Separating Fitness Fact From Fiction

Hey fitness geeks! How's it going? I'm back and ready to challenge all you hard core fitness buffs with a little fitness true and false. Think you know the difference between what's true and what's false when it comes to exercise? You might be surprised. One fitness fact that everyone can agree on is that exercise is a key factor in losing weight. Working out will not only help you lose the inches & pounds, it's also good for your heart and your bones, and it gives you a mood boost, too! But some fitness facts that sound true may actually be myths or only partly true. If you want to be successful at slimming down and staying fit, it’s important to know the difference between fitness facts and fiction. Below you'll find some common fitness beliefs, some are fact, some are fiction, but can you separate the two?

Separating Fitness Fact From Fiction

10 Fitness Facts and Myths

 

1. Stretch Before You Exercise

Although fitness experts have debated about the best time to stretch, the consensus is that it’s better, safer, and more effective to stretch after you have warmed up your muscles. Before exercise you can warm up with easy movements that prepare you for exercise. For example, if you are going on a run, kick things off by walking first, then you can stretch your already warmed-up muscles.

2. No Pain, No Gain

Forget this masochistic mantra! It's just not true. Never exercise through pain unless you have a known injury and it is part of a supervised rehabilitation program. In most cases, pain is a warning of an injury. You don't need to go to extremes or be sweating profusely to get a great workout either. The truth is, you can get plenty of gain from 30 minutes of brisk walking.



 

3. Running on a Treadmill Is Safer Than Outdoors

Running on a treadmill at your gym may seem safer, but that’s not necessarily so. It depends on the treadmill, your condition, and your form. Running incorrectly on a treadmill can be just as stressful as running outside. If you’re not careful, using a treadmill can result in an injury or a fall. Treadmill or no treadmill, good advice is to make sure you check with your doctor if you have any physical or medical issues before you start any running program.

4. Crunches Get Rid of Belly Fat
Abdominal crunches alone won’t cut it if you’re trying to lose belly fat. Spot reducing just does not work. You can't have a six-pack abdominal region just by doing a lot of abdominal exercises, a great deal is controlled by diet and genetics. Losing weight requires taking in fewer calories as well as burning more calories. One pound of belly fat equals about 3,500 calories. And not all of the fat "burned" by exercise will come from the belly.





5. Aerobic Exercise Boosts Your Metabolism
This fitness fact is mostly true. The benefits of a regular aerobic exercise program for about 30 minutes four or five times per week includes long-lasting benefits for your metabolism and will help you maintain a healthy weight. Although you only burn calories for a limited time after aerobic exercise, the aerobic boost to your metabolism continues to help lower your blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. (Remember that losing weight usually requires that you eat fewer calories, too.)




 

6. Lifting Weights Will Make You Bulky

So not true! Women are afraid that if they lift weights they will bulk up, but the reality is that most women will simply look toned. It's difficult for a woman to bulk up because women lack the amount of testosterone that a man has. Lifting weights could make you bulky if that's the look you’re going for, but you need to specifically train for that goal. Limited weight training a few times a week will increase bone strength and muscle mass without obvious bulk — and without a lot of heavy sweating.

7. If You're Not Sweating, You're Not Working

This is one of the biggest myths of all. How much you sweat depends on many factors, including your basic metabolism, how much you weigh, and where you're exercising. You can get plenty of exercise benefits, including weight loss, without sweating heavily, although sweat does help to cool the body. Too much sweating can actually be dangerous, sweating can cause dehydration, dizziness, and blood pressure problems, especially for the elderly or for pregnant women.

8. Sports Bras Just Prevent Painful Bounce Sports bras help prevent pain brought on by bouncing during running or other aerobic activities, but they also provide protection and muscle support — and help with posture. Fitness fact: A good sports bra should be properly fitted and allow enough ventilation to prevent sweating and chafing. Psychology also plays a role in why many women prefer to wear a sports bra while working out — you may feel less self-conscious wearing a bra that banishes the bounce.

9. At Some Point You're Too Old To Exercise

This is a HUGE myth! You are NEVER too old to benefit from exercise! In fact, there are many upsides to staying fit as you get older. Studies show that elderly people can reduce their risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and mental decline with a prescribed exercise program. Yet about 75 percent of elderly Americans are not getting enough exercise. For the most benefits, your overall routine should include aerobics, strength training, balance, and flexibility, but remember that high intensity activities aren’t necessary.

