A Job Worth Doing.....

xkcd, of course.

Feeling a bit like a Grouchy Gus today? More like Goofus than Gallant? Tired of being sore? Tired of sticking to that redacted sixteen-hundred-calorie torture plan menu you worked out?

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. It happens to everybody. It's happening even to your pal Jo, right the heck now, as she eats a huge lump of pecan sour cream coffeecake.

I am not this guy. He has no coffeecake.

Wanna know what the secret is to getting through a workout you don't want to do? Wanna know how I can have a huge lump of pecan sour cream coffeecake and not feel bad about it? Check out Auntie Jo's Top Secret Workout And Diet Tip....

A job worth doing is sometimes worth doing half-assed.

Seriously. Even if you feel like this.

What do you mean, "Go put on some makeup"? I *am* wearing makeup!

As I do just at the moment, thanks to allergies, you can still do a half-assed job on a workout.

What good's a half-assed workout? More than you might think.

For one thing, it gets and keeps you moving. If you normally walk/run/walk for thirty minutes and you only do ten, well, that's ten minutes of activity you wouldn't have otherwise had. If you really get going and feel good, you can add on three- or two- or one-minute increments to your half-assed efforts and end up doing almost as much as you would've had you not been a Grouchy Gussy Goofus.

For another thing, it reassures you that fitness is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Everybody, even Venus Williams, has an off day now and then. Being healthy isn't so much about making huge changes all at once as it is about making small decisions on a daily basis--or multiple times a day. Getting up and moving is a small choice to do a small thing that, if you keep it up, will lead to long-term benefits.

And finally, even a half-assed workout will make you feel better. It doesn't matter what you have to promise yourself to get through it (for me, it was that coffee cake)--once your heart rate is up and your blood is pumping, you'll be less cranky.

Well, mostly. I mean, I'm still pretty cranky. Cranky and full of delicious, delicious coffeecake.

Need More Willpower? Some Tips and Tricks

Photo: David Robert Wright

You've probably read the grim statistics about how the vast majority of New Year's resolutions are doomed to failure. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, the failure rate is about 88%. However, the article goes on to explore some research on willpower. And guess what? Turns out there are some handy tricks to it you can learn!

Many of these tips derive from research that suggests that willpower is not an unlimited resource. It's controlled by a part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex), that also has other things it has to take care of. Like keeping you focused, handling short-term memory, and solving abstract problems. (Or, in my case: day-dreaming, forgetting my own phone number, and deciding to hand over the remote control to my spouse because I can no longer figure out how to operate a telelvision set.)

But this notion of willpower as a brain function is kinda weird, isn't it? We think of having lots of willpower as a sign of being a "good" or "moral" person. But, to borrow an analogy from the article, willpower is less like a virtue and more like a muscle in the brain. A muscle that can be easily overwhelmed if it's trying to take on too much at once--sort of like your pectoral muscles would be if you tried to bench-press a school bus.

The implications? You are not a "good" person or a "bad" person. You are just skilled or unskilled at using this brain resource to accomplish your goals! (Or, well, if your lack of willpower leads you to throw people out of windows when you're frustrated, rather than just eating too many Oreos, then perhaps you are a bad person. Cut that out.)

Anyway, want to get more skilled at this willpower thing? I thought I'd steal some tips from the WSJ, and toss in a few more I've learned from other helpful bloggers. Let's see if we can get those flagging New Year's Resolutions back on track, shall we?

1. Gonna be busy or preoccupied? Prepare ahead to prevent slips!

If you're in the middle of a challenging task (like say some guy in lab coat forces you to memorize a seven digit number), research suggests you will suck at exercising will power when offered a tempting slice of chocolate cake. With a two digit number? You're much more likely to pick fruit salad.

It helps to know that if you're in the middle of doing taxes, or you're extra-burdened at work, it's not gonna be a great time to wander into the kitchen or stop by the vending machine with the vague idea of getting something to eat. Have healthy stuff near your desk, wait until you can give your brain a break before putting yourself in temptation's path.

Similarly, if you already struggle with motivating yourself to go work out, don't make the go/no go decision in the midst of a hectic morning routine or while responding to a flurry of emails. Get your stuff ready ahead of time, and put yourself on autopilot. You can always bail early if your workout sucks, but don't make it easier to play hooky by asking yourself, "God, do I really have to go to the gym today?" in the midst of overwhelming chaos.

