping, your adrenaline going, and they can motivate you to start your workout, make it through a boring section of your exercise routine, or even finish that last mile, set, or just one more rep. Some of the songs are merely upbeat while others make you feel the singer's anger and power through your task with an "I'll show you!" attitude. Still others make you want to keep running simply because the song is too good to stop.

Depending on personal preference, some songs will be best for running or other means of cardio exercise while others will suit your strength training best. The common theme throughout all the songs, though, is an energetic, powerful beat. It crosses multiple genres of music, from metal to country. Some of the best workout songs seem almost as if they were made to exercise to, and speak of getting stronger as time goes on. The best workout songs make it almost impossible to sit still, slow down, or give up.

According to a study that Gold's Gym conducted, the absolute best workout song is Kanye West's 2007 hit, "Stronger." Other songs that were in the running in that same study included:

Eminem's "Lose Yourself" Black Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow" Guns N Roses "Welcome to the Jungle"

A few of Fitness Magazine's favorites include:

Aerosmith "Walk This Way" C + C Music Factory "Gonna Make You Sweat" Kelly Clarkson "Since You Been Gone" Beyonce "Crazy in Love" Beck "Loser"

YouTube fitness guru, Sarah Dussault recommends:

Alien Ant Farm "Smooth Criminal" Fatboy Slim "The Rockefeller Skank" Cyprus Hill "Superstar" Onyx "Slam" David Guetta with Chris Willis "Getting Over You" Nelly Furtado "Maneater"

Other workout songs that will get your blood pumping and help you finish that exhausting workout include:

The White Stripes "Seven Nation Army" Green Day "American Idiot" Black Eyed Peas "Let's Get Retarded"/"Let's Get It Started" (The former was the original and the latter was the PC version released later) Britney Spears "Stronger" Carrie Underwood "Before He Cheats" Pink "Raise Your Glass" Outkast "Hey, Ya!" Queen "Fat Bottomed Girls" Christina Aguilera "Dirty" Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" Drowning Pool "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" Metallica "Enter Sandman" Taylor Swift "Picture to Burn" Daft Punk "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" Def Leppard "Pour Some Sugar on Me" AC/DC "You Shook Me All Night Long" Justin Timberlake "Sexy Back" Britney Spears "(I Got That) Boom Boom" Destiny's Child "Lose My Breath" Ram Jam "Black Betty"

Regardless of your music preferences, there are workout songs that will suit your tastes. You may even find that a song that you would normally not enjoy makes the perfect powerful selection to push you through the last few minutes of cardio. These songs can keep you going when you really just want to quit, so don't disregard one based on genre right away. Perfecting your playlist will take time, but discovering new songs and learning how they motivate you could be fun.

Exercises for Army Basic Training

Army basic training exercises will not only prepare you for military service, but they can also provide a solid foundation for someone who aims to be in top physical shape. These exercises include strength training and cardio workouts, giving you two of the basic components of a fitness plan. Another advantage of these exercises is that they require no equipment.

The elements of the Army fitness test include basic calisthenics exercises as well as running for endurance and aerobic fitness. Pushups and situps form the core exercises. These moves are good choices because they target large groups of muscles in single exercises. Running is an effective aerobic exercise which also burns significant amounts of calories.

You are graded on an Army fitness test based on the number of pushups and situps in addition to a two-mile run, all in a set period of time. The starting point for pushups in women is three pushups. For men, it is 13. The number also varies with age. The minimum number of pushups a 17 to 21 year-old woman must do after basic physical fitness training is 13. To graduate from advanced individual training (AIT), the threshold jumps to 19.

Pushups target the pectorals or pecs as well as the deltoids and triceps. Secondary muscles support the exercise, including the glutes, quads, and abs. The standard pushup is a challenging exercise. However, variations, such as the bent knee pushup or wall pushup, can make this exercise accessible no matter what your fitness level. As you gain strength, you can move on to the classic form.

Situps also have a minimum number in the exercises for basic training. A 17 to 21 year-old woman will have to be able to do at least 47 to complete basic Army physical fitness training. The AIT requirement is 53.

Like the pushup, the situp is a complete exercise for targeting the abdominal muscles. The primary muscles involved include the rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus. The oblique muscles are also engaged during the exercise.