10. More Is Always Better

Another myth. For most people, 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five days per week can help maintain good health, improve fitness and energy levels, and can help you drop a few pounds. With the exception of athletes, exercising for 90 minutes or more is overdoing it and can be damaging to the body, causing erosion of the muscles and joints. Muscles grow when they recover during rest.





So... how did all of you fitness junkies do? Were you able to separate the fitness fact from fiction? Did you find out you were the victim of believing some old fitness myths? I know I did. But no worries, now that we know the truth we can stop believing the hype and do what we need to do to remain fit & healthy, and exercise more safely. Please pass this on so everyone you know can benefit from knowing the difference from fitness fact and fiction.

Losing Weight = Losing Friends?

Hello fitness lovers and friends! I'm here to talk about a sad but true situation that can occur while on your weight lose journey: Losing Friends. While you would think that your closest friends and love ones would be happy that you not only decided to take control of your health but is succeeding and losing the unhealthy pounds, you might be wrong.

Losing weight can cause a lot drama. Friends & family sometimes take a negative view on your weight loss. Part of it is their own jealousy/insecurities, you may be doing something that they've wanted to do for years. Sometimes it's not even about the weight loss itself, they're jealous of the fact that you set a goal and you're accomplishing it. That's not an easy thing to do and some people just can't stand that you have the dedication and follow-through they lack.

Then there are those who feel "you've changed, you're not the same person anymore". Well, in most cases, they're right! You're NOT the same person anymore! You've changed from the inside as well as out! I know that was the case for me! I found that once I began losing the weight, I had the confidence to do things I would have never done before. I didn't know it, but my weight had been holding me back from sharing the REAL ME with the rest of the world. The old Jonelle would have never started a blog or website on fitness & nutrition. She would have thought, "Who are you to think people want to hear what you have to say?", "You're no expert!" But the new, more confident Jonelle said, "I do have thoughts and opinions from my journey and experience with weight loss that I'm sure lots of people could benefit from." and this is why Confessions of a Fit Girl and Succeed At Fitness exist today.

Sometimes it's the people you've known the longest who have the hardest time accepting your change. They are just so used to the old you that they have a hard time excepting this new person. And that's just it, you may actually become an entirely different person in the process of losing weight, and as long as that person is a positive one, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

It's not easy to lose friends, especially ones you've had for a long time, but as I said a long time ago, "It Takes Courage To Do This Thing"! No one ever promised you it would be easy. And if they did, I'm here to tell you that it's not! There are a lot of things you may have to go through while losing weight that have absolutely nothing to do with the actual weight. But think about it, if you can lose a "friend" that easily, is that person truly the type of "friend" you want in your life? And that person actually may be a good person, but you know that saying, "people are in your life for a reason, season or a lifetime"? Well, that person's reason & season may just be up! Hate to be so blunt, but you can't let other people's problems affect your positivity. And having a goal, sticking to it, working for it and achieving healthy results IS a positive thing!

So does losing weight = losing friends? Maybe. Is it still worth it? Well, let's see... fit body & mind, good health, improved self-esteem, more confidence, less stress... I'd say a big YES! Don't let others define your destiny! Stick to your goals! If you lose a few "friends" along the way, it's tough, but I'm sure with your new positive attitude and outlook on life, you'll have no problems picking up a few new ones along the way.

Summer Fun Healthy Eating Tips

Hey fitness peeps! I'M BACK!!! I know, I know, it's been a LOOOONG TIME! For awhile I was on a roll with this blogging thing, but life has been busy! Busy in a good way, though, so I can't complain, but I am sorry I haven't been able to update Confessions of a Fit Girl like I used to. I'm always preaching that when it comes to exercise there are no excuses, we make time for the things we really want to do, but that just doesn't apply to exercise, it applies to everything! So I've gotta' start practicing what I preach and I rededicate myself to this blog! So expect a lot more posts in the future!

