Tag Archives: success

Another Attitude That May Be Keeping You Overweight

Since the new year, I have heard a lot of people talk about losing weight. Of course very few will take any sort of action toward getting healthy. But, there will be a group of people who attempt to change their weight for the better. Out of this group, a minority will succeed. But the majority will, unfortunately, fail.

This year, however, there has been one attitude in particular among those who want to lose wight that has caught my attention. It’s an attitude or a belief that if followed will most certainly result in failure to lose weight.

What is this attitude? It is best reflected in the statement, “All I need to do is make a few healthier choices.” What is the problem with this belief? I will get to that, but before I do, I want to make a quick exception regarding this belief.

If you have an ectomorph, or a mesomorph body type, and you have twenty pounds or less to lose, then you may be able to make a “few more healthier choices” and still get good results.

However, if you have more than 20 pounds to lose, and/or you have an endomorph body style, you need to do more than just “make a few more healthier choices.”

So what is wrong with this belief? First off it is is vague. What constitutes “a few more healthier choices”? Is it one low-carb meal a day? Is it cutting 50 percent of your bread out of your diet? Is it working out more than once a week? The only thing this belief offers is vagueness.

There is also another way this attitude is vague. It does not tell you what is nutritionally healthier. Some may think that eating less fat and more carbohydrates is a way to “make a few more healthier choices.”

Finally, there is a big dose of denial with this attitude. If you do have more than 20 pounds to lose and/or you have a thicker body style, you have to stop fooling yourself by thinking your excess weight is a result of a few bad choices. You health is not going to be fixed by a few more good choices.

In the end, following this attitude is just a cop-out. It is not taking your health seriously and leads to disappointment. If you have had this attitude, give it up. It will do you no good. Take control of your life and take control of your health.

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I Was A Teenage Sugar Addict

I love sugar. In fact, some might consider me a recovering sugar addict. While I have overcome my addiction though mental effort and proper diet, I still have quite a sweet tooth.

Was I Really An Addict?

I’m not really sure I could classify myself as an “addict.” However, I did eat a lot of sugar. This consumption was particularly pronounced during my teenage and young adult years. While I do not know how much sugar I consumed on a daily basis,  I have an interesting story from my past that will help illustrate just how much sugar I would use.

I think I was about thirteen years of age at the time. During this period of my life, I would often have two bowls of cereal for breakfast. One bowl would be a sugar cereal. Some thing like Captain Crunch or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The other bowl would be a “non”-sugar choice. Something like Wheaties or Cheerios. I would add sugar to these latter choices because I just could stand the taste of them with just milk.

One morning I decided to eat the “non”-sugar cereal first. And of course I added my regular amount of sugar to the bowl. I ate the cereal and drank the milk. I was ready for my second bowl. It would be the sweet cereal this time. I did not need to add sugar because they were sweet enough on their own.

Upon taking my first bite, I realized that the milk was rotten! I had eaten an entire bowl of cereal and sour milk without even realizing it. How could I have not noticed? I had added so much sugar to my cereal that it covered the taste of rotten milk! That is a lot of sugar.

In a Better Place

Reflecting back on how much sugar I use to eat makes me appreciate how much healthier I am now. I still love the taste of sweet things. But now my cravings are under control and the future is looking good. I never want to go back to being a sugar addict.

 

Getting Yourself Motivated For the New Year

When it comes to weight loss and working out, different people are motivated by different things. For example, someone can sit and watch a documentary on weight loss (like My 500 Pound Life) and not be motivated to change their life at all. While others, cannot even sit still through such a show. When the documentary ends, the latter group will be motivated to take action and change the condition of their health.

Today’s blog is going to be somewhat autobiographical. While I cannot address what motivates everyone to take steps toward fitness, I can talk about one of the things that motivates me. The truth is there are lots of things that motivate me to strive toward fitness. Today, however, I am going to address just one–workout equipment!

What I Got for Christmas 

This is particularly relevant to me because I just got a slue of equipment for Christmas. And none to soon at that. I have let the holidays get the better of me and have gained between 7 to 9 pounds. I am ready to get back to it! And now I am motivated as well.

