Some foods can conversely be helpful in easing symptoms of IBS, namely foods high in fiber. For example, bran, cereals, fruit and vegetables. Try introducing these foods into your diet, in small quantities first to allow your digestive system time to adjust. They will be particularly helpful if you suffer from constipation as they make stools soft and bulky and easier to pass.

Eating little and often has also been proven to relieve symptoms in some IBS sufferers. Try spreading your food intake over 5 meals a day. Eating too much in one sitting can bring on cramping and diarrhea for people at risk from IBS.

Although not cause of irritable bowel syndrome, stress can be a contributing factor to its symptoms. Try to introduce some relaxation techniques into your day such as meditation, yoga, exercise or any activity that you enjoy.

There are medications available that play a role in relieving symptoms. Fiber supplements or laxatives are sometimes prescribed for constipation, there are also drugs available to reduce diarrhea and control colon muscle spasms. Antidepressants may also be prescribed. Your doctor will talk through most appropriate approach for you to take, determined by symptoms that you suffer from.

It is not enough just to train hard. You need to train hard with a target to beat on every work set you do. The targets to beat in any given workout are your achievements previous time you performed that same routine.

If you train hard but with no rigorous concern over reps and poundages, you cannot be sure you are training progressively. And training progressively is key to making progress. But for accurate records of sets, reps and poundages to have meaning, your training conditions must be consistent.

If at one workout you rush between sets, then at next workout you take your time, you cannot fairly compare those two sessions.

If one week deadlift is your first exercise and following week you deadlift at end of workout, you cannot fairly compare those two workouts. And form you use for each exercise must be consistent and flawless every time you train.

Likewise, if you do 3 sets of bench press and one workout you take 1 minute between sets and next workout you take 3 minutes between sets, you can't be sure that you've progressed from one workout to next.

Get all details of your training in black and white, refer to them when appropriate and get in control of your training. In addition to control over short term, this permanent record will give you a wealth of data to analyze and draw on when designing your future training programs.

Keep accurate records of each workout, each day's caloric and protein intake, how much sleep you get, muscular girths and your body composition. Then you will remove all guesswork and disorder from your training program.

But all of this is just a bunch of words. You have to make theory and rationale come alive with your conscientious and methodical practical application. Do exactly that now, and take charge of your training!

Most trainees have neither organization needed for success nor will and desire to push themselves very hard when they need to. But these are very demanding essentials for a successful fitness program.

Find out how you did in trying to make today another step toward achieving your next set of short-term goals. Have all of today's actions— training (if a training day), diet and rest—met or exceeded goals for day? If not, why not?

A daily critical analysis of what you did and did not do to take another step forward will help you to be more alert to improving tomorrow.

Take a few minutes each day to review your journal.

Take as much control over your life as you can. Learn from your mistakes. Capitalize on good things you have done. Do more of positive things you are already doing and fewer of negative things.