YO-YO dieting and YO-YO exercise plans leave all of us feeling like one more attempt just isn't worth the effort. Use these 10 secrets to creating your strong & active body for life & burn that YO-YO once and for all.

1. Remember why strong and active is important to YOU: Those reasons that are real for you are powerful allies on those days when the old lifestyle is screaming at you. It really doesn't matter what those reasons are, if they're yours.

2. Remember the other reasons you want it: The second group of allies that can warm your intention on a dark, cold morning are all the reasons that you want to stay strong and active for others. (children, grandchildren, spouse, parents)


3. Define what feels good about strong and active for you: For a strong active lifestyle to be a permanent part of who you are, move it out of your mental ‘should' thinking, into your feeling place.

4. Remember the five minute rule: OK, what is the 5-minute rule? If it is a day that you've planned to work-out, promise yourself that you absolutely, will do 5 minutes of that activity. THEN, if you want to continue, you will AND, if you want to stop, you will. If, after 5 minutes, you still want to go back to a warm bed, maybe today is a day your body needs rest. Trust yourself and your wise body.

5. Remember the pleasure principle: We are human, we are pleasure seeking missiles. If a full afternoon on the couch watching movies is rings your chimes, include that in your exercise plan.


6. Visualize strong & active each morning: Jut as athletes are able to improve their game by visualizing a home-run, you can re-pattern your mind to help you into a new lifestyle, by visualizing it, feeling it, smelling it, tasting it.

7. Use ‘off-program' moments to stay on the cycle of success: When your one piece of chocolate cake became the WHOLE thing, use that as information about what you might do differently the next chocolate day.

8. Honor the 80-20 rule: The important thing to remember is that rigid plans trigger the adolescent in you to fight the rules and to get out from under the tyranny of those rules ASAP. Be kind to your inner teen-ager - follow your plan usually. Give yourself at least one evening off.


9. Use "boring" as a flag to find a new way to stay strong and active: When you get bored and can't drag themselves to ANOTHER aerobics class, use that as notice that it's time to find a different class, a different day, a different activity.

10. End the day in gratitude: Liking your life is about...well, liking your life. Journaling each evening 3 specific items that you liked about your day helps you to turn your focus on what works, what gives you pleasure.