I love receiving workout equipment and helps. I just get so excited over it. I am one of those people who have to tear into the stuff right away and start using it. This year I received (from my loving family) a ten-pound medicine ball,

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lift grips for better push ups,

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A DVD set on working out,

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and…the mother of all…. a Weider Pro 6900 that does just about everything.

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A Consideration For the Reader 

I know what it takes to motivate me. One of those things is (as I have mentioned) new workout equipment. Knowing this about myself has helped me keep my weight and fitness in check. There have been several times when been less enthusiastic to work out or stay on a healthy eating plan. Picking up a $4 work out DVD has kicked my butt back into gear on several occasions. So my questions for the reader is this: What motivates you to take action?  And how can you use that knowledge to take help yourself action today?

A Mind For Fitness, Episode 7

A new episode of my podcast, A Mind for Fitness is now up. In this episode, I talk about how to tell when you need professional help with weight loss. A good topic considering many people are going to try to lose wight at the first of the year. Hope you enjoy!

 

Starting Early on 2015

It’s the day after Christmas and I have a week to go before the new year. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were absolutely filled with abusing myself with food. And again, it is one week before the first of the year. It’s a week that I could enjoy all those foods I thought I had been missing out on. But I have decided not to do that. I have decided to get started on my weight loss goals before the new year.

Me with a very biig peanut -butter cup
Me with a very biig peanut -butter cup

Why have I decided to do this? Well, the simple truth is I am sick of unhealthy food. As many of you who frequent my blog know, I am a big proponent of a low-carb, high-fat diet which included scheduled cheat days. Cheat days are for both health and psychological reasons. And through this method, I have lost more than 60 pounds. However, during this season, I have just had too many high-carb foods and I can feel it in my body. I feel sick and am having a difficult time thinking clearly.

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A Shirt I use to wear at age 26
A Shirt I use to wear at age 26

Being sick like this has brought one thought into my mind. That is: I cannot believe I use to eat like this all the time! When I was over weight, most of my meals were largely made up of carbohydrates and it did not bother me at all! Now, I can really feel it after just one full day!

So I am back to the diet that makes me feel and look great! My challenge to you is to start early too! You do not need to pig-out this week just because it’s a week before the new year. Start now! It’s worth it!

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Ultra Successful Weight Loss

There are four keys that help open up the door to ultra successful at weight loss.

Key One

The first key is to pick a plan or program. Of course you want to pick a program that is reasonable. You cannot pick the “I eat jelly donuts all day long” plan. Unless your goal is to put on massive amounts of fat. That said, there are many good programs out there that will help you lose weight. Check the link below to get the program I used to lose 64 pounds!

Key Two

The second key Is to follow that plan. Follow it as closely as you possibly can.  Don’t cheat. If the program is 25 carbs a day, then consume only 25 carbs a day. You cannot blame the diet if you do not follow it.

Key Three

Monitor to see if what you are doing is working. This is where one has to be honest with him or her self. If what you are doing is working then keep going. However, if the plan is not working, then stop and implement the fourth and final key.

Key Four

The fourth key is change. That is to say do not be afraid to change if what you are doing is not working. Out of the four, this last one seems to trouble people the most. People just do not want to change plans.

There are two reasons for this. The first is due to the fact that changing plans (in the minds of many) is an like an admission of defeat. However, that is not true.Changing plans does not mean that a person has lost. Instead it means that a person is strong. It means that a person is flexible in their approach. It mans that a person is on the track to being successful.

The second reason is change for many means complete abandonment. But like the above misconception this is also not true. Adjusting a plan slightly is also a change.

For example, let’s say you were on a diet that allowed 40 carbs a day. You do not have to drop the whole plan. Just drop your carbs a bit and see what happens. But always remember to monitor your weight and don’t be afraid to readjust again.

Follow these four steps and pretty soon you will go from this

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To this

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What I’m Looking For In A Low-Carb Meal

The one thing I’m looking for in a low-carb meal is satisfaction. However, there are many elements that go into making a meal, particularly a low-carb meal, satisfactory. Here are the three main factors that create a satisfying low-carb experience.

