Exercise! Love it or hate it, let's motivate each other to just DO IT!

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Old 06-09-2008, 06:15 PM   #1  
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Thumbs up Amusement Park Workout

I live within driving distance to an amusement park, so when summer comes, i'm there! Some might think that a place filled with fried food and sugary treats is a dieters worst nightmare, however, it can also be one of the most fun workouts you'll get. These tips can work for families, teenagers, and adults alike. I compiled these tips last summer during the begining of my diet and they worked wonders!

- Park far away from the entrance gate. Remind yourself that the reward is the fun you'll have inside.

- It's going to be hot, so drink lots of water. This is good for your diet and necesary to remain hydrated.

- Don't be tempted to rent segways or hop on the train that surrounds the park to get from ride to ride. The park I go to is well over 100 acres with the rides spread far and wide. You'll walk several miles without realizing it all.

- Don't eat the food. First of all, it'll save you tons of money. The food is not usually good and it's usually never healthy. Instead, pack a healthy lunch that you'd normally eat on your diet and store it in a cooler. Most parks offer lockers for coolers. Some parks often give you the option to leave and return during the same day. Visit a subway or if you live close enough, eat at home and go back.

- If your amusement park of choice has a waterpark, visit it! Swimming is an excellent exercise and it'll be sure to cool you down. Don't like how you look in a bathing suit? Neither do I! Just remember that these people will likely never see you again they're too busy having their own fun to pay attention to how you look.

- Take breaks.It's okay to find a bench and just people watch. Give your body a chance to rest before you continue your day.

- Make a whole day of it! Start out early by eating a good healthy breakfast. Make sure you have lunch planned and plenty of water packed. Arrive when the park opens to avoid lines to get in and avoid the temptation to leave when it gets really hot. Remind yourself of how many calories you'll burn walking around for the remainder of the day.

-Invest in a season pass. I used to think these were worthless, but for less than $100, I can visit the park as many times as I want throughout the year and save on parking. Plus, with my season pass I can bypass long lines and go into a special reserved line for season ticket holders. This saves me time and money in the long run. Plus, you'll be encouraged to go several times to get your money's worth.

-Rent a locker. Yes, it kind of is a waste of money. You're paying someone 10 bucks to put your bag in a box. However, you'll be glad you did after five hours of walking and you want to go on a water ride without getting your wallet soaked. Rent it first thing so you can secure one.Put your car keys, wallet, towels, first aid kits and anything else you've brought. This is also a good place to meet your family after splitting up. The extra walking time to and from the locker isn't bad for you, either!

I hope these tips help some of you this summer. They did me wonders last year and will surely help me again this year. After spending a day at the park, I lost weight rather than gained and had way more fun than I would have running on a treadmill.

Good luck!
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Old 06-09-2008, 07:27 PM   #2  
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Sounds like great advice. I had to respond though because for some reason, the chaos of going to the amusement park w/ my kids is enough to set off a weeks worth of bingig. There's also something about being in that environment that makes me want to pig out. Even if I bring my own food, I still feel deprived. It's so weird that I have such a negative reaction to amusement parks. I wish it weren't so and I'm sure my kids do too! I'll try to do it again and have a better attitude though!
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Old 06-09-2008, 10:16 PM   #3  
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I completely understand what you mean about feeling deprived. I, too, felt like that the first time. I kept looking around, seeing everyone else over-indulge and I kept thinking about just forgetting my diet. But then I started looking at those people who were pigging out. They were either 1) bigger than I was or my size, and I am not a tiny girl. I thought to myself "Am I going to allow myself to remain my size, just as these other people are chosing to remain their size, or am I going to do something about it? Or 2) They were skinnier than I was or WAY skinnier than I was. This gave me inspiration to keep going on my diet, so that I too could be smaller. I'm in no way saying that I was judging those people that I saw, it only gave me a chance to re-evaluate myself.

And I don't quite know how a theme park would be with kids, since I don't have any. All I can say is that I can remember when my parents took me, they kept it a surprise. They'd plan in advance, of course, by making sure we had bathing suits, not scheduling any activities and making sure we were in bed early the night before. On the morning of the trip, they'd wake us up early and tell us. This made sure that I didn't have the chance to invite friends, I wasn't crazy for the days prior to going and in case they decided not to go there was no disappointment. That might not work all the time, but it should the first time at least. It might help if you plan your routes ahead of time. The morning you leave, you can have your kids help you decide what rides you're going to ride and in what order. This way, you aren't wondering the park aimlessly watching the vendors as go. With a destination in mind, you can power walk your way straight to the attraction with little time to stop.

Good luck!
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