Monthly Archives: May 2014

Finding Motivation for Weight Loss

motivation 002Finding Motivation for weight loss can at times be difficult. Particularly if you have yo-yo dieted your whole life and have experienced failure after failure. You may wonder if you can really find the motivation to try again.

Every one who has lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off has had their own “breaking point” so to speak, a point in which the pain of being overweight out-weighed the love one may have unhealthy food. I know I had my breaking point (a story I will share in a later post).

Perhaps you are looking for your breaking point. Perhaps you are looking for that moment when you find the motivation to break though and finally lose those extra pounds. What follows is a technique I have learned and have found very helpful in gaining motivation:

Take out a piece of paper and write down everything negative that you have experienced by being overweight. Dig deep into you life. Think of all those painful memories. Think of all those clothes you cannot where because you were too fat to fit into them. Think of those people who you have been interested in romantically, but they were not interested in you because of your weight. Think of all those times you were chosen last for the team because you were looked down upon by others. I know this may be painful. But the more real you make the pain the more motivation you will find for change.

Now think of your future. Think of what it will be like if you continue to mistreat your body though poor diet and non-exercise. Think of what it will cost as far as your health. Think of having to be put in a home much earlier than necessary because you cannot take care of yourself due to your weight. Again, I know it’s painful, but let the pain drive you to change.

Now for something positive. Think of what your future will be like if you take control of your health now. Think of how great you will feel and how great you will look. Think of all the compliments you will receive. Think of the deep feeling of accomplishment you will experience by losing all that weight. Think of all those great things.

Please take the time to write all of these things down. And remember, the more vivid the emotion,  the more motivation you will find for change. Take the time to do this. Make this your breaking point. Make this moment your time when you have finally had enough of that extra weight.

Are You Wasting Food?

There are many things that hinder us from losing weight. A majority of those things that stand in our way are habits. However, it is not always a habit that prevents us from reaching our weight loss goals. Occasionally, we are hindered by what we believe.  I’d like to talk about one of those beliefs today.

“Don’t throw that food away! You will be wasting it if you do!” Did you ever hear those words are something similar growing up? Have you ever repeated this idea to family, friends, or yourself? The idea that if you throw food away even when your are full instead of eating it is one of those beliefs that keep you fat. You are not wasting food by throwing it away especially if you are full . Why?

First, let’s be real clear about what I do not mean.  I am not advocating that you should though food away if you are hungry. I do not believe in starving yourself for weight loss. I also acknowledge that it is very sad that some people go to bed hungry while many of us have enough food to throw away.

But, let’s be real honest. I mean real honest! If you are over weight, and you are eating food after you are satisfied, then you are simply choosing to throw food in a trashcan you wear instead of a trash can you do not wear. Let’s put it another way. If you are over weight, you are not using the extra food on your plate by eating it. You are, in fact, wasting it. You are throwing it away. You are just throwing it away in the trashcan around your belly, hips, and thighs. You are better off throwing the extra food away in the trash can you don’t wear.

Is it sad that there are people who go without food? Yes. But you eating extra food is not helping those people in the slightest. If you are really upset about world hunger then do something productive about it. But what is not productive for you or world hunger is stuffing yourself with the extra food that is on your plate just because you don’t want to “waste it.”

So don’t feel guilty. Let yourself off the hook. You are not wasting food by throwing it in the trashcan you don’t wear. Remember, the other option is throwing that extra food in the trashcan you do wear.

Ready to Lose Weight?

Hello all. I just wanted to let everyone know up front that I am by no means an expert in the field of weight loss and fitness.

You may be thinking, “Why should I keep reading this blog?”

Well, I’ll tell you. While I may not be an “expert,” I have lost 60 pounds over the last year and a half. I have gone from 286 pounds to 226! I know what it means to make sacrifices for your health. I know what it is like to struggle. I know what it is like to fail. But I also know what it is like to succeed! I know what has and has not worked. And I would like to pass that information, along with my struggles, on to you.

So, I hope you subscribe.Image Please keep coming back to get some great weight loss tips and advice. Remember, I’m just a guy who made it work.

One more thing. While I have lost 60 pounds, I’m still not where I want to be yet. So whether you are on your first or last 10 pounds, whether you are just starting or finishing up, join me in the fight to take back your health!Image