2. Don't Take on Too Many Resolutions at Once.

The willpower researchers say that you're simply going to get overwhelmed if you're trying to exert willpower on too many fronts. Take one or two of your goals and really focus on them. Once you form the habit and these tentative resolutions become fixed routines, then you can start taking on more goals.

3. Don't starve yourself

Whether your resolution has to do with weight loss or not, you're going to have an extra hard time keeping to your goals if you let yourself get too hungry. Researchers found a glass of lemonade with sugar could boost self-control measures, while a glass made with splenda couldn't.

Even more interesting, research subjects performing self-control tasks ended up with significantly lower glucose levels than those who didn't have to exert self-control. What does that mean? Using willpower actually takes real energy!

4. Find Ways to Distract Yourself:

Studies have shown that folks who are better at resisting a temptation are often just better at getting their minds off of it. Some implications: Don't let yourself sit and ruminate about how much you hate going for a run or how much you'd really love a hot fudge sundae. Walk away from trouble spots like bakery counters or vending machines! Have a favorite fantasy or visualization you can turn to for distraction when tempted to take the low road, whether it's winning the lottery or spending a hot night with Hugh Jackman.

5. Strengthen your willpower by exercising it.

Instead of taking on too many goals at once, use your success in one arena to build your willpower in others. According to research, people who exerted willpower in one task (working on their posture) were later better able to exert more self-control in an unrelated task than people who hadn't had their willpower "strengthened" by performing the posture exercises.

To me, this idea of "strengthening the willpower muscle" comes in handy in another way: when I'm wavering between a good choice and and evil one (apple for a snack, or brownie?) the idea that choosing the apple now may strengthen my willpower and help me get my butt to the gym next month? Bonus!

6. Visualize your goals vividly and concretely and frequently.

In that moment of making a decision between, say, driving the car to the post office or walking there; or choosing between the grilled chicken salad and the burger; or deciding whether to return to your novel-in-progress or watch a Seinfeld re-run, there's often a critical period where you could go either way. The problem? Often your long-term goals are vague and abstract ("eat healthy!") and are no match for the lovely and imminent specifics of the short term temptation.

The more you can conjure up an engaging, distracting vision of yourself achieving your goal, and the more you can focus on that than the temporary sacrifice you're making, the more chance you have of staying on track.

So fantasize! Picture yourself running that marathon, accepting that Booker Prize, splashing around in that bikini, or whatever this is all about for you. Really feel how cool it will be when you're further along and enjoying the benefits of your short-term sacrifices.

For those trying to lose weight? You may want to check out the stories and the "before" and "after" pictures of some health and weight loss bloggers you can relate to. Perhaps Pubsgal at Opposite Life, or Quix at Adjusted Reality.

Reading about the incremental progress and victories of other folks can be inspiring! For example, chaobell is running more and more miles as well as conquering her fear of being seen running in public at the track. Quote: "Funny how running a race with four thousand other people also running, not to mention the spectators, will make you not quite care so much that a sauna suit grandma with one-pound hand weights is approaching you from the opposite direction."

In addition, you may want to take Rita's advice over at Surrender Dorothy and write down your cherished long term goals. Do it every day if you can, and keep those goals close to your heart and in the forefront of your mind.

7. Find ways to achieve your goals that are fun, so you don't have to use much willpower.

This sounds obvious, but how many of us don't invest the time or energy in thinking creatively about how to meet our goals? People who hate exercise bikes get on them every day, when they might enjoy a kickball game so much more. Dieters eat the same grim meals over and over, too settled or intimidated to experiment playing around with new recipes or ingredients.

As our pal Mizfit suggests: use "willingness" and you don't need willpower!

For example, Hanlie at FertileHealthy discovered she really didn't like walking all that much, but she loves pilates and aqua-aerobics, two things I would last 20 seconds at.

Is there anything you might be slogging through that you could actually be having some fun doing? Might be worth investing the time to find out.

8. Try some "reverse" impulsivity!

Lyn at Escape from Obesity had a great post about how you can make either a really good or really bad decision in a split-second. Usually we associate taking quick, impulsive actions with bad choices, like eating a second slice of chocolate cake or setting your cheating boyfriend's car on fire. However, you can make good decisions impulsively too!

