WHY PEOPLE CHANGE AND 3 PAINLESS WAYS YOU CAN CHANGE TOO

change

In the world today, one common belief is that people can’t change their character and attitude. What most people believe is that once you have a specific attitude or character, it stays with you all through your life. Such a belief system is flawed, and it is very far from the truth.

Everything in life is either creating or disintegrating, and this is a universal law that everything on earth follows including your attitude and character. So, in other words, your character or attitude can change if you want them to. The main reason why most individuals conform to a certain ideology is because of their habits. Put simply; a habit is a predetermined action that is carried out without any conscious mental efforts. This specific action has become a permanent fixture in our lives, that it just happens on its own whether or not we give any thought to it.

Our habits help us to manage life unconsciously. We become dependent on them that we rely on them to control our lives. This is the reason why several people believe that they cannot change no matter what happens. Such people believe that their habits define who they are. But you have to realize that your habit is only as strong as how you make them to be.

You can change your attitude this instance if you are willing to change, and we’ve identified three ways via which you can implement the change that you seek;

Create a new habit
This is where it starts from, if you intend to change your attitude, you first have to change your habits that form the foundation of that attitude. Pick a habit that you want to change, and consciously work your way to seeing that it changes. If the habit you want to change is lateness to meetings, then start arriving 30 minutes earlier.

 

Think different thoughts
If you want to change your life, first start by changing your thoughts. If you continuously focus on negative thoughts, you will usually attract negative actions into your life. The best way to live is to focus on positive thoughts constantly. When you change your thinking, you will see that your life will change as well because your mind has been reoriented from a flawed thought process to a more productive one.

 

Take on a new perspective
The way you see things affects the thoughts you have about such things. You give meaning to things based on how you perceive them. So, if you want to change your attitude or character, you can start by changing the way you view things.

 

Change can be instantaneous, and if you want to change your attitude and character, you can do so at this minute. You just have to decide first that you want to change, and ensure you commit to it. Continuously implement the new attitude you are learning, and in no time, your old attitude will be a thing of the past. Form a laser-focused mindset by joining menstrong.com today!

4 TIPS ON OPTIMIZING YOUR TIME LIKE A PRO ⏱

If you always feel like 24 hours aren’t enough for a day, you aren’t alone. While you can’t exactly have a longer day, there are ways you can use your time better. Read on to find the best 4 tips for squeezing the most out of your day:

 

 1. Set goals, write them down  

A short-term or a long-term goal can give you purpose. So, you will be more motivated to contribute to the accomplishment of your goals every day. Clear goals will help you design your day better and you will be highly productive if you know that you have a deadline.

Make sure that you set achievable, realistic goals though.

 

2. Have a routine

Wonder why your body needs 6-8 hours of a sleep every day? It’s the routine. This is how your body works. Set a routine for you but you don’t have to super-strict so leave yourself enough room for spontaneity. But have a routine to ensure that you don’t waste time doing irrelevant things.

Set a specific routine to go through your emails, connect with clients, devote time to your employees or your team, walk your dog. Most of all, don’t forget to prioritize your personal connections like your family. Always have a specific meal of the day with them and keep the communication open. Menstrong.com provides an easy to follow routine for all your fitness and nutrition needs.

 

3. Accept responsibility

Hold yourself accountable instead of finding factors and issues to blame. Understand that you are in control of your time and that you can’t procrastinate. Keep your motivation up by prioritizing deadlines and your reliability. Peers and clients will rely on your more once you earn the accountable and reliable reputation.

 

 4. Get rid of the bad habits

Believe it or not, binge-watching, scrolling a bottomless feed on facebook, or engaging or arguing with a troll on social media is an utter waste of time.

If you are oversleeping, it’s a bad habit of keeping you from using your time better. So, make a list of all the bad habits you think you have and prioritize getting rid of them.

Going out with your friends or on dates all the time on weekends is not as important as meeting deadlines and retaining clients. Take your time to relax but focus on mindful ways of relaxing to ensure that your motivation levels stay up.

