Staying Motivated during Winter.

Here in the UK we are now experiencing very short days and often overcast grey skies and cold damp weather. It's hard to stay motivated at this time of year, I find that I have so much less enthusiasm for doing things, especially in the evenings after dark.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this is a time of year when we are more prone to piling on the pounds as our body stores fat in preparation for the months ahead when food would be harder to find in nature.

So you've worked hard this year, you lost a bit of weight your fitness is improving but you face dangerous times ahead. If you slacken off on your training you will loose some of the gains you've worked so hard for, if your a runner imagine if you can continue to improve over the winter instead of resting? Just think of those great times you could be setting next year and the advantage you will have over the runners who have had a layoff.

What about your weight loss efforts? If it is true that we are prone to put on weight at this time of year and that we naturally crave sugary, calorie rich foods to build our bodies reserves, then you will have to make an effort just to maintain the status quo. In order to continue to loose weight you must dig deep and find the determination to be strong and stick with your program.

Knowledge is power as they say, so having just read this will be of some help but the real effort is down to you. You must decide on what action you are going to take and what commitment you will make to yourself.

The road to success may well look like this!

Make an effort when you shop to still buy those foods you favour in the Summer like fresh fruit and vegetables, if you don't have any in you can't choose it over bad foods. Of course not buying the bad foods will also be a big help. Consider a meal planner, boring and tedious I know but it could be a big help and will keep you more focused if you have a plan when you do the shopping.

In terms of training the hardest part is getting into your kit and starting. Once you get going you will start to feel good as you body releases all those wonderful endorphins that give you energy and lift your mood. Talk yourself into it, keep telling yourself about the benefits, about how good you feel afterwards, how great you run times will be next year, how much buffer you will look.

For you will be one of the few who have remained true to the cause and to yourself, while others have languished on the couch and gorged in porcine otiosity. You will be starting the coming year with a sense of accomplishment, something upon which you can build a better, stronger, fitter and more self disciplined you

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.- Aristotle