Back in high school, I had a chemistry teacher who did everything he could to convince me that my general loathing of chemistry was something that wasn't inherent, but something I could change by a simple change in attitude.

He suggested looking at the periodic table of elements as the building blocks for everything in the universe, myself included. He also suggested that I look at chemistry not as "a stupid class they're making me take," but as a chance to learn more about how the world works from a more elemental standpoint.

Nice try, Mr. Blanks, but it didn't work.

However, the only reason it didn't work was because I knew everything, as teenagers often do. As an adult, I can appreciate what he was trying to tell me: Attitude really does make a difference. If you think you hate chemistry, then you do (and, frankly, I still do...sorry Mr. Blanks). If you think you hate exercise, then you will.

Thinking about this, what's your attitude about exercise? Is it something you don't enjoy, but feel like you have to do? Or perhaps you don't like the process, but you like how you feel after you workout? How does your attitude motivate your or hold you back? Vote in this week's poll and tell us about your exercise attitude.

When it comes to exercise, we talk a lot about paying attention to what you're doing. It's important to connect with your body and your workouts, to pay attention to your form and posture to get the most out of your workouts.

It's a good idea to do that, especially during weight training where unfocused movements can lead to sloppy form and, at best, an ineffective workout or, at worst, an injury.

But, sometimes, you don't want to pay attention. After a long day or a long week, you've done nothing but pay attention and what you really need is a chance to zone out. Watching TV or mindless Internet surfing is often our first zone-out choice, but exercise is a better one. There's something about the rhythmic, mindless motion of the body that frees the mind, letting it roam where it will.

Everyone zones out differently, but, if you need a little mindlessness, there are some steps that will help you get there:

1. Choose an easy cardio activity - This is any activity you can do without thinking about it. Cardio machines are a good choice here, offering nothing but mindlessness. Outdoor activities can work as well, although you do need to pay more attention to your surroundings - Traffic, potholes, other exercisers, dog poop, etc.
2. Work at a comfortable intensity - The next step to zoning out is to find that pace that feels so natural, you could do it all day. It shouldn't be so easy that you're trudging along, nor should it be so hard that all you can think about is how much longer you have to workout. Keep adjusting your speed, incline or resistance until you're right in the middle, around Level 5 on this perceived exertion chart.
3. Add music - Music is a great way to zone out...adding background noise can minimize distractions and keep your energy up. Motion Traxx podcasts are a great option here, offering music at different beats per minute that let you work at a solid pace without having to think about it.
4. Let your mind go - You may find yourself directing your thoughts at first...what to make for dinner or how to handle that important meeting. Let your mind do its thing. Eventually, you'll find your thoughts wandering to different places, maybe even surprising places. Letting go of directing every thought is just what zoning out is all about - playtime for your mind.

What do you think? Do you ever zone out during your workouts? How do you do it and what do you get out of it? Leave a comment and tell us about zoning out during exercise.

We often look at weight loss as a numbers game. If you burn and/or cut x number of calories from your diet, you should see x number of pounds drop from the scale.

Tracking these numbers can be like a full-time job, writing down and counting the calories we eat, monitoring our exercise intensity and the calories we're burning and, finally, stepping on the scale day after day to see if what we're doing is actually working.

The results can, sometimes, be excruciatingly slow.

When you think about it, what really changes these numbers, or at least the number on the scale, comes down to our choices. The choice to exercise, to eat less, to move more.

These don't always feel like choices, do they? To many of us, they feel like chores, things we must or must not do if we want to lose weight. But, your perspective on weight loss, exercise and diet plays a major role in your success. If these choices feel more like restrictions, you're always going to feel like you're missing out on something and, therefore, you'll always go back to those things you think you're missing.

What if there's a different way? What if these choices weren't chores or restrictions, but based on the decision to take care of yourself? If you think about it, all the things you need to do to lose weight are also all the things you need to do to take care of yourself: Eating when you're hungry, stopping when you're full, eating foods that give you energy and make you feel good. Taking care of yourself means moving your body and getting out of your chair as much as possible, simply because your body feels better when it's moving.

Taking care of yourself means getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, dealing with your stress in healthy ways...all things that, when accomplished, can also lead to healthy, natural weight loss.

Learning how to take care of yourself is an important part of the weight loss process and it starts with:

• Knowing where you are - How well are you taking care of yourself right now? Keep a health journal for a few days and track your sleep, stress levels, exercise, meals, water intake and how you feel in general each day. How are you doing overall and what could you change?
• Checking in with yourself - Taking care of yourself starts with being aware of how you feel throughout the day. This is especially important if you tend to be an emotional eater, reaching for food to deal with stress, boredom, fatigue or loneliness. Set an alarm to go off every hour and take a moment to check in with yourself. Then, ask yourself what you really need right at that moment. Practice giving yourself what you need before giving into emotional eating.

What do you think? Does healthy living feel different when you look at it as a way to take care of yourself? Would you find more success if you focused less on losing weight and more on taking care of yourself? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.

If there's one phrase that inspires dread amongst my clients (and myself, if I'm being honest), it's this: Squat Thrusts. This is the kind of exercise you don't want to think about. Thinking about it is a bit like climbing up the high dive for the first time, looking down at the pool (which is a long, loooong way away) and realizing that you're terrified of heights. And drowning.

The best way to face squat thrusts is to simply do them, realizing that they're hard for a reason: They work every part of your body (legs, arms, core, earlobes) and they raise your heart rate at the same time, a perfect storm of calorie-burning that will take your body to the next level.

Keep in mind that there are many versions of this exercise: Burpees, a very advanced version, or doing them with paper plates or gliding discs which challenge your quads in a whole different way. You can even combine them with Mountain Climbers for a major challenge.

Do this throughout your workout for an intensity boost or combine them with other cardio exercises for a high intensity cardio workout.

Do it right: Stand with feet together. Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet. In an explosive movement, jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and continue, jumping the feet out and in as quickly as you can for 30-60 seconds. Add intensity by standing up each time and/or adding a jump as you stand.