Summing up

Making all these changes in one go will be hard to adopt these tips one by one and make small changes. Ensure that you prioritize your daily routine and stick to it since it’s a short-term goal. Also, don’t be too hard on yourself while setting long-term goals. Identify what’s keeping you from achieving your goals and use a proactive approach to reach them.

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5 things to do after a workout!

Determination doesn’t come easy especially with the pain that hardcore workout sessions entail. But just in case you were wondering how to handle the searing pain, here are 5 pro post-workout tips:

Let your body cool down
Cooling down doesn’t mean rushing to your car and getting home after a grueling gym session. Do some light cardio to cool yourself and it will kickstart the recovery process for you. No need to do it for too long, only five minutes of light cardio is enough to cool your body.

A lot of metabolic waste products cause the searing pain that we all often feel after working out really hard. Make sure that you personalize the cardio and other cooling down activity to your exercise sets’ intensity. For example, after an upper body workout, use a lightweight machine to cool down your upper body.

Stretch
Post Workout is fantastic for men who grow all bulky but lose flexibility with the expanding physique. Stretching can really help you manage your range of motion.Moreover, it will relax your nervous system; help you feel rejuvenated while helping your muscles move around better. But remember to be gentle to your body as a hard stretch may strain a sensitive part of your body.
Try more diaphragmatic breathing while stretching for best recovery results.

Drink more water
The most natural way of our bodies of cooling down is sweating. So, when the body starts losing all the hydration, the responsibility of rehydrating really lies with you. Make sure that you drink sufficient water and getting enough fluids in your body post the session. You may even end up losing your bodyweight in sweat and cardio will give you the most perspiration.
Help your body regulate your temperature with ample hydration and also keep your joints flexible with sufficient lubrication. Moreover, rehydrating can help you handle constipation.

Get your daily dose of protein
Most trainers will recommend you to take sufficient protein before the workout. But consuming a watched dosage of protein supplement post the workout can really help you repair your damaged muscles.
Consistent feeding, protein intake, and amino acids will help you heal well even after the hardest workouts. However, do confirm with your trainer regarding the protein supplement based on your body size, workout goals, workout phase, etc.

Get Enough Sleep
If you workout late in evening, then make sure that you manage your diet routine well. Don’t go home crashing on your sofa as soon as you enter the home. Build a persistence routine for your body but make sure that you get enough sleep to recover. Working out at any age without the necessary protocols can strain your body.

Join menstrong.com for a full complete workout plan filled with workout tricks, diet plans, and guarantee results!

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5 Daily Habits to Remain Highly Motivated

There’s nothing like being born naturally motivated. People are just people, all flesh, and bones but it’s the life they live that sets an example. It’s the habits that make you a success and a happy person. The richness of life doesn’t lie in vanity or workaholism but some simple, healthy habits.

If you often find yourself pining for motivation, follow these simple 5 habits:   

1. Do something as you get out of bed 

As you start getting things done, you will feel motivated without even trying. A lot of people don’t realize this but meeting deadlines will help you stay motivated. Getting things done indirectly helps you stay motivated as it gives you a sense of fulfillment. So, start your journey of getting things done as soon as you get out of bed. Try some yoga to keep yourself fit or just make your bed to avoid a messy bedroom. Don’t procrastinate your dog’s play hour. Wake up early every morning and take your dog out for a long walk. It won’t just give your pooch the exercise he/she needs but also refresh your mind.

2. Value even the smallest tasks you do 

People won’t tell you that driving a cab for a living or being a full-time nanny is a noble job. But perhaps, the outlook is old-fashioned.  Always connect the tasks you do every day and your job to something more valuable.

What do you think will happen if nannies stop doing their job because it isn’t noble enough? Well, a lot of working couples will have trouble raising their young children and balancing work. If drivers stop driving cabs, people will struggle with public transport a lot. So, it doesn’t matter how conventionally noble your job or anything you do is. You’ve got to be able to value it to understand the value of every little thing you do. Appreciate yourself for making a small difference every day.

3. Following and completing a to-do list

Whether you make one on Google Keep, Evernote or the good old notepad/stick-it notes, to-do lists are a great help. Journalizing the tasks you want to accomplish and crossing them off the list will surely help you stay motivated.