As Lyn explains: "When the truffles I got as a gift for Christmas were bugging me, I wanted to eat them. But as I was taking one out of the box, I had a split second of clarity and grabbed a huge handful and ran to the kitchen sink, turned on the hot water and held the truffles under the faucet. It felt ridiculous... chocolate oozing all over my hands, making a mess, and then putting dish soap on the remains to get them down the drain... but it feels a lot less ridiculous to do that than to shove them in my face and watch my body grow new fat rolls."

So is exerting willpower hard or easy for you? Got any handy willpower tricks?

[Note: this post also appears over at Blogher's 10x club. And you can check out the forum there for daily challenges and rewards]

Faking It 'Til You Start Making It...And Some Other Useful Stuff Too

Umm....could I get an escalator
or a helicopter here?
Photo: Northern green pixie

If you made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight then you’ve probably weighed yourself by now (and maybe on an hourly basis if you’re a type A personality). Anyone new to this game might be disappointed that they didn’t get the same results as the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” do in their first week. Okay, chances are you didn’t have a personal trainer, doctor, nutritionist, housekeeper, cook and camera crew on call 24/7. But then again, your weight loss isn’t being promoted as “entertainment” and broadcast to millions of people either so there are obvious tradeoffs.

Maybe you’ve even gone as far as to tell everyone you know that you’re going to lose weight this year. I’ve had mixed success with that one. On the one hand, it helps keep you accountable for your actions. On the other hand, you have people’s expectations up to see a smaller you every time you get together – which probably accounts for me becoming such a loner these days. Talk about pressure! But relax, there are a few things you can do to give the illusion of weight loss until your actual workouts catch up with your goals.

It’s been said before but it bears repeating: Ladies, make sure you’re wearing the right bra. A bra without the proper support impacts your whole appearance and makes you seems pounds heavier than you really are. Get the girls (in my case, “Ethel and Lucy”) a decent fitting and you’ll be surprised how much slimmer you look when they’re sitting up high and proud. And as for finding the right sports bra, my co-blogger, Jo, had this post about how to find the one that’s best for you.

Being more aware of your posture is another favor you can do for yourself. Most of us don’t even notice when our inner knuckle dragger starts taking over our profile but this would be an excellent time to take notice. I know, I know - pulling your shoulders back and throwing your chest forward could put an eye out but consider the alternative of presenting a bearing of low self-confidence. Stand tall! You’re going to get this done – not shrink back into slacker mode. Standing straighter gives you a more proportioned look . Added height always translates into a slimmer presence (I have tried stilts – not recommended).

Great balance, lousy posture
Photo: Super Fantastic

Wearing properly fitting clothes is another way to look slimmer before you’ve actually lost any weight. This hasn’t always been something totally under our control until fairly recently. Much of the plus-size clothing is cheaply made and even cheaper looking. Why, what grown woman wouldn’t love wearing a sequined Pooh tee shirt! And make sure those petroleum-based stretch pants don’t get too close to an open flame, now. But, even though the progress towards decent women’s wear has been glacial, there are some retailers who either cater to or offer a plus-size category to their store. Lane Bryant is a long-time plus-size retailer and once the lone wolf in the wilderness. But you should be aware that upscale Talbots offers a Women’s line that is every bit as beautiful as their misses. The assortment still isn’t as great but the point is there are a lot more decent clothes out there than there used to be. Coldwater Creek also has some beautiful clothing for the larger woman.

Don’t fall into the same trap I did when deciding to lose weight and not buy any decent clothes along the way just because you’re saving up to buy them all once you reach your goal. Looking your best at every stage is vitally important towards reaching your goal of weight loss. Staying positive is going to keep your head in the game. You don’t have to have an entire wardrobe at a larger size but take care to have a few outfits that look great and fit well along your journey. And if you’re not really sure what style of clothing looks good on you, start watching TLC’s What Not To Wear for some great suggestions and a few good laughs along the way. They take a great variety of women and show them how to dress in a style appropriate to their shapes and personalities.

As for feeling psychologically lighter, I always find that a good de-cluttering helps enormously in terms of reducing stress. This has come in especially handy when I’ve finally come to terms in dealing with what’s in my closet. There is every size in there from my smallest (I’ll get back in those again someday!) to my largest (just in case I backslide). When I finally decided to give away anything that I hadn’t worn in a year, I was amazed at how much more room I had, not to mention how much less stressful it was just opening the closet and not being reminded of my past failures and potential for future screw-ups. Be the size you are now and don’t hang on to clothes that are too big. Having a safety net in terms of larger clothing almost guarantees you’ll wear them again. Everybody’s friend, MizFit, posted a great video clip about clutter that really hit home with me. Check it out.