Food Food Food 

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The first thing for me is volume. That is to say, I want to eat a lot of food. This may not be the main element for many readers, but for me, it is a big deal.

One of the reasons why I like a low-carb lifestyle is that I do not have to be hungry. I have to admit that there have been times when I have eaten too much. This was particularly true when I first started this lifestyle over two years ago. My tendency to overeat has severely lessened over the past two years. However, I still do not like to be hungry.

Dang That Was Good

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Of course a large amount of food on its own does not make a satisfying meal. That leads me to my next important element–flavor! I want a lot of food but it has to taste good. It’s better if it tastes excellent. Flavorful, rich food will often make me forget that I am even eating a low-carb meal. At that point, it is just a meal that tastes great!

Fun

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A final touch is to make the meal exciting. One of the things that excites me is trying out new recipes. This makes both the process of cooking the meal and eating it a major blast!

Another aspect that makes a meal fun is the way it looks. One way to help a meal look good is to add color. A colorful meal makes the experience thrilling.

One Last Thought 

One of the reasons why people fail on diets is due to the fact that they feel unsatisfied. That is to say they think they are missing out. If an individual is constantly thinking that they are missing out on better food, then of course they are going to eventually fail. This is why satisfaction is the most important element. A person who is satisfied by eating a lot of flavorful and exciting food is going to be satisfied, and, in turn, have no reason to stray from their eating program. So my question for you is: What makes a low-carb meal satisfying for you? Leave your answer in the comment section. And don’t forget to follow and share!

 

When to Get Help

We all need help. Whether it is help overcoming a craving or finding the motivation to workout, we all need help. The question is: When should a person seek professional help?

Reason One

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This question is relevant to me for three reasons. First, I am the kind of person who needs help on a daily basis. Although, I rarely need professional help. Most of the help I need to stay on my weight-loss journey comes from the books I read and the podcasts I listen to. These seem to be enough, generally speaking, to keep me focused. And I can tell you, when I do not have these influences, I find myself slipping back into old habits very quickly.

Reason Two 

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The second reason is there was a time I did need professional help. It was only a few months ago. What was my problem? I had lost the motivation for working out. It did not matter how many podcasts I listen to, or how many books and articles I read. Even my favorite T. V. shows about losing weight were not helping. I would start a workout, and about five minutes into it I would give up. I lost my drive.

The good thing is I knew I needed help. So what did I do? I contacted an NLP practitioner. Within just a half-hour I was back on top of my game.

Reason Three 

The third reason is I see people all the time who need professional help and refuse to get it. This became evident to me when I got to know a barista at a local coffee shop I frequent. Because I am there so often I have gotten to know many of the people in the shop on a personal basis. On one occasion, this barista asked me what I did for work. I told her I was in the health and fitness industry.

Over the years I have gotten to know her and her story. She is severely overweight and has had many health problems associated with her obesity–including serious ones! Of course, she asked me for advice. And I gave her some, the type of advice I do not mind giving out for free. I told her to cut back on her carbohydrates and other such general information. But, I also let her know that she needed to come and see me on a professional basis in order to really see change. However, she never has taken that step.

I see her quite often and she is always telling me about the latest diet she is trying. Is she ever successful on any of these programs? The answer is no!

I rarely talk to her anymore about her ongoing struggles. Now, whenever she tells me she is starting some new fad-diet, I simply smile and nod and tell her that I hope it works.

Will she ever see the results she hopes for? Not likely. Not without help. Will she ever get the help she needs? Well, it does not look good, but I always hope she will come to her senses.

Get The Help You Need

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So here is my question to the reader: What kind of help do you need? Perhaps you only need a small amount of motivation that comes from listening to podcasts and reading books on the subject of weight loss. Or are you the kind of person who may need some professional help? How can you tell the difference? Well, is what you are doing working? If it is, then great! But if you find yourself constantly yo-yo dieting, or needing some extra coaching, then don’t fool yourself–get the help you need!

Closing

Advanced Weight Loss Resources is here for you. Whether you need coaching or specialized diet programs. Please contact us and get the help you need. It is worth your time to improve your health.