I’m very goal oriented.  This means that I do better, and am more motivated, when I have clear goals in front of me.  I’ve found a great trick for keeping myself on target with my exercise routine, and that’s to think of the next event where I want to look great.  With summer coming, it’s not hard to think about the beach, the vacation we hope to take, and the pool.  All of these images keep me on target with my crunchless abs and my Bender Ball.  I want to melt it off for the summer and feel good about myself around the pool and in my summer clothes.

So, I’ve found this to be a great trick.  I’ve actually put a few pictures around the house of summer time fun.  I have one on the refrigerator and one on the front door to remind me to stick to my exercise program and to stay loyal to my Bender Ball!

I’ve discovered a brilliant new way to stay motivated with my exercise routine – clear and concrete goals.  I’m participating in a 10K run that my friend and neighbor set up years ago in memory of his mom.  I’ve never participated before because the thought of running or walking a 10k made me laugh. I was certainly not in shape for that!  But now, with my daily running, my crunchless abs with my Bender Ball and my other activities, I’m feeling great and I’m confident that I can pull off the 10K run.

Having a set goal has really made a difference for me mentally.  It’s pushed me out of the house on mornings when I just don’t feel like getting up and it’s getting me energized and excited to push my body.  Now, the trick will be to find another motivational goal that will keep me in this frame of mind even after I finish the 10K!

I was noticing something interesting at work the other day.  Where I used to be a very sedate worker, dreading if I had to get up to run an errand or take the stairs somewhere, I know seek out these experiences.  After working out and doing crunchless abs with my Bender Ball for a number of months now, I find it hard to sit still.  I have a desk job and it requires a lot of concentration and energy.  What it doesn’t require, however, is movement!

And, these days, as I melt it off and feel great about myself, I seem to need to move more.  So, I’ve noticed myself volunteering to do errands for other people, getting up to fill my water bottle more, going to the bathroom more frequently, and more.  I look for excuses to get our of my chair and to get my body moving – since I’m used to being more active now and to enjoying more activity.

Isn’t that interesting?  I would never have predicted that using a Bender Ball and going running would also impact my work environment and habits.

I wrote in my last post that I had been shopping recently and had a great experience.  The shopping really occurred because of Spring.  See, since Spring has arrived, I started to take out all of my summer clothes and to put away some of my winter wear.  Boy, was I surprised to try on a few summer outfits – only to realize that they didn’t fit me at all!  I know that I’ve been losing weight and feeling great with my crunchless abs from the Bender Ball, my running and my nutrition, but I don’t think I realized just how big a difference these changes have made.

So, my wife finally said it was time to go shopping. And what a great experience it was!  Now, I love Spring and Summer even more than I have in the past.  What’s not to love when you fit into smaller size clothes, feel great and look forward to being outside more?

This weekend, we enjoyed a shopping adventure.  I don’t usually enjoy shopping very much. First of all, men’s clothes are boring – there just isn’t much to them.  And second of all, I’ve always tried to squeeze into a smaller size and struggled with finding things that fit me, cost a decent amount, and looked good.  Shopping is really only for skinny people.

The good news is that, for the first time in my life, I think I’m putting myself in that category! Can you imagine? Since I’ve been running each morning, walking at night, and doing crunchless abs with my Bender Ball, I’m feeling and looking so much better. And that translates into more energy, more stamina, and more clothing shopping!

What a pleasure it was to try on pants one size smaller than I’ve ever been able to wear – and to have them be too big on me!

Spring is in the air – I can feel it in my morning run – and that’s getting me excited.  I remember, as a kid, always being so excited that the Spring was coming.  And, of course, with the Spring came Spring Break.  So, I don’t technically get a Spring Break anymore, but I try to plan a small trip every Spring for the family.

I find that when there is something to look forward to, it helps you get through the work week.  This year, we are going camping for three nights.  In the past, the camping trips that we’ve taken have been less exciting than I’m hoping this one will be.  Since I’ve lost some weight with my crunchless abs and my Bender Ball, I’m more confident in my stamina.  I’m hoping to take the kids on a number of hikes and to really enjoy our time outdoors.

Here is to the Spring – and to being lighter for it!

I live in a very beautiful part of my town, near a forest and a small, hilly, uninhabited area. Sometimes people come and make picnics here or just come for a nice, quiet walk. This is the place I like to go for my morning runs. Yesterday morning I had a little extra time because my first meeting was scheduled a bit later than usual, so I took advantage of that breathing space and first did a crunch-less abs workout with my Bender Ball, and then I went to the hill and ran for about 20 minutes. I am so glad I did. The air wash fresh and cool, the sun was just rising over the distant lake, and there were some deer going for a morning stroll. I felt really alive and refreshed and ready for anything my day might bring.
I felt so good the entire day that I even did a short, 10 minute work-out with my Bender Ball right before lunch, and then I went for a walk with my wife after dinner. I even did another 5 minutes with my Bender Ball before hitting the sack. By the time I got into bed I felt like a million dollars.

Sometimes in the morning I go for a short run, maybe about 15 or 20 minutes max. I never believed I would start running again, but because my Bender Ball gave me the confidence in myself that I could actually change my appearance, weight and the way I feel about myself, I decided to really take the plunge and start a more intensive work-out routine. And I am so glad I did. Especially now, it is so nice to be outdoors observing how the seasons are changing. Since I sit in an office all day long, my morning run really brings some fresh air, good smells and interesting sights into my life. And just think, I have my Bender Ball to thank for making me realize what my real potential was.

A friend of mine told me the other day that his doctor says he has high cholesterol and needs to lose some weight. My friend came to me for advice, he told me, because he can see that I have been keeping fit lately and he wanted to know how I do it.

Of course I told him all about my Bender Ball, and how I work out with it before I go to work in the morning, and at my lunch break, and very often before I go to bed. I explained to him that since it only requires about 5-10 minutes of a work-out at each time, it is easy to find the time to work-out. I also explained that using the Bender Ball is easy and fun, and it puts much less of a strain on the back while much more efficiently strengthening all those important abdominal muscles in the front. He was impressed and said he is thinking about getting a Bender Ball.

I’m breathing a sigh of relief today!  Last week, I let you in on my Valentine’s Day plans.  I explained that I was going to get my wife a second Bender Ball so that she would have one to leave at the office, and that I was going to get her some hand weights.

Now, not every woman would appreciate exercise equipment for a gift, because she might take it the wrong way.  But, my wife and I exercise together a lot and she knows that I have her best interest at heart.  And she loved the gifts!  She thought that it was very thoughtful of me to get her a second Bender Ball. This way, she can have one at home and one at work, and she won’t have to think about bringing it from place to place.  And, she thought that the weight were creative, although she actually wanted ankle weights and not hand weights.  So, we are going to return the weights and try to find ankle ones instead.

Overall, it was a creative and thoughtful gift – and I succeeded once again.  Let’s hear it for good Valentine’s Day gifts!