Nutritional Information & Fitness Tips

You Think: "I'm not losing. Why bother?"

Rethink: "This pudge will budge."

Stick with the scale: Love it and you'll probably lose pounds. Stay motivated in the meantime by giving yourself credit for how much better your clothes fit and for improving your overall health. As your metabolism changes to accommodate your smaller size, you are going to have to change what you're doing to coax your body to keep responding and shedding fat.  If you're eating light already (around 1,500 calories a day), don't cut back more; turn up the intensity and/or increase the length of your workout session a smidge. This will not only burn more calories but also increase your cardio capacity, meaning that everything feels easier to do, so you can keep exercising. Crank the resistance on your stationary bike, push the pace of your walk or run for one-minute intervals, or add step-ups or jumping jacks between sets of toning moves: The cardio-strength mix of circuit training burns 512 calories per hour, more than double that of lifting alone.

You Think: "I can't do another rep."

Rethink: "My biceps rock!"

Need a lift? Just psyching yourself up while you're strength training can increase your muscle power by 8 percent. Depending on how pooped your arms are, mental imagery could help to activate additional motor units stimulating muscle fibers enough to help eke out more curls. If you can't muster more reps at the same weight, go lighter. Decrease the amount that you're lifting in 10 percent increments until you can finish the set with good form. The bigger the effort, the bigger your body's response will be. That means netting some 46 percent greater strength gains by doing two or three sets compared with only one. And don't beat yourself up: Pushing your limits just a little further gets you firming results you'll feel.

You Think: "Run a mile? Ya Right!"

Rethink: "Hey, doesn't that jogger look like Brad Pitt?"

When you're trying to slog through that first -- or extra -- mile, shift your attention to the things around you. You might slow down, but it will help you keep going. Also add a can-do mental mantra, like "I'm a running machine!" to put more mettle in your pedals. Split your run into walking and running parts at first. Jog a quarter of a mile, walk for half a mile, and finish by jogging another quarter. As you improve, stretch out the jogging and shrink the walking segment before jogging that final quarter mile. Do this three or four times a week and you'll be able to run the whole distance in about six weeks.

You Think: "I hurt my knee. There goes exercise for a month."

Rethink: "Pilates or yoga, here I come!"

Your body starts to lose conditioning within three days of your becoming a couch potato. If that ain't enough to light a fire under your butt, tell yourself that there's more than one way to reach your exercise goal. Write down all the negative things you're thinking, and next to those, reframe them into more positive statements. Depending on your injury, moderate elliptical training (416 calories an hour), cycling (512 calories), or jogging in water (512 calories) can be an appropriate alternative, but if just bending your knee causes pain,shifting your cardio to your top half by using an upper body ergometer (a hand crank that you'll find in some gyms) or hitting a boxing bag. See your doc to be sure which route is best for you.

You Think: "Boot camp seem too intense for me."

Rethink: "I can do whatever I put my mind to!"

Usually, we're afraid of the unknown, so testing the waters first will eventually allow you to dive in. Observe a class from the warm-up and beyond rather than peek in at the midpoint, when the action is sweatiest and most intimidating. Go at your own pace. The instructor should give modifications to every exercise, go to where you feel you can keep up; then if you get tired, slow it down. In any group exercise class, your main goal is to get the hang of it, so aim for form over speed.

You Think: "Exercising at home is my only option."

Rethink: "There's no place like home -- to get a hot body."

First, identify what would give you the willpower to stay off the couch, then make a plan to get you in the right frame of mind to commit to exercise.  Put your workout clothes on so you know that exercising is the next thing to do after you fulfill your obligations, whether those involve feeding the cat after work or taking the kids to school in the morning. Then create a workout schedule with built-in accountability: Recruit a friend to do fitness DVDs with on specific days or join a walking or running club that meets regularly. Hire a trainer that will come right to you- you will see faster results and you will have no excuse to not workout!

You Think: "Staying on a cardio machine for more than 30 minutes is slow torture."

Rethink: "Who'll be eliminated tonight on The Bachelorette?"

Dedicate your treadmill time to doing things that you normally can't, such as watching your favorite TV show or listening to a new playlist or podcast.  Start a few minutes before showtime so you'll be inspired to push past the 30-minute barrier to see how the episode ends. Plan your workout so the end is all downhill. Those who do higher-intensity followed by lower-intensity exercise burned more fat and felt that their workouts were less stressful than when the order was reversed.

You Think: "I have no energy after-work to exercise."

Rethink: "Just 10 minutes."

There's a difference between being mentally tired and being physically tired. Doing something physical will actually help combat some of the mental fatigue. Tell yourself that you're not going to do more than 10 minutes of exercise. Often this leads to extending the time once you get into it. Have an alternative workout you can switch to if you're not feeling up to your usual routine or if you miss a class: Leave a workout DVD in the player at home or keep your yoga mat at the ready.