Now on to the subject of this particular post... Summer's here and even though it seems like we work hard all spring to look good in those summer clothes, we often throw all of that hard work out of the window once summertime actually arrives. Summer barbeques, picnics, carnivals, amusement parks and other fun outings can get us into a lot of trouble! When it comes to staying fit, exercise is only half of the battle, a big part of it is nutrition. In fact, experts say that your diet counts for 80% and exercise only 20%. The last post I wrote, "Diet Vs. Exercise... " discussed this very thing. Both diet and exercise are very important but the fact is, with a proper diet, you can lose weight without exercise, but unless you constantly burn way more calories than you take in, you can exercise all you want, if you don't have that diet is bad, it's all in vain. Often you find yourself, if not gaining weight, at a complete stand still, which is fine if your maintaining but if your goal is to lose weight the plan is to do a combination of both diet and exercise.  If you haven't already, I suggest you read my last blog to learn more on the issue, but I say all this to say that diet is a big part of the equation and I don't want all of your hard work to go down the drain this summer. So I'm giving you some summer fun healthy eating tips to help you out! 

Take the guesswork out of the calorie counts of common foods you'll find at popular summer events, and find out what you should steer clear of and the better-for-you options!


1. The Ballpark
Bad Pick: Jumbo Dogs and Large Beers
You don't have to get the super-sized foot-long, jumbo dog or the largest cup of beer. A jumbo beef hot dog (larger than a foot-long) can contain about a half-pound of meat per dog! That clocks in at around 750 calories and 68 grams of fat depending on the brand (and that doesn't even include the roll!) Washing that dog down with a tall 16 oz. regular beer will set you back about 200 more calories.

Better Pick: Regular Hot Dogs and Light Beer
Enjoying a regular-sized hot dog (5 to 6 inches) and a small beer are fine. A regular dog on the bun with ketchup, relish and mustard comes in at around 280 calories. Pair it with a 12 oz. light brew for another 100 to 120 calories.

Just make sure you don't overload the dog with high-cal toppings. It's the chili and cheese layered on top that's the real trouble! That's when 300 or 400 calories turns into 1,500! The best trick is to have a plan. Know what you're going to eat and when you're going to eat."

See satisfying 400-calorie meals at the ballpark!



2. Outdoor Concert
Bad Pick: Frozen Cocktails
What's often popular at these venues are "frozen everything" drinks. They can be fairly high in calories mostly because of the volume. A large frozen margarita can set you back 900 calories! Not to mention the fact that so much alcohol lowers inhibitions, and you start having a "Who cares?" mentality when deciding what to eat.




Better Pick: Mojitos
This refreshing drink has about 170 to 230 calories and is usually made with light rum, lime or lemon juice, club soda, sugar, and fresh mint leaves. Choose the smallest size to save calories and keep from getting inebriated. If you are truly craving a margarita, order a small one on the rocks for a calorie range of 250 to 500 depending on the size. Remember, if you're thirsty and outside at an all-day concert, alcohol is the most dehydrating beverage you could have. Drink plenty of water to keep from getting parched.

Check out the calorie ranges of more summer cocktails here!



3. The County Fair
Bad Pick: Giant Fried Drumsticks
Those huge drumsticks are actually deep-fried turkey legs that clock in close to 1,000 calories!

Better Pick: Chicken Kabob
Choose grilled foods, like a 4 oz. chicken kabob for 450 calories or a medium-sized corn on the cob (hold the butter) for 77 calories.

Additional tip: Sit down and eat with a fork and knife because you're less likely to eat mindlessly.



4. The Carnival
Bad Pick: Funnel Cakes

Funnel cake is a food you definitely want to stay away from. Anything with the F-word—fried—is going to be higher in calories per density. One 8.3 oz. funnel cake (about the size of a regular paper plate) with powdered sugar is 658 calories.

Better Pick: Cotton Candy
If your sweet tooth is craving something decadent, it would be better to go for cotton candy. A small (about 1.5 oz.) is around 150 calories.

Additional tip: Share with the kids and you'll eat fewer calories. 



5. An Amusement Park
Bad Pick: Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade
Homemade lemonade on a hot summer day sounds refreshing (even healthy!), but this is one of the more deceiving drinks. Quite often, it's made with sugar water in addition to the fresh-squeezed lemons. Lemonade contains about the same amount of calories as a full-sugared soda. Guzzling a 16 oz. lemonade will set you back 200 to 250 calories and no, this doesn't count as a serving of fruit juice.


Better Pick: Fruit-Flavored Water
Ask for ice water, lemon wedges or slices to squeeze and add artificial sweetener or two sugar packets for a tangy drink between 0 and 30 calories. Or, keep a few sugar-free single-serving drink mixes on hand to add flavor to your water bottle for 0 to 5 calories per serving.