It’s a great way of feeling energized and pumped to accomplish other tasks with same vigor.

4. Be kind to self 

People are generally polite and emphatic to others but being kind to one’s own self is just as important. A guilt trip and self-critique are the biggest paralyzing factors. However, if you keep them in check, they might just motivate you. But you’ve got to be nicer to yourself. You don’t have to outshine everyone all the time. People make mistakes but don’t be too hard on yourself.

5. Don’t run away from responsibilities

When you start taking responsibility, you save yourself enormous time and energy that’s generally wasted in shifting blame. Soon as you grow accountable, you start taking relevant decisions and cut fluff and clutter from your life. People become more motivated when they know that they are accountable for the outcome. So, be responsible and do everything keeping in mind that the output depends on your own efforts.

Final words

You don’t have to wake up at 4 AM every morning and follow a crazy workout routine. Nor do you have to wear ostentatious suits to look professional. Little things like accomplishing small tasks soon as you wake up, accepting responsibility help you keep your spirits high.

You should be kind to self, learn from mistakes, move beyond paralyzing criticism to perform better. And, try following an organized method of accomplishing tasks to stay motivated. These habits will surely work their magic.

6 RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT NUTRITION

 

 

 

Avoid large portion sizes

American restaurants are particularly infamous for large portion sizes. Whenever eating out, it is best to eat until you are satisfied. Just because you have been served, does not mean you have to eat it.

“Healthy desserts” are not healthy

Gluten-free Desserts, vegan desserts or otherwise are not healthy. Just because they are marketed healthy it does not ensure that the calorie count is on the lower side of the scale. Vegan desserts are probably the biggest myth of keto diets.

What to do after a cheat meal?

There is no room for feeling guilty about cheat meals unless they are occasional. All you must do is back it up with hydration and high-intensity workout when you hit the gym. It is best to not hold the practice of gorging every week. A simple trick to achieve this is by practicing to eat the same thing on Monday as you would do during the weekend.

Relish Your Meals

Be grateful for the food on your plate. Chewing your meals properly and eating slowly also ensures proper assimilation and absorption of the nutrients during digestion.

Salads are complete meals

Salads with their fiber and protein content deliver a punch. With a lean cut of meat, lots of roughage and vegetables, they lower the frequency of hunger pangs during the wee hours that has the potential to derail your diet.

Pay Attention to your Food

Map the energy in your body after meals. Experiment and hit that sweet point. What kind of meals is making you energetic? Is it a salad? Is it a protein shake? Read your body’s reactions and plan your meals accordingly.

 

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Why Your Sleep is a Priority

Without sleep, what are you?

Honestly, one cannot emphasize enough on how sleep affects your health. Read more to find out how.

Sleep’s Correlation with Weight Loss
Lack of sleep encourages untimely hunger pangs, increase in appetite and in turn, weight gain. This occurs because of the simple imbalance of two hormones in the system, ghrelin, and leptin. Ghrelin, on the one hand, results in hunger with a special affinity towards carbohydrates. Leptin, on the other hand, inhibits hunger. Now, how sleep affects your health is a slight shift in your sleep-wake cycle causes the levels of ghrelin in your body. This subsequently leads to increase in carbohydrate intake which when converted to fat can result in weight gain.

Sleep’s Correlation with Muscle Gain
The weekend warriors struggling to achieve the perfect six pack need their sleep too. Both duration and the quality of your sleep are key factors to muscle gain. Lack of sleep increases the cortisol levels in your blood. The cortisol levels initiate a catabolic cycle leading to the breakdown of your precious muscle. This process simply puts you back to square one. Wondering how to increase the rate of muscle gain? Do this. As little as 20-40 gram of good quality protein before bed can both decrease the rate of muscle breakdown and promote amino acid synthesis.