Running provides the aerobic endurance component of basic training. Your initial test includes a one-mile run. However, to graduate, you will need to do a two-mile run with a time of at least 19:42 for a 17 to 21 year-old woman. This benchmark represents a challenging figure.

If you are new to running, you should begin slowly with a couple weeks of brisk walking before you launch into a running program. From there, you will begin interval training until you build enough strength and endurance to run continuous stretches.

This break-in period is essential in order for you to avoid overtraining. This can result in shin splints and other injuries which can sidetrack your training schedule. You should rely on your own perception of recovery to guide you. You should plan on taking at least one day off between runs to give your body time to recover.

To pass Army physical fitness training, you must score at least 150 points, with 50 points given for each training component. That means you can’t rely on your great running time to compensate for poor pushup numbers.

The purpose of physical fitness training is complete athletic performance. Even if you are not entering the military, it is an admirable fitness ambition to use this branch’s perception of total physical fitness as your personal goal.

Other types of exercises will support basic training exercises. For example, walks between running sessions will help you recover and keep you active. Other abdominal exercises, such as the plank, can offer different types of challenges for building strength.

Bear in mind that your rest periods between workouts are a necessary part of your fitness program. Each of these exercises for Army training places high demands on the body. Over time, you will build strength and improve your fitness. These three basic exercises provide a blueprint for success.

Most Effective Fat Burning Exercises

Masters in Exercise and Sports Science

When you are trying to lose weight, learning which exercises burn the most fat can help you reach your goal faster. All exercise burns calories but some types are more effective than others. Discover the most effective fat burning exercises that can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

While all forms of exercise will help you burn fat, exercises that continually target your major muscle groups while increasing your heart rate will help you burn fat more effectively. Keep in mind that when you're trying to burn fat, calories are the key to success. You can increase your calorie burn, thereby increasing your fat burn, by playing with the "FIT" principle - frequency, intensity and time. If you exercise more frequently, with greater intensity and/or for a longer period of time, you will increase your fat burning capability. Consider the following exercises:

Jogging and running are good aerobic exercises that burn calories much faster than simply walking. A light jog for an hour will burn approximately 500 calories while an hour-long run can burn between 550 to 1125 calories, depending on your speed, weight and body composition. The great thing about this type of exercise is you don't need any equipment, just well-fitting athletic shoes and comfortable clothing. According to the Mayo Clinic, an hour-long session of 5 mph jogging burns about 584 calories while a 8 mph run burns 986 calories. If you really want to burn more calories and fat, try running intervals or running up hills - by switching between high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercise throughout your routine, you will actually burn more calories and fat as your body has to work to recover from each high-intensity interval.

Biking engages the calf, thigh and gluteal muscles, while providing a great fat burn workout. Depending on the intensity, an hour-long bike ride can burn between 500 to 1125 calories. The Mayo Clinic found that even a leisurely hour-long bike ride of <10 mph can burn about 292 calories for a 160-pound person. Remember, by working harder or performing intervals, you can increase your calorie and fat burn. If you don't want to bike outdoors, most gyms offer group cycling classes that enable you to exercise under the supervision of a trained instructor who will push you to increase resistance and challenge yourself during every workout.

Fun sports activities that provide intense cardio workouts include basketball, soccer, squash, volleyball, racquetball or football. They all get the heart pumping and eliminate hundreds of calories as you run, jump, twist, reach, slide and backpedal to play the game. In one hour, basketball can burn about 700 calories, football and squash can burn as much as 800 calories, and soccer and racquetball may burn around 600. The Mayo Clinic estimates that a person of 160-pounds will burn between 500 to 584 calories during most leisurely hour-long sports games. If you choose to participate in sports to increase your fat burn, remember that the accumulated time you spend being active is extremely important - avoid counting water breaks, timeouts or team huddles toward your total exercise time.

If you like the idea of skating, try rollerblading for exercise. It provides a total body workout because of how you lead with your lower body, using your arms and abs for balance. The Mayo Clinic's exercise chart indicates that a 160-pound person can burn as much as 913 calories when rollerblading for an hour. If you're just starting out, look for smooth, flat concrete trails to get the hang of this skill. Skating does require a significant amount of balance, and you may have to work on your ankle and calf strength before you feel comfortable.