Oooooohhh!! A clean, organized closet!!
Are anyone else's toes curling besides mine?
Photo: this could be my house

Another resource that I’ve found very helpful while waiting for my results to show up has been Dr. Phil’s Ultimate Weight Loss Solution book. I don’t know how you feel about the guy but this book covers it all; from the physical to the mental. He certainly doesn’t need my endorsement as he’s got more money than Donald Trump (and significantly better hair than him too) but I got a lot out of reading this and you might too.

Another author I want to mention (and have once already) for anyone who feels there’s a better than fifty percent chance that their weight is tied to their emotions, is Geneen Roth. I’ve read a few of her books and she really helps dissect how food and emotions can get so dangerously entwined with one another.

What other ideas to you have to feel or look slimmer until your goals start to materialize?

The Best Time Of Day To Exercise

Rise and shine! It's time to get moving!
Photo: Robert S. Donovan

I am a slug by nature and would spend most of my time ordering about my man servants (I’m talking to you, Hugh Jackman!) to take on my most menial tasks were money not a consideration. However, it is. In spite of, or because of, this slug-like mentality, I have achieved some notoriety as a world class procrastinator and excuse maker. And yet this behavior flies in the face of my workout routine which I do as early in the day as possible because I know if I don’t, it just won’t get done. Sure, I can be a night owl with the best of them but that doesn’t extend to when I exercise. For me, I need to get it done early so I don’t have to think about it anymore and because my after-dinner energy level drops lower than the necklines of the Fox News female bunnies anchors (meant in the nicest possible way but ladies, please, leave something to the imagination).

Given that we’ve all come to the conclusion that exercise is good, is there one best time of the day to exercise or can it vary with the individual? I know in my case I feel more invigorated for the rest of the day and my time seems generally more productive if I’ve exercised first thing. But there’s actually some science behind in terms of results and physiology. This article cites a study of overweight women aged 50 to 75 which found that the ladies who exercised consistently in the morning fared better than those who exercised at night. The difference in the results came down to how well they slept at night. Nighttime exercise seems to disrupt our internal body clock or circadian rhythm which causes the sleep disruption. If your sleep is light or disrupted, certain hormones in the body that control appetite get stimulated. Okay, usually stimulation is a good thing but not in this case. More fitful sleep will keep those appetite hormones in check.

There are some other factors to consider in terms of figuring out the best time of day to exercise.

MORNINGS: In most of the articles I read, it appeared that better workout habits were formed when done in the morning. Most people who regularly exercise do so early in their day and carry that invigorated feeling with them for hours more. You also get that boost to your metabolism first thing which helps to burn more calories earlier in the day. Also, when you tackle exercise first thing in the morning, there is a much lower chance of interruptions or distractions interfering with your workout. Babies and children might still be asleep (God willing), the phone hasn’t started ringing and the messy business of life in general hasn’t reared its ugly head yet and thrown a monkey wrench into your best laid plans. And you can always accommodate your extra workout time by waking up earlier.

I'm really not a morning person -
until after that first cup of catnip.
Photo: intoBooks

There is some downside to morning workouts. Your body’s temperature is at its lowest a few hours before waking so you don’t always feel so rarin’ to go. There’s also the fact that your muscles are stiff and cold and need to be warmed up before engaging in exercise (a good habit to develop anyway). And, you just might not be a morning person. I had my share of roommates who fit into this category and it was not pretty. If your inclination is to avoid waking up early at any cost then morning workout aren’t for you. Don’t try to force the issue or your workouts will be flaming out real soon.

LUNCH/BREAK TIME: So maybe you’re the type of person who needs a few hours to wake up before you count yourself among the living. A case can be made for mid-day workouts too. It is a great time to break up the stresses of the day by exercising at lunch time, and you have a good chance of finding a partner from work or school to team up with and help keep you honest and accountable to the routine. You can temper your appetite or snack habit with a workout. Your body temperature and hormone levels are higher than the morning and the improved blood flow from the exercise will help sustain your mental acuity for the remainder of the day (if you’re lucky enough to have work that requires that sort of thing).