Sleep’s Correlation with Your Overall Well-being
Sleeping habits directly affect your mental health and sleep deprivation increases chances of clinical depression and anxiety. It affects your glucose tolerance levels which can lead to a higher risk of diabetes and obesity. Sleep deprivation, irrespective of whether acute or chronic, shows signs through your behavior. From decreased attention span, inadequate concentration in achieving results in simple tasks and memory retention, the consequences are indeed severe.

To reach the adequate amount of sleep required, simple everyday tricks are best practices. Setting a bed-time routine, meditation, limiting alcohol or caffeine intake are recommended. Within weeks of a set bedtime routine, you will experience the changes of how sleep affects your health in a positive way. Waking up tired is never an option!

IS BEING A PERFECTIONIST BENEFICIAL OR DAMAGING?

PERFECT
Who is a Perfectionist?
Perfectionism is a tendency to aim for the best and to refuse anything less. Perfectionism is often characterized by certain qualities that are noticeable to everyone. Perfectionists are never satisfied with their current situation. They are always motivated and have an incredible aptitude for spotting opportunities for improvement. If you are reading this article and you realize that you fit the aforementioned description, then it is most likely that you are a perfectionist. Another way to know that you are a perfectionist is if you have been described as a perfectionist by two or more persons in the last one month.

Perfectionism is a very complex trait that harbors both positivity and negativity. Being a perfectionist makes you predisposed to certain likable and enviable traits. Perfectionists are leaders, goal-getters, adaptable, progressive and they do not tolerate mediocrity. While perfectionists have all of these lovable traits, it should also be noted that perfectionism has its setbacks too. A perfectionist can very easily be predisposed to negative traits such as being antisocial, timid, depressed, disgruntled, competitive and difficult.

It is clear that perfectionism has two opposite side to it. Perfectionism could mean pursuing your dreams and giving your best in each of your undertakings, or it could mean being critically judgmental on yourself, discontent with self and eventual rejection of self. In a world where there are so many opportunities and uncertainties, it becomes crucial to explore the nature of perfectionism and to see if it is actually beneficial or damaging to be a perfectionist. For us to give a verdict on perfectionism, let us first explore its upsides and downsides.

Upsides of perfectionism
The upsides of perfectionism are the constant desire to be better. Positive perfectionism aims to do better in every pursuit and to give the best in every situation. Positive perfectionism is motivated, driven and adaptable. Positive perfectionism rejects mediocrity. Contained below are the perks that come with being a perfectionist.

Hard work and dedication: Perfectionists are usually hardworking and dedicated. Perfectionists are dedicated to the achievement of set goals and they will remain undeterred until they accomplish it. This trait is by far one of the most enviable features of a perfectionist.

Resilience and tenacity: It is quite common to find that perfectionists are actually very resilient. They can push their mental and physical capabilities to the furthest limits. This trait is particularly relevant when faced with difficult situations.

Leadership: Perfectionist can be great leaders because they will give the best of themselves to their followers. More importantly, they are always motivated which is a key leadership trait.

Progressive and successful: Being a perfectionist means that your chance of being successful is very high. You have a tendency to give your best and in most cases, that is all you require. Perfectionists look for ways to improve the status-quo. Perfectionist is quick to embrace new innovations and new ideas that will further their goals and facilitate the attainment of their pursuits.

The downsides of perfectionism
On the flip side, being a perfectionist has some very dangerous disadvantages. While it is hard to ascertain whether the perks of being a perfectionist outweigh its disadvantages, we will find out once we are done enumerating its numerous downsides. Most times, perfectionists tend to suffer greatly from lack of content, as they always dwell on their flaws instead of their strengths. Being a perfectionist also presents feelings of depression, self-hate, and dejection. It is only expected that when you are too preoccupied chasing goals and brooding over your failures instead of enjoying your accomplishments that you will wind up feeling emotionally drained and sad. Sometimes, a perfectionist will embark on endeavors that are completely out of reach. They may not have the skill set or resources to make a pursuit a reality, but they will judge themselves harshly and unfairly when they fail in the undertaking. According to professional analysis, contained below are some of the downsides of perfectionism:

 

Inclination towards harsh self-judgment: A perfectionist is often inclined towards the dangerous path of harsh and disparaging self-judgment. While it okay to introspect and give an honest evaluation of yourself, the perfectionist takes this process to a whole new height or in better terms, a whole new depth. The perfectionist will condemn himself badly. He will disregard all of his efforts and gains while focusing solely on mistakes and flaws.