Use a rowing machine or join a rowing team to get a good workout that wipes away fat fast while strengthening the entire body. Rowing for 30 minutes can burn about 300 calories on average. The Mayo Clinic found that rowing on a machine for an hour burns 511 calories in a 160-pound person. The great thing about rowing is that you have to push backward with your legs while pulling with your core and back, essentially engaging your entire body throughout the exercise. The harder and faster you row on the machine, the more strength you will gain and the more fat you will burn.

Group exercise classes include everything from step aerobics to cardio kickboxing and Zumba. The great thing about these workouts is that an instructor will lead you through the movements while pushing you to work your hardest. If your goal is to burn fat, look for cardio classes that incorporate high-intensity full-body movements like kicking, jumping and dancing with strength training exercises. By challenging both your cardiovascular system and your muscular strength, you will ultimately burn more calories and fat as you exercise and recover. Thirty minutes of exercise can burn between 200 and 400 calories.

Your current health condition will determine your best exercise routine for optimal weight loss. Always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine to make sure that you are healthy enough for the new workout. Enjoy exploring a variety of exercise options. For more information on effective fat burning exercise, Cardio for Fat Loss contains additonal ideas.

StreetStrider Elliptical Cross Trainer Interview

Dr. Dave Kraus, Inventor/President of StreetStrider

LoveToKnow welcomes Dr. Dave Kraus, the inventor of the the StreetStrider elliptical cross trainer to discuss the unique exercise machine. The StreetStrider is a mobile elliptical device that can also provide green transportation. Learn about how Dr. Kraus developed the StreetStrider and the fitness benefits of the exercise device.

Fitness expert Dr. Dave Kraus is the inventor of the StreetStrider elliptical cross trainer and president of StreetStrider International, LLC. Dr. Kraus taught science for years on the faculty of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has been published in a number of scientific publications. His lifelong interest in fitness, science background and spending 20 years traveling 20 miles to work by bicycle led to the invention of the StreetStrider. He recognized a need for combining the benefits of both biking and elliptical workouts in one device.

Dr. Dave Kraus's personal experience with biking to work and working out on stationary elliptical machines inspired the invention of a device that provides the total body workout of biking with the more low impact benefits of elliptical trainers.

LoveToKnow (LTK): What exactly is the StreetStrider and how does it work?

Dr. Dave Kraus (Kraus): The StreetStrider is an elliptical cross trainer on wheels designed to use the excellent motion that you get with a stationary elliptical cross trainer to propel yourself down the road. The elliptical path of your feet on the StreetStrider's foot platforms drives a crank system much like a bicycle crank, providing torque to the rear hub either by a chain sprocket connection or directly via a chainless hub, depending on the model. Reciprocating arm motion of the strider poles connected to the strider skis (on which the foot platforms rest) adds an additional 30% more torque to the rear wheel. Because the arms and legs are used together for propulsion, steering is achieved by a lean-to-steer mechanism - leaning the vehicle to one side causes the wheels to be steered in that direction. In this way, the upper and lower body muscles are used for propulsion and the core body muscles are used to steer the vehicle, providing an excellent cardiovascular, low impact, total body workout.

Woman riding a StreetStrider

LTK: How does the StreetStrider differ from riding a bike or using an elliptical machine as a workout?

Kraus: The StreetStrider provides a natural, weight-bearing, jogging-like exercise that is ideally suited for humans, as we are designed for jogging. In fact, StreetStriding is even better than jogging because it is low impact and full body, providing exceptional cardiovascular benefits. The ability to carve while steering the StreetStrider gives the exhilarating sensation of skiing downhill, so the fun factor is substantial, providing motivation to maintain StreetStriding as part of a daily regimen.

A bicycle, although an efficient means of human-powered locomotion, is propelled almost exclusively by the legs, so it does not offer the same full body workout as the StreetStrider. The cyclist's posture, although providing minimal air resistance, is anatomically quite stressful due to pressure on the soft tissues of the groin and the ulnar nerves of the wrist, as well as sharp unnatural angles of the vertebral lumbar and cervical regions. In addition, cycling is not weight bearing, while the StreetStrider is.