6. Seafood Festivals
Bad Pick: Fried Foods

In general, it's best to avoid fried foods at warm-weather festivals. French fries (6 oz. have 520 calories), crab cakes (a 3 oz. crab cake can have between 160 to 200 calories), and hush puppies (5 small pieces are about 260 calories) won't help you reach your weight loss goals any sooner.

Better Pick: Lobster and Crab Meat
Lobster and crab are fine as far as calories go, especially if you have to work at getting to the meat. (You'll likely eat more if the meat is already pulled out of the shell for you.) It's really not the lobster or crab, but the butter and the sides that will do you in.

Remember to stick with steamed. A medium (2.5 lb live weight) steamed or boiled lobster has around 287 calories. A medium (2 oz.) hard-shell blue crab has about 50 to 60 calories of meat in it. Steamed shrimp (4 large are about 30 calories) and oysters (4 steamed are about 40 calories) are more good low-cal choices to pile on your plate. Cocktail sauce is 55 calories for ¼ c, a better option than tartar sauce, which has 296 calories for ¼ c serving!


7. The Movie Theater
Bad Pick: Super-Sized Servings
Huge tubs of popcorn and extra-large cups of sugary sodas are tempting because the largest sizes don't cost much more than the smaller servings.  

Quick Tip: It does make more financial sense to get the larger serving, but if you're going to do that, get two people to split a drink, and get the bucket that's shared by all.

A large buttered popcorn at AMC Movie Theatres can have 1,640 calories and 126 g of fat in its 20-cup serving! If you quench your thirst with a "medium" 20 oz. nondiet soda that adds another 250 calories.


Better Pick: Kiddie-Size Combos
In some theaters in the Midwest, there are Kiddie Combos available which have about 2 cups of popcorn, a small package of candy, and a small beverage. At AMC Movie Theatres, a kid-size popcorn without butter has about 300 calories and 20 g of fat. (The buttered version of the kid's size adds 170 calories and 17 g of fat.)

You can also fill your cup with better beverages like unsweetened iced-tea, diet soda, or water.

8. The Bar for Happy Hour
Bad Pick: Fried Finger Foods
Fried appetizers are definitely foods to avoid at the bar. A lot of people get fried zucchini or fried mushrooms, but there's no calorie advantage to eating those foods versus fries or onion rings.

Fried zucchini has about 346 calories for a 5 oz. serving, fried mushrooms have 315 calories for a 5 oz. serving, and onion rings have about 470 calories for a 5 oz. serving.


Better Pick: Veggies
Order a relish or antipasto plate, munch a few cheese cubes, pickles, olives, or chew on hard, crisp veggies like celery or carrots.

Medium-sized olives are about 4 calories each, small pickle slices are about 1 calorie each, and one cracker-sized slice of cheddar cheese is about 22 calories.

9. A Cocktail Party
Bad Pick: Bowls of Snacks
The host generously made sure there were plenty of tasty snacks within every guest's reach at her party, but it's easy to overdo it if you're digging in mindlessly while you chat with friends. Twenty potato chips have about 200 calories, and a ½ c of dry-roasted, salted peanuts will set you back 427 calories.

Better Pick: Handful of snacks
Take a handful and remove the bowl from the table if you can. If you're out with friends and they want to keep eating, dip your hand into the basket as soon as you can and that's your portion."

Addition Tip: Take small bites and eat one chip at a time. (It won't make a difference in the calories, but you might be more aware of how much you're eating if you do that.)

Stick with 10 potato chips (100 calories) or 40 peanuts (237 calories) to keep from taking in too many calories.

 
So that's it! 9 common foods you'll find at 9 popular Summer events. Now you know, so choose wisely and enjoy! 


source: http://www.prevention.com 

Diet Vs. Exercise: Can You Really Have One Without The Other?

Hey, fitness lovers and friends! How's it going? Can you believe we are already 6 months into the new year?!? (In around 2 weeks it'll be July so I guess the year is not so "new" anymore.) How is everyone coming along in their fitness/weight-loss journeys? Still hangin' in there tough? Or have you slacked off a bit? Or maybe you're playing it safe getting just the right amount of exercise and eating just the right amount of food a day to maintain. Whatever your situation may be, DON'T STOP! DON'T GIVE IN! and DON'T GIVE UP!  It gets hard sometimes, especially in the summertime with all the summer picnics and barbeques, but it's never impossible. The reality is, it doesn't matter how many times you fall, all that really counts is that you keep getting up!

