Welcome to Part Four of this 5-part series. Today we'll continue to explore the insider secrets of how to deal with the inevitable roadblocks, bumps, and barriers on the road to lifelong fitness success.

Last time we looked at Roadblocks 9-12 and how to blast them out of your way. In today's article (Part 4) we'll look at the next four in some detail. I'll cover the rest of them as we move through this 5-part series.

Success Roadblock Number Thirteen:
Not Knowing What A Healthy Portion Actually Is

I have to admit, I never gave this matter much thought until year or so ago. I pretty much automatically ate a reasonable portion of whatever I was having.

Now, in my case, that was mostly because I don't like feeling uncomfortably full. It also didn't take me too many years to figure out that the less I load up my stomach, the more quickly things will digest, and the less I'll feel weighed down from excess eating -- Thanksgiving being the classic example of that.

As a general guideline, a healthy serving of meat is something you can cover with the palm of your hand, minus the fingers. I have to confess, I have violated that guideline more than a few times, especially in the presence of a nice prime rib.

But restaurant meals in general -- and especially fast food restaurant meals -- can give you an entire day's worth of calories in one meal. Is it any wonder we struggle with our weight the way we do? All you'll find in most restaurants are perfect examples of what not to eat.

Success Roadblock Number Fourteen:
Impractical Or Unenjoyable Exercise Program

Who among us wouldn't be much more likely to get exercise if we actually enjoyed the process? For me, mountain hiking is about 500 times more enjoyable than a treadmill. In fact, if a treadmill was the only option available for cardio exercise, I would probably go without.

I also enjoy my weight training, especially now that I've built it into the routine of my daily activities. And even when I'm not near any mountains, and don't have my weights with me, I still manage to find some way to get exercise because the value of it is so clear to me.

If you are seriously considering making exercise a regular part of your life -- which, I have to say, you'd have to be foolish not to do -- then you need to find some activities that are at least tolerable, if not downright enjoyable.

Because the simple bottom line is that exercise is smart and healthy. So by all means, figure out what works for you and do it!

Success Roadblock Number Fifteen:
Failure To Integrate Your Exercise Program Into Your Life

Again, the best way to make sure that you actually do your exercise is to build it into the routine of your life. Before I made exercise part of my daily routine, it was very much a hit-and-miss proposition -- with more missing than hitting.

So do yourself a tremendous favor and find a way to incorporate some exercise into your daily life. And please notice, I did not say find a way to "set aside" time to do your exercise. Why? Because I know it's just not going to happen. Something "more important" will always "come up" -- especially if you're a little bit exercise-resistant in the first place. Know what I mean?

Success Roadblock Number Sixteen:
Inadequate (Or Nonexistent) "Plan A"

I certainly hope that creating a Plan A, as described in Chapter 8, is going to be part of your success process. If it's not, I will give you very low odds of success. You need to have a specific plan, and you need to stick to it.

You really do need to keep track of your food intake and your exercise activities, especially you have a history of being out of shape or overweight. This means you must have a plan and you must improve it as you go. And in order to do that, you have to be able to compare and contrast what you used to do with what you would rather do.

And you start by establishing your "baseline" diet and exercise behaviors, which then become the reference point around which to plan your changes.

If your Plan A is inadequate (or nonexistent), you are a walking example of an old cliché: "If you fail to plan, then plan to fail."

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The roadblocks you've just read about were excerpted from my new ebook, "Ultimate Fitness Secrets: Revealed!" To learn how to blast all 20 roadblocks out of your way, and discover the secrets of lifelong, struggle-free fitness, bulletproof health, and low-stress living, just click here now and get the whole story!

Yours in total health,

"Dr. Frank"