Stationary elliptical cross trainers, while providing jogging-like exercise suitable for the human anatomy, are designed with a large inertial fly wheel for smooth, constant motion. Once this fly wheel is rotating, it requires less effort to maintain the rotational momentum of the fly wheel mass, allowing the indoor elliptical rider to reduce upper body work. Core muscles are not used for steering or stability, as they are with the StreetStrider. In addition, there is no adventure or fun associated with a stationary device.

LTK: What inspired you to invent the StreetStrider?

Kraus: As a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, I rode my bicycle to work almost 20 miles a day for nearly 20 years, mainly because I liked the physiological efficiency of bicycling and the low carbon footprint. But our bodies are not designed for the cycling posture, with the uncomfortable bike seat, hunched over back, and bent wrists and neck. During the rainy months when I worked out in the gym, I discovered the elliptical cross trainer when it came on the scene about 10-12 years ago. These were the most popular pieces of equipment in the gym, and they gave the best overall exercise, very much like cross country skiing. But I didn't want to be stuck in the gym. So I decided to make a few tests for balance and torque development, and came up with the idea of the StreetStrider, which was called the Elliptical Traveler in my original patent application. With the help of my patent lawyer, I submitted the application in 2005 and we got the patent in 2010.

Biggest Loser show contestant Sherry Johnston riding a StreetStrider

LTK: What is the story behind the StreetStrider ETX 8r and its connection with the hit TV show, The Biggest Loser?

Kraus: As we were developing the StreetStrider, we realized we had a device that provided an effective and healthful exercise with low anatomical stress yet a high calorie burn rate. Because of our desire to help reduce the obesity epidemic, we approached the producers of The Biggest Loser (BL) show and engaged in discussions with them, as well as the contestants, about trying some of our first prototypes. They were immediately attracted to the concept and requested that we work together to develop a StreetStrider model that could support the contestants' weights. We worked with the BL show for approximately 4 seasons to assure that the design could sustain the contestants' weight during vigorous workouts. As a result of our combined efforts, the current StreetStrider ETX 8r model satisfies the development goals: it gives individuals up to 400 pounds a safe, extremely beneficial exercise to help them achieve their weight loss goals while having fun, which is most important.

LTK: How can people use StreetStriders for green transportation?

Kraus: According to the Sierra Club, nearly half of all car trips in the United States are three miles or less; more than a quarter are less than a mile. To reduce carbon footprint, these trips could easily be made with the StreetStrider. Aside from a helmet, no special clothing is necessary to ride a StreetStrider, and it is fairly easy to achieve 10 mph on level ground. When StreetStriding, you are upright and elevated, with excellent visibility of your surroundings, plus everyone can easily see you. By outfitting the StreetStrider with baskets or a cart, you can carry groceries, laptops or even kids, so the StreetStrider is perfect for green transportation.

LTK: What advice do you have for a beginning exerciser who wants to use the StreetStrider to get in shape?

Kraus: When beginning exercisers want to use the StreetStrider to get in shape, we first ask them if they are able to use a stationary elliptical machine - this will indicate if their range of joint motion is adequate. If so, we show them the how-to-ride basics. Many people learn how to ride the StreetStrider in less than 5 minutes, and even customers who do not ride bicycles and are not regular exercisers often become comfortable with StreetStriding in a matter of 15-20 minutes. Then we advise the customers to start out with short strides, including practicing in open, level parking lots. After becoming familiar with their StreetStriders, many customers are amazed at how fast their performance and endurance levels increase.

LTK: Can people of all fitness levels use the StreetStrider?

Kraus: People of all fitness levels have found that the StreetStrider provides excellent exercise, notably even the best exercise some of them have ever tried. It's been successfully used by all kinds of people, from overweight individuals trying to avoid bariatric surgery to world class athletes looking for alternative performance conditioning. The StreetStrider has also been used by people of all ages, including even nonagenarians, who want to maintain a healthy, fit lifestyle.