So now that I've given my little pep talk, let's get down to the matter at hand, the subject of this post which is "Diet Vs. Exercise: Can you Really Have One Without The Other?" Now anyone who knows me knows my opinion, I've stated it in this blog more than several times, diet and exercise is the key to achieving true total fitness success. (And by "diet" I mean eating healthy balanced meals of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy.) But am I right or wrong? You may be thinking, "Jonelle, it doesn't matter what I eat, as long as I burn it off, I'm good." Or, the flip side of the coin, "Jonelle, my diet is excellent, I don't need to exercise." My response? You already know. But open your mind and let go of any preconceived notions you may have had before reading this and let's discuss this matter further...

The Diet vs. Exercise Debate

The issue here is what’s more important, diet or exercise? To answer that, you need to create a caloric deficit.  A "caloric deficit" is expending more calories than you consume. You can create a caloric deficit with just diet alone or through exercise.

So Why Exercise?

Dieting alone is 50% of the equation. In addition to the obvious physical benefits that come from exercising, such as more energy and a better physique, there are numerous health-related reasons. Being active will lower your risk of countless diseases and conditions. Lower cholesterol and blood pressure, stronger immune system, and less stress are just a small sample of what you will achieve with an exercise program.

Yes, you can lose weight with just dieting. But the let me pose this question to you, if person "A" burned 1,000 calories with a combination of weight training and cardio and person “B” didn’t do any training and just cut calories, are the results going to be the same? Will persons “A” and “B” health be the same? Will their body compositions be the same? The answer is NO. The training group will always come out better all the time.  No amount of dieting can ever make you stronger, only training can do that. No amount of dieting will ever make you more physically conditioned or build lean muscle. Only training can do that. Yes, you can lose weight with just dieting, but if you are able bodied, dieting alone is the worst way to lose weight.

Newly published research by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University demonstrates that simply reducing caloric intake is not enough to promote significant weight loss. This study demonstrated that there is a natural body mechanism which conserves energy in response to a reduction in calories.

Want to rev up your metabolism? EXERCISE. Super-charge your metabolism and calorie burning by building muscle. If you’re not hitting the gym or pushing play, you should. Why? Muscle demands energy to just “sit” on your body. Fat does not. For every pound of muscle that you gain, your body burns 50-70 calories more per day. That means, if you gain 10 lbs. of muscle, your body will burn an additional 500-700 calories per day, and with proper diet, that equates to more or less guaranteed weight loss.

So Why Diet?

It's unfortunate when a person who works out on a regular basis consumes food that is counter-productive to a healthy lifestyle. A diet of unnatural, unhealthy foods and beverages forces your body to work twice as hard during workouts, and actually works against your physical efforts.

Unlike exercise, which is something you can choose to do or not, eating is a daily necessity. Why not adopt a quality diet that compliments your exercise? Your diet will depend on your individual goals, whether they are to lose weight and be toned, or to build muscle. Building and strengthening your muscles is actually one of the most effective ways to lose weight and keep it off. You cannot expect your body to function at optimal levels and burn fat if you do not take the initiative to assist it with the proper diet. Many diets that are designed for fat loss will leave people feeling tired or sluggish, because their bodies are not receiving the proper nutrients or activity. After all, what good is looking great if you lack the energy to participate in your favorite activities? Psychologically, being worn down can have a negative effect on your mood, outlook, or self esteem. These things will remain positive when you have the energy required to accomplish your goals. 

Concentrate on a healthy diet, rather than one that will speed weight loss, which comes naturally with improved health.  Eat a lot of nutritious, plant-based foods, and ensure that your meats are lean and of reasonable portions. Boost your fiber intake, and reduce salts and sugars.

My Conclusion

At the end of the day, if you are looking to lose weight and someone tells you that you can lose weight by just following a diet program and you don’t need to exercise, run the other way.  If someone tells you that you can eat all you want, whatever you want and all you have to do is exercise, run the other way.  All the exercise in the world can’t undo a poor diet.