The downside about afternoon workouts is that distractions and interruptions are more likely to creep in. There’s always the chance of that last minute conference call or having to run a sick child over to the doctor’s office to throw you off track. You also might not be able to fit in exercise AND lunch into the time allotted. Lung function is also at its worst around noon and while that not might make a big difference with a regular workout, you could feel it with a strenuous one.

AFTERNOONS (3-7PM)
Physiologically speaking, this looks like a pretty good time to be active: Your body temperature and hormone levels peak at 6PM so exercise done 3 hours earlier or later than that is best for building endurance and muscle. Your muscles are warm and flexible and your lung function is best between 4-5pm. With all these factors working in your favor, you might be able to work out harder and faster at this time of day. As with exercise anytime, it helps to relieve the stresses of the day. Also, working out before eating dinner is a good way to help limit how much you have.

The downside with exercising this late in the day are all the distractions that could impinge on your workout. Continued interruptions might leave you feeling frustrated and too willing to avoid exercising altogether.

A future nighttime player
Photo: efleming

NIGHTTIME:
This time of day shares the same pros as the afternoon workouts but have a few additional cons to consider. There will still be the danger of being interrupted from your workout but the biggest thing to keep in mind is allowing yourself 1to 3 hours to unwind after a workout so as not to have your sleep affected. Losing sleep is going to work counter to your weight loss goals, as discussed above. If this is a problem for you, consider working out earlier in the day.

SEASONAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Mornings: In the summer, temperatures and smog are at their lowest levels.
Afternoons: In the winter, the temperatures reach their peak around 2-3pm.
Evenings: Be sure to wear reflective clothing.

The bottom line is that what really counts is that you exercise to begin with; no matter the time of day

What time of day do you exercise? And why is that the best time for you?

Cardio: Getting Started

Photo: John Springer Collection; via twotoneatl.

Pretty much everyone agrees that for good health, you need to do some sort of exercise. But does that mean everyone has to do aerobic exercise? The kind where you get all sweaty, breathe hard, and struggle to keep your heartrate in its picky little "target zone?"

Well, I'm not prepared to do an exhaustive research review, but I do know a couple things:

(1) There are many, many studies that point to major health benefits from regular aerobic exercise, and for this reason, mainstream health experts all seem to recommend you do it. (See, for example, a good article over at Mayo Clinic.) Heck, even the Federal Government thinks you should get off your ass. For best results, they say work up to the point where you're doing 150 minutes a week of "vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity."

(2) And yet I know plenty of people who've lived to a healthy old age by walking, gardening, and just generally puttering around. Many of these folks would never intentionally sign up for a fitness class, nor would they consider "going for a run" unless something with large teeth and claws were chasing them.

Surprisingly Effective Exercise Motivator

(Photo: Orin Zebest)

So what to make of this? Do you have to do cardio?

My take: you'll maximize your chances for a healthy, vigorous, disease-free life if you suck it up and do regular aerobic exercise. Particularly if you have a crappy family history when it comes to chronic disease. But it's also really important just to keep moving. There are huge health benefits you get from not being sedentary, no matter slowly and gently you decide to approach physical activity.

But at least give vigorous cardio a shot someday, you may be surprised how much better you feel! Many of us find that aerobic exercise helps us sleep better, have more energy, catch fewer bugs, have less anxiety, crankiness and depression, and just generally feel more smug and special and awesome than people who don't.

Now obviously I'm not going to cover all the things you need to know about aerobic exercise in one post, but here are at least a few tips to get you moving. Or if you're already pounding out marathons, it's an opportunity to laugh at how lame my suggestions are help the cardio newcomers by offering your wise suggestions in the comments.

1. Pick an Exercise You Don't Abhor

Photo: lucky_sunny

There are a huge number of exercises that will get your heat rate up to aerobic levels; the tricky thing is finding one that doesn't make you want to puke, tear your hair out, or break down into a sobbing heap of misery five minutes into your workout. Of course Murphy's law dictates that the sort of exercise that sounds the most fun will be the least practical given your lifestyle, and the most convenient option will likely suck.

But with that in mind, at least here are a few cardio ideas:

Running; race-walking or power-walking; cycling; swimming; skating; rowing; cross-country skiing; exercise machines like ellipticals and steppers; fitness classes like boot camps, turbo-kick, functional fitness, etc; dance classes or dvds like Zumba, hip/hop, bellydancing, country dancing, or swing dancing; fitness video games; sports that keep you constantly moving like basketball or raquetball or soccer; hiking; climbing; surfing; or more exotic activities, like parkour, cheese rolling, or bog-snorkeling.