To learn more about the StreetStrider, visit the official website. Customers can purchase the cross trainer at the site or find dealers that sell the device at locations throughout the USA and internationally through the site's "Find a Dealer" locator map feature. People can also demo the StreetStrider with sales affiliates at the StreetStrider LA Fitness and Demo Center in Venice Beach, California - 310-491-7975. The company also offers StreetStriders for sale at the operational headquarters in Fresno, California - 559-892-1943.

Thank you Dr. Kraus for the interview and introducing the StreetStrider.

Which Muscles Does Bicycling Strengthen?

Masters in Exercise and Sports Science

Bicycling provides an effective form of cardiovascular and muscular endurance exercise that targets a number of muscles in your body. While you might reasonably expect to work your lower body while bicycling, you may be surprised to realize you can also get an effective upper body workout.

Which muscles does bicycling strengthen? Cycling can strengthen muscles in the legs, upper body and core.

There are four major groups of muscles in your legs that work together to perform the basic cycling motion. These include:

Gastrocnemius - The visible calf muscleSoleus - The underlying muscle of the calfHamstrings - A series of muscles that run along the back of the thighQuadriceps - A series of muscles that run along the front of the thigh

In addition to the muscles of the legs, the gluteus muscles of your butt play an important role in cycling. The basic movement goes something like this:

As you press your leg downward against the pedal, your quads activate to extend your knee and your hamstrings to help you perform this movement with control.When your leg is almost fully extended, your hamstrings and glutes will engage as you finish the knee extension and begin flexing your knee and pulling your leg upward.During this transition between the upward and downward movements, you engage your calves as you press the ball of your foot against the pedal and raise your heel.You will also engage your quads, particularly the muscles attaching to your hip flexors, as you pull your thigh upward toward your hip.

As you perform the entire cycling motion, your legs will "feel the burn" as you alternate between different target muscle groups.

Cycling isn't just a lower-body exercise. If you're cycling outside or you're participating in a group cycling class, you'll have to engage your upper body and core as you traverse different types of terrain. For instance, if you're riding a bike outside and you're riding down a bumpy hill, you may find your upper body and core engaging as you push and pull against the handlebars to help you maintain your balance. Similarly, if you're exercising in a group cycling class and you're instructed to increase the resistance, stand up and ride up a "hill," you'll need to pull against the handlebars to generate more power to continue the exercise.

When cycling, form is important, and keeping your back and core tight will help you prevent injury. Many new cyclists are tempted to slouch or rest their upper body weight against the handlebars, but this prevents you from getting the best workout possible. You'll strengthen your lower back and abs by keeping your back and torso straight while maintaining a 30 to 40 degree angle between your back and the bike's seat.

Whether you're exercising indoors or outdoors, you can do a number of things to maximize your workout. First, make sure you're working at a moderately difficult to very difficult resistance level. If the resistance of the pedaling motion allows your legs to fly around in an uncontrolled or semi-uncontrolled fashion, you're not pushing against enough resistance. If you're cycling outdoors, try to incorporate hills or periods of sprinting into your workout - these more difficult bursts of exercise will help strengthen your legs while also improving your cardiovascular capacity. Similarly, if you're working out on a stationary bike, choose a program or a routine that forces you to work harder for short periods of time with intermittent rest.

New Weight Watchers Program Points Plus

Weight Watchers has always stressed the importance of healthy food choices in their weight loss programs, and their new Weight Watchers Points Plus program continues to emphasize this point. In addition, the revamping of their original weight loss program takes into account the fact that not all calories are created equal and thus the idea of "counting points" was reexamined and a new program created.

The new Weight Watchers Points Plus program offers quite a few changes from the original version. The new program emphasizes the need to look not just at caloric intake but also at the quality of foods you choose for the program. While you will still count points, the point system has changed with points for many foods, especially those that are processed or contain sugars, being much higher in value and points for other foods, like fruits and vegetables, containing few or even zero points.

The Points Plus program encourages participants to choose foods rich in fiber and protein and limit those foods that contain empty calories. No longer are 100 calorie snack packs and a 100 calorie apple treated as equal. Foods which are high in fat and simple carbohydrates are assigned more points, while fiber-rich foods are assigned fewer or zero points. To participate in the program, dieters do the following:

Fill out a form listing age, gender, height, and current weight. Receive assigned Points Plus daily and weekly allotment based on the above information. Eat at least 1200 calories daily. Calculate points based on the new system, which typically allows more daily and weekly point values. Calculate points based on how hard the body works to process certain foods, such as protein and fiber as opposed to fats and carbohydrates. Participate online, in person, or as a combination of the two.