When looking to lose weight and improve your health, do your best to make diet and exercise as common place as brushing your teeth.


sources: http://www.hellolife.net and http://fittalknews.com 

S.A.F June Update

Confessions of a Fit Girl's home site, Succeed At Fitness, has officially been updated for the month of June!!! Check it out now!

• NEW June Fav of the Month: Zumba!!! 
• NEW SAF Special Feature: "Best Apps For A Healthier You"
• NEW Feature Story: "15 Fruits You'll Crave"
• FREE Healthy Dining Out Guide download
• NEW Nutrition Tips

Also, stay tuned because there will be a new Confessions of a Fit Girl blog post coming soon. Thanks for all the support! Let's succeed at fitness together!

Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys

Hey fitness lovers! I know, I know, it's been awhile since my last post! I'm trying to be more consistent and was on a role for awhile but life sometimes gets in the way. Sorry. But I'm back! :) Here with a post on a subject that has been on my mind for awhile now and that's "Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys." If you don't already know, "Debbie Downer" and "Negative Nancy" are terms used to describe people who always have a negative attitude, no matter what the situation or how joyous an occasion it may be, they can always find a down side, bring up a negative point and as you can guess, these people are never much fun to hang around. Now that I've got the definition of the two terms out of the way, you may be wondering, "how do these type of people relate to fitness or nutrition?" Well, I'm glad you asked!

I've found along my weight loss journey, and even today, when it comes to talking about fitness & nutrition there are A LOT of Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys in the world! And I'm not talking about random people you may meet in passing, I'm talking about people you really know, like friends, family, co-workers... etc. Often these people, since they are so close to you, can be negative influences in your life without you even realizing it. While some may be out right negative about your decision to start a new healthy life style or good health and exercising in general, others can be Debbie Downers or Negative Nancys without them even realizing it. For example, you ever start talking to someone and the subject has nothing to do with health, weight, nutrition or fitness, but somehow you find that the subject of food and how they need to lose weight but nothing seems to be working seems to come up? Then that turns into how they want to exercise but just can't find the time? Then the subject of different foods comes up and how many calories are in this and that are brought into the conversation and it just goes on and on until, even though you may be a health & fitness nut, you're even tired of talking about it? Sound familiar? I know I can relate! And no matter how much encouragement or advice you give them, they never really listen, they just make excuses to stay in their negativity because the reality is, most Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys are complainers who put nothing into action. Not only can this type conversation be annoying, but it can also discouraging. No matter what point you are in in your journey, this isn't the kind of conversation you need to engage in, but it can be especially detrimental if you are at the beginning of your weight loss journey. We all need to try to surround ourselves around encouraging, positive people who, even though they may not be interested in a more healthier lifestyle, support our decision to make change and encourage us in reaching our goals!

Debbie Downers and Nancy Negatives aren't easy people to be around but what do you do when you have no choice in being surrounded by them? Say your job is full of them or your family isn't supportive? My advice would be: 1.) Limit your time around those people. That may sound harsh, especially when it comes to family, but negativity is negativity and at the end of the day you've got to take care of yourself! If it takes not being apart of the "clique" at work or taking some alone time at home, do what you have to do to stay positive. 2.) Try to change the subject. This can be hard because most of the time, these types of people (Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys) like to harp on the same subject over and over, they like to keep the negativity going and have a hard time letting a subject go, but if you're persistent enough, they'll get the point that you no longer wish to talk about it. And finally, 3.) Realize that you can't change people. This goes for Debbie Downers, Negative Nancys, and everyone else! People only change when they want to change. Contrary to popular believe, change isn't something that just happens, it's always a choice. Also, a lot of times, a characteristic of being a Debbie Downer or a Negative Nancy didn't just happen overnight, this was probably something that developed from years of being around a parent, sibling or friend who was one first (stuff like that tends to rub off on you which is why my first bit of advice was to limit your time around them), so it's not entirely their fault. Be patient with them.  

And sometimes you've just got to rid yourself of the Debbie Downers and Negative Nancys in your life, period. Now I definitely wouldn't suggest this if your dealing with a family member (that's a whole other story!) but being constantly surrounded by a negative person is not only bad for your health and fitness goals, but it's bad for your sanity in general, especially if you are making an effort to be a positive person. The choice is ultimately up to you.  Be patient and stay positive!


Your friend,
Jonelle