Lethargy: we explored the fact that perfectionist has an inclination towards being motivated and hardworking. However, the opposite could also happen to a perfectionist. A perfectionist may also exhibit signs of being lethargic and lazy. This happens because they have a “perfect picture” of how things should be in their head. They may become inactive and unable to act because they feel like the situation isn’t ideal enough.

Lack of content: While discontentment may seem like a trivial matter, it actually has very shocking ramifications on your health and entire quality of life. You will rarely find a perfectionist that is content. Consequently, perfectionists are often victims of emotional turmoil, sadness, and uncertainty.

Dwell on their shortcomings: Being a perfectionist often makes people focus on their shortcomings and flaws. Instead of looking at their strengths, they simply dwell on what they do not have. I contend that widespread perfectionism is the fuel that has propelled the cosmetic surgery industry to staggering heights. There are individuals that have had innumerable cosmetic surgery procedures in the elusive pursuit of a “perfect body”.

Being excessively competitive: Perfectionists are often times highly competitive. While it is okay to be competitive, it is completely different when you feel you must win all the time.

Fear and excessive introspection: Perfectionists often come off as “uptight.” The reasons for this are because they are always thinking and second-guessing situations. Fear and excessive introspection are some negative habits that come with being a perfectionist. Often times, these traits cause lethargy.

After exploring the perks and disadvantage of perfectionism, it is very hard to ascertain whether perfectionism is in fact, good or bad. While there are two sides to the coin called perfections, we can always learn ways to improve the upsides perfectionism while lowering its downsides.Ways to improve the upsides of perfectionism and decrease its downsides:

– Dwell on your accomplishment and celebrate them
– Take up new challenges that are within your reach
– Adopt a positive ideology towards life and pursuits
– Change your perception of the failure
– See life from a lighter perspective
– Have a life outside your work and pursuits. Hobbies and leisurely pursuits will help
-Learn to love yourself

It is imperative that you love yourself and this means that you must love your perfectionism too. Perfectionism is a very advantageous trait. It makes you enthusiastic, formidable and resilient. However, you should learn to appreciate life and enjoy diversions. Learn from your mistakes and move on to new. Finally, always think of the world as your playground.
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ENHANCING WORKOUT MOTIVATION

Let’s discuss how to UP your workout motivation

Similar to life, we all tend to face lots of challenges during our quest for a fulfilling fitness life. These moments are most times geared up by outside influences, which may sometimes create negative impacts on our mental state and invariably leads us into procrastinating our exercises. If it becomes a habit, we find ourselves being inactive and trapped. So today we’re going to share some motivating techniques that will help you get on the right track with your exercise and enhancing your motivation.

Set goals

Setting goals gives your life direction, bolsters your motivation and self-confidence. Set goals and create strategies to ensure you execute these goals accordingly. You can decide to set a goal to do a hundred push-ups daily, by increasing your number of repetitions and with consistency; you can quickly achieve this goal.

Join a Team

Registering for exercising sporting events made up of a community of people enthusiastic about exercises will certainly motivate you. These groups of people will also motivate you into training along with them, especially in preparation for a competition. You could take up sporting activities such as basketball, dodgeball, flag-football, etc. Training for numerous events with precise timelines will propel you towards exercising and keeping fit.

Incorporate movement all day

Low impact exercises such as walking, skipping, hiking, running, yoga and lots more are effective ways of managing the overall health and weight of the human body. Instead of taking a cab or driving to your place of work which is a few miles away from your home, you should occasionally take a walk. Sometimes take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog/run to the close by grocery store. These exercises are perfect ways of enhancing your exercising motivation thereby producing excellent results.

Partner-up

Look for a training partner who ‘s committed to training, to work as a team. The aids in ensuring that you stay motivated as you wouldn’t want to fail your partner during training and your partner wouldn’t also want to fail you. Partners are great motivators, and morale boosters. You and your partner can decide to set some penalties for misconduct; this is another excellent way to keep you on track and motivated to keep up with the practice.

