6 Tips For A Better Body By Liz Caravia Anything is possible when it comes to reshaping your body and your life. Take it from me. I was overweight and fat for most of my childhood and well into my adult years. Like many of you reading this, I spent my time doing crazy diets that only made me gain more weight after I stopped the famine. I struggled to drop 20, 30 and eventually the 42 pounds that I lost when I finally decided enough was enough. I am a highly qualified fitness trainer sought out by many, both the famous and the average Joes, who want to get in shape and shed some body fat. Yes, my credentials are impressive and extensive, but it wasn't the fancy certificates or degrees that made my clients seek me out to get them into shape. They came to me and still do, because I had my own struggle with being frumpy, flabby and overweight. Fortunately, I was able to turn all of that around, and in a very dramatic way. I was teased for most of my life about my weight, so I finally got fed up with being fat and unhappy with my body. That is when it all changed. Let me tell you how I got started. First and foremost, I want you to throw out the notion that you have to go for the burn during your Pilates sessions and workouts in order to become fit, lean and healthy. Fitness is not about performing arduous and hardcore workouts that bust your gut every single time. Creating a balance within your workouts and keeping them consistent is the key in any successful fitness program. And, please keep it simple - especially in the beginning. If you experience pain after your workouts that makes it almost unbearable to perform everyday regular activities, you are probably hurting yourself, setting yourself up for injury and just plain old overdoing it. Pain is not a sign that you've had a good workout; it's a sign that you've overworked your muscles to the extent that they are unable to function properly. Don't get me wrong, a little soreness can be a good thing. However, pain is not! Let me repeat this one more time: Your workouts should leave you feeling good, energized, and revitalized from the inside out. Exercise should not be painful. You don't have to sweat buckets, overheat, or exercise until you're red in the face in order to purge toxins from your body, lose body fat, shed pounds or raise your metabolism. Huffing and puffing is not the only way to improve respiration, lower stress and improve your circulation. Controlled deep breathing works just as well, if not better, for detoxifying your mind and body, and it is quite refreshing. Finally, an effective and efficient Pilates session should leave you feeling charged instead of exhausted and depleted. After 16 years of teaching in gyms, fitness centers and hospitals, I can state without a doubt that flexibility is one of the most overlooked physical components of fitness. That is frightening when you consider all of the sports injuries we encounter at the gym and at home. Even more frightening is the fact that most of these injuries could have been avoided with flexibility training. I am convinced that when you give Pilates a try with a qualified trainer, you will find this method of exercise is everything it has been hyped up to be. The actual list of benefits is truly endless. The wellness that we begin to experience and achieve as a result of the many health benefits of Pilates are nothing short of miraculous. These health and fitness benefits unfold daily as you incorporate Pilates workouts into your daily life. Pilates is much more than acquiring an athletic streamlined physique, great posture and a sexy y. It is also about reshaping your mind, your body and your quality of life, from the inside out. I challenge you to give Pilates a try. Don't just try it once. Do it and commit to it for at least 12 sessions. If, after 12 sessions, you still don't agree with me, than you can go back to huffing and puffing. However, if you seek a qualified fitness professional such as yours truly (PilatesbyLiz.com), you will not be disappointed. I have trained famous athletes who are getting ready for a competition, actors who need to reshape their bodies for a movie and singers who ate too much while vacationing. All of them have experienced the results of a lifetime. I know that with perseverance, a razor-sharp focus, patience and a sense of humor, you will have that sexy and y you've been dreaming about. That sexy  is screaming to get out! I know that somewhere within those extra inches and layers of unwanted fat, is that athletic streamlined physique you are dreaming of. If I can lose 42 pounds at the age of 30, reinvent myself at the age of 32 with a career in modeling, journalism, TV reporting on health and fitness and empowering men and women alike to just go for it, than I know you can do this too! Aren't you ready to change your life? I know you can do anything you put your mind to. Let's get you started with my 6 tips to a sexy . Please write to keep me informed on your progress, and let me know if you have any questions and concerns. Also, feel free to visit my website . Here are my 6 tips: ....................................................................................................................  Tip 1 Don't wait for inspiration. Begin and inspiration will come. Do whatever it takes for you to move that body. I personally like to surround myself with healthy images or quotes in both my home and office that will remind me not to give up. If you are waiting for some sort of inner fire to fuel you to exercise, you can forget it. We humans are not wired that way! Get moving and the fuel for motivation will follow. No more excuses. I promise it will get better, but you have got to push past the inner voice that wants you to settle for less! Don’t be afraid to talk back to that internal critic. Just don't do it in public!  Tip 2 Find a qualified fitness professional skilled in the method of Pilates and make your appointment right now.  Tip 3 In addition to your Pilates workouts, incorporate 30-45 minutes of any aerobic activity into your fitness regimen. Don't have a gym membership? Than start walking or jogging. The key is to move and to feel challenged when you are performing your aerobic activity. You must do this at least 3-5 times a week for a significant weight and body fat loss. Anything less than 30 minutes is still good for you, but the benefits are not geared for weight or body fat loss.  Tip 4 Post a picture of a y! Make it someone or something that gets you motivated to look and feel your best. I find that putting up a picture of a healthy, sexy and attractive fitness model is inspiring enough to bypass the chocolate cake, or prevent skipping a workout. Use images that exemplify all the qualities you admire and find attractive in a person: physically, mentally and spiritually. This will help you stay on track and maintain a razor-sharp focus. Post these pictures or images in your office, on your screensaver, at home, on your refrigerator or even on your visor in the car. Do whatever it takes to stay committed to your fitness regimen.  Tip 5 Before a night out on the town, eat a healthy meal prior to leaving your home. This will help you stay away from the buffet table and keep you less tempted to cheat, thus sabotaging all of your hard work. Oh! And don't be alarmed with this next tip. It happens to the best of us. It is a well-known fact that often when one begins or embarks on a new lifestyle that involves a healthy eating regimen of diet modification and exercise, a person encounters people I like to refer to as the saboteurs. Yep! You know exactly who I am referring to! These saboteurs range from your significant other, your kids (my son loves to tempt me) to your co-workers and well meaning friends who only want you to be happy and round, versus getting your workout in right after or before work. All I can say is that you must state your intentions and be clear about what you wish to achieve in your journey to health and wellness in order to acquire that sizzling y you so desire. Why not kindly invite the saboteurs to be your support system and help you reach your fitness goals instead of hindering them? If they have issues or show any resistance to your simple request, than you may want to consider if they have your best interest at heart. Again, eat before going out, pack your lunches for work if possible, don't skip breakfast and make better choices at your favorite eating establishments.  Tip 6 Keep your wellness program and workouts simple and fun. Let's be honest, most of us cannot afford a personal chef and/or a fitness coach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But, if you can afford it then go baby, go! The rest of us should simply immerse ourselves in any and all material relating to eating healthy, exercising do's and don’ts and support groups (eDiets.com has a variety of different programs for eating right). Do what it takes and never give up. With today's technology and the wealth of information that is at your fingertips, there is no reason why you cannot reinvent, reshape and sculpt that body into a sizzling . Get informed and take action! One last thing before I let you go. They say knowledge is power. I disagree with that statement. My belief is that knowledge is only power when you put that knowledge into action! Stop wishing, wanting or dreaming and just do it! What are you waiting for? 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