The most important part of the Points Plus program is choosing the right foods. While the old program gave point values to fruits and vegetables, the new program allows dieters unlimited quantities of fresh fruits and non-starchy vegetables. The program takes into account the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines and stresses the importance of eating three well-balanced meals as well as healthy snacks. The program also encourages participants to fill up on "power foods" which include the following:

Whole grains Lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, and fish Fresh fruits Non-starchy vegetables, such as asparagus, bamboo shoots, green beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, collard greens, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, peppers, radishes, spinach, sugar snap peas, squash, tomato, turnips, zucchini Low-fat dairy

If you've participated in the original Weight Watchers program, you'll see several differences between it and the new Points Plus Plan.

The old plan focused more on caloric intake. The new plan focuses on filling up on healthy foods. The old plan allotted points based more on calories rather than on the type of food. The new plan focuses on whether foods contain protein and fiber as opposed to foods which are high in sugars and carbohydrates. The old plan allotted points to fresh fruits, such as 1 point for a small banana or apple. The new plan allots a point value of 0 to fresh fruits.

While many dieters found success with the original Weight Watchers plan, the new plan takes into account the importance of choosing healthy foods. As you embark on this new diet program, however, it's important to keep a few points in mind if you are going to find success.

Throw away all your old point value information, and base your food choices only on the Points Plus plan. Don't try to combine the two plans because the point values have changed for most of the foods, and many foods have higher point values. Although fresh fruits have a zero point value, don't think you can stuff yourself with fruit. Eat until you are satisfied.

Finally, use your points wisely, and choose those power foods that will provide your body with plenty of protein and fiber. The Weight Watchers Points Plus Program will change the way you look at food and provide a safe and healthy way to take off that excess weight.

Negative Attitudes Can Influence Weight

Author and personal trainer, Lori Wengle

They say attitude is everything and when it comes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, this certainly holds true. Lori Wengle, personal trainer and author of the book The Fat Princess No More, discovered how negative attitudes can influence weight. See what changes she made in her attitude to get to her ideal weight and find out what she recommends for you.

LoveToKnow (LTK): You have said that for you, physical change didn't happen until you made a mental change. What does this mean?

Lori Wengle (LW): After years of being overweight or obese, I realized I was going about things so wrong. I wanted to lose weight for years and years and yo-yo dieted year after year. The mental change that came about is I did not need to diet anymore. I needed to eat healthy, exercise and not obsess about the scale. Nothing was going to be perfect overnight; I had to give myself time to lose weight, weight train and be kinder to myself. If I had a bad day and ate something not too healthy, I had to forgive myself and move forward. The old Lori would have wrecked the whole day with my food choices, thinking since I screwed up one meal, why not make the whole day a massive binge day! The new Lori was kinder to herself and realized it was one mistake, get back on the wagon and just do it.

Another mental change was with exercise! I always knew I needed to exercise, and did so many times. I remember doing all kinds of infomercial workouts, the latest trend, etc. But after some time, I began to not see results and would quit. Eventually, I began to be my own advocate and researched working out and exercise trends. The mental change I had to make is to realize, I had to consistently work out three to four days a week, regardless of anything else. If I wanted to see change in my body, I had to change my thoughts about exercise and I made a daily list of how I felt after working out (which was always wonderful).

Exercise made me feel great, look better, feel stronger, gave me confidence and yet every day I struggled to get to the gym, until one day I realized I needed to do this for ME, so I could finally feel great and look better. I deserved this, my body deserved it and I needed it, like a prescription drug for an illness. Everything changed at that time and I can proudly say, I have been consistent at exercise and healthy eating since 2003! Why? Because I deserve to feel good about myself, happy with body and happy with life, finally!

LTK: What are some common mental obstacles and attitudes people face when trying to lose weight?

