I was going to name this post, "The Psychology of Weight Loss" or "Diet Right" or something else. I chose the title I did because losing weight is not 'just' about dieting or eating right. While proper eating goes a long way toward a successful weight loss regime, adjusting what foods you eat probably won't get you where you want to be without more.
When you hear someone explain why they quit their weight loss plan, what they're really saying comes down to this: "I'm not ready to commit to a healthy lifestyle." You will pretty much never someone say that though.
You'll hear things like, "That program wasn't for me." Or, "I didn't like that program." Or, "I don't have the time to do that." Or, "That program costs too much." Or, "My spouse doesn't support my program." Or other "reasons." There are 100's of reasons people stop their programs. But the real reason is that they aren't fully committed. They aren't "all in."
Many people live with the same or similar circumstances as you. And a lot of those people overcame the reasons they couldn't lose weight in spite of having the same obstacles as you.
How can you tell if someone isn't committed to a healthy way of life? They say things like, "I'm not sticking with my diet today because today is...fill in the blank." "Today" could be an anniversary, a birthday, or a holiday. It could be friends are visiting from out of town. Or everyone is going out to tonight, or the company is having 'pizza day'. The different reasons for not sticking to your plan are signals that you're not really ready to get healthy. And a "reason" not to stick to your plan comes up every day. Every. Single. Day. "Hey, it's Friday!"
If you have to throw all your plans out the window because someone brought donuts to work, then you need to think about why that is.
What if in stead of eating on all these wonderful "special occasions" that come up, you replaced a cigar for the food. My guess is that you wouldn't smoke a cigar because it's Christmas or your child's birthday. You'd probably say, "I'm not going to smoke a cigar, I don't care what day it is." That demonstrates your commitment to be smoke-free. You don't have to give it a thought. It's not tempting. It's simply something you don't do and you won't do.
Guess what? Food is the exact same thing. If you're committed to a healthy lifestyle you wouldn't think about eating an apple fritter any more than you'd consider lighting up a big fat stogie. It just isn't up for discussion. It's a fast, firm "NO."
Eating is only part of the equation when it comes to getting healthy. Physical activity plays a big part as well. People who think they are going to "lose weight" only by changing what they eat almost certainly haven't committed to living a healthy lifestyle.
It may be they don't even realize that physical activity is an integral part of a successful program. Maybe they have the mindset, "I won't exercise. I hate it, and I'm not going to do it."
I hate to bust your bubble, but if you don't get up and move your weight loss program isn't going to work.
Here's the good news. You, and only you, can choose to make the changes required to get better, look better, and feel better.
A lot of areas of your life may be beyond your ability to change right now. For example, you may hate your job. You have bills. You have financial obligations. But you don't have another source of income. You're stuck in that job today. You may be able to find another job sometime in the future, but today you have to go to work at the job you don't like.
You may not like where you live. And you may not be able to move today because you have no better options right now. So, you go back to the place you'd rather not be. You may be able to get another place to stay someday, but you have to go back home today.
There's a theme: I'm going to make changes when conditions become ideal which is going to happen later. Today the conditions aren't right to make a change. I'm going to keep right on working at the job I can't stand, and when I get off work I'm going home to the place I don't like.
Deciding to "get into shape" may be a goal you're putting off because of the same old excuses you use everywhere else. The familiar "I can't do it today because...so I'll do it later."
It doesn't have to be that way. Committing to a healthy lifestyle is empowering! Every other aspect of your life may be beyond your ability to control. Not so with leading a healthy lifestyle.
You don't need anyone's permission to put on a pair of tennis shoes and go outside for a walk. There's a place for you to walk. Put your shoes on and go walking.
If you come up with reasons you can't live a healthy lifestyle, then you don't have the correct mindset to get into good shape. Because it's not only simple, but it's easy to put on a pair of shoes and go for a walk.
Okay, maybe you can't go for a walk for some legit reason. But you can do something else. People in prison, even those in solitary confinement, do plenty of physical activity if they choose. You can do body weight exercises if you can't do anything else. No gym membership or special equipment needed. Just search online for 'beginners body weight workouts at home,' and find one you like. Then get started. There is something you can do today, and if you don't then it's because you're not ready, mentally.
