motivation

Combining financial incentives and weight loss isn't a brand-new concept. CEOs and insurance providers have been providing perks to employees who make healthy lifestyle choices for years.

And, who hasn't made a side bet with a friend to motivate themselves towards fitness?

This is a continuation of the "4 Electrifying Workout Playlists" post.

Today, we'll look at a look at some new themes to get you stoked for your workouts.

This is part II of the heart pumping beats, guitar rifts, etc. that will get you angry enough to show those weights who's boss:

I could go into the science and psychology of music and motivation, break down playlists based on precise beats per minute to coincide with different phases of workouts. Heck, I'm sure there's research on how to incorporate voice types to induce some steady euphoric emotional states. Nope, I'm just going to give you some themed playlists that will get you geeked for your workouts.

When the touchy-feely, hand-holding approach to motivation doesn't work, maybe some e-berating will do the trick. At least, that's what weightnags.com is hoping. The site that: Inspires its users through a mixture of personal abuse and insults.

Serial dieters will know that the first week, or even month, of a new diet or exercise regimen is often a time of super-high willpower, intense focus, and a sense of deep determination.

That initial enthusiasm doesn't last long though, and many people give up in despair at the thought of the months ahead - often regaining the weight they've managed to lose (and then some).

So, how can you keep up your motivation when you know you've got a long way to go before you reach your goal?

Are you putting off getting started on a healthy diet? Are you forever waiting until Monday, until all the stars are aligned, or until there are five weekends in the month?

It's always easy to come up with reasons to avoid getting going with a healthy eating or weight-loss plan. But all too often, these reasons are really just excuses. Take these five, for example...

Whatever the reason, it can be hard to recover momentum after a break. Here are ten easy ways to restart your diet:

Motivation comes is many different forms. One particularly savvy idea is WeightView - a digital and personalized motivational tool which coverts a real photo into what you would look like if you lost say, 20 lbs - for free!

That quote (from Jim Rohn) was printed on the back of my gym's members card some months ago, and it's stuck in my mind ever since I first read it.

The theory that music motivates us to exercise harder has been put to the test by Brunel University's School of Sport and Education researcher Dr. Costas Karageorghis.

Have you ever abandoned a diet in despair, claiming that you "have no willpower"? Don't blame yourself. Sometimes, we need to avoid or confront external factors that sap our willpower, leading inexorably past "just one won't hurt" to "I might as well give up." There's three big ones...

Suppose it's time for your workout and you realize you are so not in the mood. And you haven't been for quite a while. Skipping out is looking awfully tempting... but after all the progress you've made, are you in danger of getting out of the habit?

Some people love every aspect of their fitness routine and can keep it up for decades without whining. Others of us have to resort to sneaky tricks to keep the momentum going.

In a destination-focused world we often ignore the importance of the journey. In doing so, we tend to skip over the crucial foundational behavioral aspects that can impede the chances of long-term success. We seek out the fastest possible route to achieve whatever goal it is we have in mind (let's go with weight loss as an example).

Sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the underpinnings that will support the outcome goals. So here are 11 behavioral goals that can help translate into physical goals and shape a lifetime of success. I encourage you to modify them to fit your needs.

This is for all the Diet Blog readers who've been subscribed for a while because they keep meaning to get round to starting that diet. All the readers with the site bookmarked because they had great resolutions on January 1st ... but who somehow, have lost motivation. And all the people who've landed here after desperately searching the net for a healthier life.

If the thought of "going on a diet" sends you straight to the fridge to scoff all those foods you'll soon be forbidding yourself, read on...

Certainly not a diagnosis of heart disease, according to a recent study. A one-year follow-up study of patients with heart disease uncovered that...

Successful weight loss and physical transformation requires a major mental effort.

John A. Sarkett (author of the book "Extraordinary Comebacks") offers these succinct tips for making your New Year's resolution stick.

There is little doubt that setting goals is the first step when setting your course towards any given achievement. When it comes to aspects of fat loss and health, many are stuck in the starting blocks due to shoddy goal-setting. Putting in the extra groundwork in the goal-setting stage will boost your chances of enjoying long-term success. So grab a pen and let’s plan for action with these 4 crucial aspects of goal setting.

A fitness model is someone who models an "athletic and healthy physique". They have low levels of body fat, and less muscle volume than a bodybuilder. Most of the folks you see on infomercials are fitness models. They probably never touched that gadget until the photo shoot...

Fitness models obviously know a thing or two about how to lose fat and yet maintain (or grow) muscle). How can idolizing a fitness model help or hinder you?