LW: The most common mental or attitude obstacles people face is that they do not have enough time to carve out an hour or two a day to eat healthy and exercise. It is stressful to wonder, especially in today's busy schedules, how to find the time for yourself. We do everything for our families, friends, kids, but it is hard for us to make time for ourselves.

Understand that we all need to make time for ourselves to live a long and healthy life!

Another obstacle that many of us use is self defeat! After years of being overweight, sometimes we believe deep down inside that we will never succeed. This obstacle consumed me for decades. It was not until I made realistic goals, and achieved those goals, that I finally lost the weight once and for all! I began with a goal of achieving 195 lbs (down from 242). That was a big goal, but I was kind to myself and set a goal of one pound a week, not getting too crazy with major changes. I made better choices for food and spent more time playing with my then young daughter (almost 20 now).

Then when I achieved that goal, I made another goal of hitting 180, my all time skinniest weight ever! After that I made much smaller goals because I was not sure if I could get any smaller. The next goal was 172, then 167, then 162, then 157 and so on. By making these small goals, I had many successes which led me to go all the way and surpass any of my expectations!

LTK: How do negative attitudes affect our food choices?

LW: When my attitudes are negative in general, I eat poorly. It happens still today to me a few times a year. If I feel like a failure because I missed a workout or ate something I shouldn't have, I immediately stop that type of thinking and give myself a break. I KNOW that if I obsess about it, I will spend the day binging, which is self defeating. I now know that I have to get over it quickly and get back on track.

I use music or a good workout to get my mind off myself defeating, negative attitude and begin living my life again. It did take years to get here, but everyone can change their attitude and forgive themselves. It takes practice but feels so good when you don't obsess about every little mistake.

LTK: How can negative attitudes be changed?

LW: To change these attitudes it takes a lot of perseverance! I feel many of these obstacles have a lot to do with feelings of guilt about spending time on ourselves. Somehow we have to understand, the better we feel, the better we can take care of everyone in our lives.

I spent lots of time writing a food/mood journal and exercise journal and would always put down comments that would help me defeat some of my common attitude adjustments I needed. I would write [things like], "You deserve to be happy with your body."

LTK: What common food misconceptions sabotage weight loss and how can those be corrected?

LW: The biggest issue that I have and my clients have is serving size rather than food misconception. We really do know what we should eat or should not eat. The biggest issue is what a serving size is!

After I grocery shop for the week, I split everything up into serving sizes immediately. When I cook for my week, I again put all my food in serving size baggies so that I can grab and go. I can visualize, after much research, what a serving size of chicken looks like or a serving of fruit.

LTK: What other tips can you share about having the right attitude for weight loss?

LW: Weight loss is a journey, kind of like beginning your first day at college. Both can overwhelm you. When you begin college, if you don't take your courses one quarter or semester at a time, you would be overwhelmed. Well the same holds true for weight loss. Set realistic goals that are attainable for YOUR body. Make sure you have successes and praise yourself often for your good attitudes, weight loss, and exercise plan. If you change your mindset to say, "I need to eat healthy and exercise often, period," then you will not think of it as the D word (diet); you will think of it more as a learning journey. It's all about you. Better health, better body image and a happy you.

Remember, Extreme Weight Loss is one to two pounds per week! Extreme Weight Loss is attainable and sustainable weight loss!

LTK: Anything else you'd like to share?

LW: Be kind to yourself, forgive yourself and understand you deserve to feel good! If you are on a diet and the diet dictates you can never eat certain food, find a different diet.

If I had to go through life thinking I could never eat a piece or two of pizza, I am not sure if I could continue on. Everything I eat is in a serving size, so nothing is out of the question for me as a treat from time to time. And I use a pay forward program for those times that I want a yummy treat. If I know I will be at a wedding or other event where food may tempt me, I do extra cardio or workouts that week to burn the extra calories BEFORE I go to the event. That way if there is something I really want, I don't have to feel guilty about eating something considered bad for me. I already paid it forward!

To learn more about Lori and her methods for getting fit, visit her website ChangeYourWorldFitness.com. There you can find out about her Personal Trainer in a Box program as well as her book, The Fat Princess No More.

LoveToKnow would like to thank Lori Wengle for taking the time for this interview.