Contrary to popular myths, you can't get into good shape by exercise alone. You can't "work off" all your excess calories. You need to watch what you eat too.
You can change what you eat starting today. No one can force you to eat cookies. No one can tell you that you can't eat fruit and vegetables. That is on you. Y-O-U. And if you want to make up reasons for not eating healthy food that costs no more than the crap you're eating now, you're not ready to be a healthy person.
Committing to a healthy lifestyle and sticking with it isn't easy. If it was then everyone would be in good shape. That begs the question: What does it take to be committed enough to live a healthy life?
You need a reason. A good reason. A really good reason. Or reasons. What is the reason getting healthy has become a priority?
A lot of good reasons exist. Maybe your doctor told you, and this time you decided to take the advice seriously. Or maybe you can't fasten your pants anymore, and you're tired of squeezing into clothes that are too small. Maybe you have trouble getting out of a chair (see all the lift chair commercials?) or getting into the bathtub (see all the 'walk-in' bathtub commercials?). Are you unable to climb the steps (see all the 'stair lift' commercials?). Do you have trouble walking around the grocery store (see all the electric carts inside the door available to customers?).
People make fortunes off the overweight because they would rather make excuses for being unhealthy than to make changes. Because of their unhealthy lifestyles they need a "crutch" to make up for their physical infirmities; diet pills, special belts to make you thin, etc., etc.
Some people may actually 'need' these devices to help them get through their activities of daily living because they have no other options. But I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of these people could again walk up the stairs, again walk through the grocery store, again step into the bathtub, or get out of their chairs under their own power if they just begin to put in the effort.
Maybe the reason you have chosen to be healthy is to play with your children or grandchildren and watch them grow up.
Whatever the reason (or reasons), it has to be powerful enough to overcome all the obstacles you'll face.
When you hear someone explain why they quit their weight loss plan, what they're really saying comes down to this: "I'm not ready to commit to a healthy lifestyle." You will pretty much never someone say that though.
You'll hear things like, "That program wasn't for me." Or, "I didn't like that program." Or, "I don't have the time to do that." Or, "That program costs too much." Or, "My spouse doesn't support my program." Or other "reasons." There are 100's of reasons people stop their programs. But the real reason is that they aren't fully committed. They aren't "all in."
Many people live with the same or similar circumstances as you. And a lot of those people overcame the reasons they couldn't lose weight in spite of having the same obstacles as you.
How can you tell if someone isn't committed to a healthy way of life? They say things like, "I'm not sticking with my diet today because today is...fill in the blank." "Today" could be an anniversary, a birthday, or a holiday. It could be friends are visiting from out of town. Or everyone is going out to tonight, or the company is having 'pizza day'. The different reasons for not sticking to your plan are signals that you're not really ready to get healthy. And a "reason" not to stick to your plan comes up every day. Every. Single. Day. "Hey, it's Friday!"
If you have to throw all your plans out the window because someone brought donuts to work, then you need to think about why that is.
What if in stead of eating on all these wonderful "special occasions" that come up, you replaced a cigar for the food. My guess is that you wouldn't smoke a cigar because it's Christmas or your child's birthday. You'd probably say, "I'm not going to smoke a cigar, I don't care what day it is." That demonstrates your commitment to be smoke-free. You don't have to give it a thought. It's not tempting. It's simply something you don't do and you won't do.
Guess what? Food is the exact same thing. If you're committed to a healthy lifestyle you wouldn't think about eating an apple fritter any more than you'd consider lighting up a big fat stogie. It just isn't up for discussion. It's a fast, firm "NO."
Eating is only part of the equation when it comes to getting healthy. Physical activity plays a big part as well. People who think they are going to "lose weight" only by changing what they eat almost certainly haven't committed to living a healthy lifestyle.
It may be they don't even realize that physical activity is an integral part of a successful program. Maybe they have the mindset, "I won't exercise. I hate it, and I'm not going to do it."