And I'm probably forgetting a whole bunch of other things.


2. Start Slowly:

Do you have medical issues, or are you coming off years of inactivity? These and other potentially risky scenarios mean you should check with your doctor first. Because having a heart attack is NOT a good way to start off an aerobic exercise program!

And don't try to go "all out" from the very beginning. People constantly make the mistake of giving it their all before they've built the physical foundations for intense exercise. So save some of your "all," you'll most likely be needing it for later.

Remember, you have a whole lifetime ahead of you to overdo it and injure yourself. Don't blow those crucial first weeks of habit-building momentum by getting burnt out, exhausted, or hospitalized.

3. Track Your Exertion Level and Gradually Build Up

Learn how to measure your pulse and find your target heart rate. Or hell, buy one of those nifty gizmos that calculates everything you can think of for you. And if you don't want to get too fancy, you can often find decent heart rate monitors on sale for $50 or less.

(Update: turns out Charlotte at the Great Fitness Experiment has a post all about heart rate monitoring today, be sure to check it out!)

And be sure to warm up with some easy walking or whatever before you start, and then cool down after you stop. Don't just go from huffing and puffing to plopping down in your car. You also probably want to do some stretching after you're done too.

While exercising, aim to spend increasing amounts of time in that target zone, working up to about 30 minutes or more a session (though recommendations on this seem to vary. Some say 20 is fine as long as it's vigorous). And use common sense; "target" heart rates are approximate. Your perceived level of exertion can be a very handy indicator of whether you're taking it too easy or whether you're killing yourself and need to dial it back. You want to be breathing heavily but not gasping for breath. (Later, when we get around to discussing high intensity intervals--that's where the gasping comes in).

The good thing about being totally out of shape when you start? It will be way easier for you to get you in your target zone than someone who's already fit.

For people considering going from walking to running, there are some more specific training suggestions for getting started: like the Couch to 5k program or this handy guide from the American Council on Exercise. Another general rule of thumb I've heard is not to increase your distance by more than 10% a week.

4. Find Support:

Many people find companionship to be very motivating, and finding a buddy, class, or group to be an excellent way to stay accountable. And even if you're the loner type while you exercise, it can be really nice to get helpful hints and encouragement afterwards. You may want to subscribe to a sport-specific magazine, or find blogs, forums, and other websites where like-minded others hang out, and where people love to give new exercisers plenty of advice and tips.

Some blog examples: runners may enjoy Caution Redhead Running or Marathon Mama; those who like exercise and healthy eating challenges should check out Living Healthy in the Real World; those who try to exercise despite injuries should check out I'm Not Superhuman; and, with excellent timing, the Fit Bottomed Girls are having a special Beginners Week this week.

5. Think About Cross Training:

One of the most annoying things about pursuing a lifetime of aerobic fitness is that once you finally find an exercise you really like? You need to go out and find another one. Or two. Or three.

You can find additional activities early on, and enjoy the improved fitness, variety, and increased sense of accomplishment you get with having more than one cardio option. (Plus--each sport usually has it's own nifty outfits and gear and gadgets!)

Alternatively, you can just do your favorite thing over and over, year after year, until you get injured, or discover your favorite class has been canceled, or you just become sick to death of doing the same thing all the time. In any event, you will probably find at some point that you need alternatives. Finding them earlier rather than later may help you prevent injuries, so keep an open mind about fitness options.

6. Be prepared for ups and downs:

It can be extremely motivating to see yourself make progress towards greater aerobic fitness. Over time, you will be able to go further, and faster!

On the other hand, if you get too invested in specific performance goals, you may end up totally discouraged by this perplexing fact: sometimes, for no apparent reason, your performance will suck! And not just for a workout or two--sometimes it will be hard for weeks. Why? Who knows? But this mysterious lack of connection between the work you put in and the progress you make can drive some folks crazy. Sometimes you just have to focus on the process, and how awesome you are for getting out there day after day, and not worry too much about the numbers.

So, do you do cardio, or are you just thinking about it? If you're a veteran, do you have any tips for the new kids?

[Note: this post also appears over at Blogher's 10x club. And you can check out the forum there for daily challenges and rewards]