Reward the bored: how to keep your diet and exercise fresh.

How to keep your diet and exercise fresh

Here you go again.

The weekend of nonstop snacking and dining is over. And you're finally filled with enough guilt to make another go at a diet and exercise program. At first you have the drive, determination, and willpower. You won't even look at a potato chip--let alone enjoy one. But after a week or two of power-walking around the neighborhood, mall, and countless salad bars, you notice you're feeling slightly healthier--and extremely bored.

Unfortunately, you've reached one of those all-too-familiar plateaus. Changes must be made. It's time to look into some fun and creative ways to take the doldrums out of staying in shape.

Let's start with your exercise program. It doesn't matter what you like to do best. If you do the same exercise, the same way, at the same time, it's only a matter of time before you get bored and eventually do away with it altogether. So mix it up a little. Who's making you jog every morning? Why can't you occasionally walk in the afternoon, or bike in the evening? Be sure to alternate your route. The same scenery can get as old as the exercise itself. By doing a variety of exercises, you'll also be working different parts of your body.

To keep any exercise from going sour, enter a charitable running, walking, or cycling race in your area. Not only will it be a fun outing, but it will give you something to work for from now until race day. And you'll be less likely to skip a workout, for fear of finishing too far back in the pack--or not finishing the race at all.

Safety in Numbers 

Instead of chatting on the phone for an hour with a friend, consider meeting together for a walk around the neighborhood. Not only will you catch up on the latest news, but you'll shed a calorie or two along the way. Your friend may also be your ticket to doing exercises you normally can't do on your own. Tennis, racquetball, and golf, for example, are exercises you may both enjoy. So rely on each other to do them routinely. If you're involved in weight training, consider a spotting partner.

"Even on my most sluggish days, I'm less likely to cancel a workout so I won't let my partner down," says Tom Rocco, who works out with a coworker immediately after office hours in Chicago, Illinois. "There's also the issue of keeping a competitive edge. My partner keeps me from just going through the motions of a workout, and I don't lag behind."

The Time Factor

If you're like most people, your daily schedule is filled with work, school, chores, and children--leaving little or no time for exercise. But why is it that the people who are so busy also manage to be familiar with the latest TV lineup, the newest restaurants in town, and can name every store at the nearest mall? This isn't to say you haven't earned the right to unwind. But with a little planning you can make exercise an integral part of your leisure life.

Unless you're dreaming of being in the next Olympics, 20 minutes to an hour, three or four times a week is all you need to maintain your weight and fine-tune your cardiovascular system. Consider putting a stationary bike in front of the television and pedal through your favorite program. That's 30 minutes right there! A morning hike not only gets your heart rate and metabolism going; it's uninterrupted time to plan a daily schedule or meditate in solitude. Try to do an errand without the use of your car. Walk to a nearby mailbox or post office. But if you have to drive, don't look for the closest parking spot--get your body moving and enjoy some fresh air.

"In the evenings, my wife and I take turns watching our 2-year-old son, while the other gets an uninterrupted workout on our treadmill or stationary bike," says Pete Black from his home in Seattle, Washington. "When the weather permits, we'll go together as a family for long strolls or bike rides using the child carrier."

The Mind Game

Most of us cringe at the thought of exercise--but why? Sure, our lungs may burn a little. We may feel somewhat sore the next day. And it may be painful seeing ourselves in workout clothes--especially if we haven't been doing much of anything lately. But if you list the pros and cons of exercise on paper, you'll wonder why you're not doing it every chance you get.

Think about your average day. If you sit at a desk all day long in your cooped-up office, doesn't circulating your body in the fresh air sound inviting? A bad day with your boss, spouse, or kids will almost guarantee an extra 10 miles per hour on your next tennis serve. A long walk or jog gives you time to think and unwind. A miserable bumper-to-bumper commute home could be followed with a refreshing few laps in the pool. And if you do these often enough, your workout clothes dilemma will soon slide over to the "pro" column.

Food for Thought

Although exercising will keep you fit and trim, you still need to learn to eat wisely. Unfortunately, this is where even the most active of us get into trouble. When the scale doesn't say what we want it to, we leap for the latest diet--finding they all work temporarily at best. That's because you're depriving yourself of the things you love to eat. Eventually you give in--often making up for lost time. That's why you hear so many people say they not only regained the weight they lost, but actually added a little more.

What will work in the long run is to be patient and make a few adjustments without punishing yourself. If you do feel like eating a cookie, some candy, or a piece of pie--go ahead! Just make sure you don't eat to your heart's content. In other words, just a small slice ... not the whole pie. This way you won't be depriving your cravings or feel guilty the next day.

The Smell of Victory

You may think you have a lot of willpower until a batch of freshly baked cookies comes out of the oven. The aroma itself is enough to drop you ,to your knees. But you can't very well ban delicious smells from your home. After all, you have to be fair to the rest of the family. So distract your nose with other scents that smell good but have nothing to do with food (such as fresh flowers or pine-scented potpourri).

'Tis the Season

No matter how well you think you're doing, eventually you have to take on the ultimate test--the holiday season. And your opponents will be the countless Christmas office celebrations and family dinners. But who wants to be a Scrooge during all the fun? The worst thing you can do is to give up your favorite foods completely. Not only will you feel deprived; it may be enough for you to cave in and start bingeing.

Go ahead and enjoy your mostwanted treats in moderation. If you know you have a party that evening, add an extra 10 to 15 minutes to your workout. If it's a family gathering, how about asking a relative you don't often see to join you for a workout and some special time together?

Staying fit and healthy doesn't have to be a grueling experience. All it takes is a little planning and creativity. Whenever you do something long enough in the same manner, it won't be long before you get bored. So reward yourself by incorporating fresh, new ideas. If it means new clothes if you lose five pounds, so be it. An exotic vacation for achieving a bigger goal? All the better. And if these new ideas and incentives don't do it for you, at the very worst you can always go back to your reliable routine. But at least give it a try. Aside from a few pounds, what do you have to lose?

Conrad Theodore is a writer living in Lake Forest, Illinois.