I hate to bust your bubble, but if you don't get up and move your weight loss program isn't going to work.
Here's the good news. You, and only you, can choose to make the changes required to get better, look better, and feel better.
A lot of areas of your life may be beyond your ability to change right now. For example, you may hate your job. You have bills. You have financial obligations. But you don't have another source of income. You're stuck in that job today. You may be able to find another job sometime in the future, but today you have to go to work at the job you don't like.
You may not like where you live. And you may not be able to move today because you have no better options right now. So, you go back to the place you'd rather not be. You may be able to get another place to stay someday, but you have to go back home today.
There's a theme: I'm going to make changes when conditions become ideal which is going to happen later. Today the conditions aren't right to make a change. I'm going to keep right on working at the job I can't stand, and when I get off work I'm going home to the place I don't like.
Deciding to "get into shape" may be a goal you're putting off because of the same old excuses you use everywhere else. The familiar "I can't do it today because...so I'll do it later."
It doesn't have to be that way. Committing to a healthy lifestyle is empowering! Every other aspect of your life may be beyond your ability to control. Not so with leading a healthy lifestyle.
You don't need anyone's permission to put on a pair of tennis shoes and go outside for a walk. There's a place for you to walk. Put your shoes on and go walking.
If you come up with reasons you can't live a healthy lifestyle, then you don't have the correct mindset to get into good shape. Because it's not only simple, but it's easy to put on a pair of shoes and go for a walk.
Okay, maybe you can't go for a walk for some legit reason. But you can do something else. People in prison, even those in solitary confinement, do plenty of physical activity if they choose. You can do body weight exercises if you can't do anything else. No gym membership or special equipment needed. Just search online for 'beginners body weight workouts at home,' and find one you like. Then get started. There is something you can do today, and if you don't then it's because you're not ready, mentally.
Contrary to popular myths, you can't get into good shape by exercise alone. You can't "work off" all your excess calories. You need to watch what you eat too.
You can change what you eat starting today. No one can force you to eat cookies. No one can tell you that you can't eat fruit and vegetables. That is on you. Y-O-U. And if you want to make up reasons for not eating healthy food that costs no more than the crap you're eating now, you're not ready to be a healthy person.
Committing to a healthy lifestyle and sticking with it isn't easy. If it was then everyone would be in good shape. That begs the question: What does it take to be committed enough to live a healthy life?
You need a reason. A good reason. A really good reason. Or reasons. What is the reason getting healthy has become a priority?
A lot of good reasons exist. Maybe your doctor told you, and this time you decided to take the advice seriously. Or maybe you can't fasten your pants anymore, and you're tired of squeezing into clothes that are too small. Maybe you have trouble getting out of a chair (see all the lift chair commercials?) or getting into the bathtub (see all the 'walk-in' bathtub commercials?). Are you unable to climb the steps (see all the 'stair lift' commercials?). Do you have trouble walking around the grocery store (see all the electric carts inside the door available to customers?).
People make fortunes off the overweight because they would rather make excuses for being unhealthy than to make changes. Because of their unhealthy lifestyles they need a "crutch" to make up for their physical infirmities; diet pills, special belts to make you thin, etc., etc.
Some people may actually 'need' these devices to help them get through their activities of daily living because they have no other options. But I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of these people could again walk up the stairs, again walk through the grocery store, again step into the bathtub, or get out of their chairs under their own power if they just begin to put in the effort.
Maybe the reason you have chosen to be healthy is to play with your children or grandchildren and watch them grow up.
Whatever the reason (or reasons), it has to be powerful enough to overcome all the obstacles you'll face.
There you have it. The 3 big ingredients needed to commit to a healthy lifestyle. 1) Your "why". Your reason for wanting to be healthy. 2) Choosing healthy options when it comes to eating. 3) Physical activity. If you have trouble with numbers 2 and 3, you need to revisit number 1, your "why" and you can have more than 1 or 2 "whys" if you want. If you believe in the reason(s) you want to lose weight, then healthy lifestyle choices will follow.
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