Challenge 

Always take note of your weight at the beginning of an exercising circle and some halfway through it. This is yet another motivating factor. If you notice that you lost a couple of calories within a given time frame, you will certainly be motivated. You can get to know how much weight you’ve lost ever since you starting exercising by utilizing a clothing item. Get a piece of cloth, wear it at the beginning of the event and wear it again after a while (a week or more), you will undoubtedly see some changes.

Organize an Event or join one 

Organize an event around you and your colleagues at work or friends. For instance, you could set aside every last Sunday of the month to visit the 1000 steps with these friends. You could also run a mini boot camp such as going to the local park where you will have to set up circuits. If this becomes a yearly event, it will event build up. Or you can just visit the park for a game of Frisbee or soccer.

These are a couple of ideas to help assist you in staying motivated with your exercises. If you can adapt these, you will realize how easy it is to exercise and stay fit – consistently!

HOW TO NOT GAIN WEIGHT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Enjoy The Holidays Without Gaining Weight

weight x holiday

The Holidays are an excellent opportunity to spend more time with friends and family, and usually, that means eating. The best moment of the holidays is often the dinner, but there will be a variety of dishes around for days before and after the celebratory food itself.

Do the holidays usually end with you in a food-induced coma?

There is no need to turn your holiday dinner into a diet meal. After all, it’s supposed to be a holiday and a celebration. But, it doesn’t have to turn into a binge either!

Use these six tips to make sure you have a happy and a healthy holiday season without gaining weight:

1) Have Breakfast 

Knowing you will be eating a lot of food later in the day might make you think that skipping breakfast is an ideal way to save calories. While this does make a little sense, it’s an approach that will backfire! Instead of saving you calories, skipping breakfast will cause you to overeat when it’s time for the meal because, after skipping your first meal of the day, you will be hungrier than you usually are.

Avoid this problem by having a considerable breakfast, and you will feel less hungry. Therefore, you will eat less later in the day.

2) Drink Water Before and During Your Meal

Water is calorie-free and filling. Drinking water before and during your holiday meal will reduce your appetite, fill you up, and stop you from overeating. Ensure you start drinking water 1-2 hours before you start eating and then take regular sips throughout your meal. Drinking water instead of beer or wine will also help save you lots of calories.

3) Fill Up with Salad and Soup

Soup and salad starters are filling, but contain relatively few calories. You are more likely to stick with better food choices when healthy meal choices are available at all times especially during the holidays.

Make the most of this by having a significant portion as your appetizer. That way, when it’s time for the main meal, you will already be reasonably full and will be less motivated to eat a lot of fatty main dishes. Don’t undermine this strategy by eating lots of crackers or bread, just have the salad or soup alone.

4) Skinless Turkey Breast and Veggies, Please!

Veggies and skinless turkey breast are arguably the lowest in calories of all the food offered and the most filling. Make sure you make these two food items the foundation of your meal. The protein-rich turkey and the fiber in the veggies will satisfy your appetite without taking in a lot of calories. If you are tempted to get a second serving, go for the low-calorie vegetables, as they are the least likely to make you gain more weight. Also, avoid high-fat sauces that will significantly increase the number of calories to even vegetable dishes.

5) Go Easy On the Side Dishes

Side dishes like; mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and cornbread are very high in calories. While you don’t have to avoid these foods totally, it’s the holidays, after all, just don’t go overboard and overeat of these high-calorie meals. If you want to have second portions of anything, fill up on green veggies and white turkey meat. Also, don’t overeat when it’s time for dessert. A little piece will please your sweet tooth.

6) Walk it Off

Once you have finished eating your meal, and the washing up is done, don’t just fall asleep on the couch in a food-induced coma. Instead, go for a brisk walk. Walking is gentle enough, and you can do it soon after a meal. You won’t be doing much rigorous movement while walking, but make it active enough that it will burn those extra calories. The excellent idea is to take your friends and relatives with you, as this will make it more enjoyable.