For many, weight loss seems like a tricky thing. Maybe you’ve tried things in the past…diets, workouts, pills, creams, ANYTHING to help get the weight off, but it seems like no matter how hard you try, it either doesn’t come off at all, or it comes right back on. Why do you think that is?
I believe that successful weight loss is based on sound nutrition principles and regular exercise. Sounds easy, right? But here’s the catch…THIS IS JUST THE BASIC OUTLINE FOR SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS. So what are the underlying reasons? Why does it seem like some people eat whatever they want and stay skinny as a rail, and for some people, no matter what they try or how hard they try it, they can’t seem to get results?
I’ve created a list for you containing principles that will produce tremendous results if taken to heart and APPLIED to your life. Listed here are the KEYS to losing weight and keeping it off for good.
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Now, remember…I can provide the knowledge, but it is up to YOU to take action. In the words of Emmerson, “Good thoughts are no better than good dreams unless they are executed.” In other words, it’s not enough to know these weight loss secrets; you have to APPLY them to your life. I can not stress the importance of this one seemingly simple step.
Rest assured, no one is going to do this for you. You got yourself to where you are now, and it is YOU who has the power to turn it around and get yourself to where and to who you want to be. But the AMAZING, TREMENDOUS thing about all of this is that you have the power to change. I’ll say that again…YOU DO HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE! Know this, understand this, and live this, and I GUARANTEE your success in weight loss or any other venture you choose to pursue in life.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF
It appears as though many people want to shift blame for their current situation to anyone or anything but themselves. Whether finances, relationships, work, family, or health-related, we sometimes tend to create external reasons for our problems as humans. If you ever find yourself saying, “If only so and so had done this differently, I could have…” or, ” If only I had this, I could…” or anything like this, I suggest you stop and take a good look at the real reason why you don’t have exactly what you want in your life. Is it because of other people and circumstances, or is the real reason because of a lack of action or purpose on your part?
Now, I realize this can be difficult, and I don’t mean to imply that everything in every person’s life results from a lack of action. I understand circumstances like the death of a loved one or being diagnosed with a terminal illness can be devastating events in a person’s life and can be entirely unrelated to a lack of action.
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HOWEVER, what I am suggesting is that you can respond to every situation in your life and make the best of it. I’m saying YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHOOSE how you interpret events and circumstances in your life. If you choose to be a victim, that’s precisely what you’ll be. If you choose to blame other people or reasons for your inability to lose weight, you are NOT taking responsibility for yourself or your life, and I guarantee you WILL NOT LOSE WEIGHT!
If you’ve ever found yourself saying…” I don’t have the time to exercise…I don’t like healthy foods…No matter what I try, I can’t lose weight…It’s just in my genes to be heavy,” anything like this, then STOP!
I’ve got news for you, my friends. You have the time; you don’t choose to make it. You may like healthy foods; you decide not to try them because you want the taste of unhealthy ones. You haven’t tried everything to lose weight, and if you chose a sensible plan and STUCK with it, you could lose weight. And no matter what your parents, brother, sister, aunt, or uncle’s waistline look like, I GUARANTEE you have the power to make your waistline look precisely the way you want it to.
Step 1 is to stop making excuses, take responsibility for your current physical state, and realize that you created this situation. Still, more importantly, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE, TO CREATE A NEW SITUATION, AND THE LIFE AND BODY YOU WANT!!!
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FIND OUT WHY?
This is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS in losing weight and keeping it off….the big WHY. Why do you eat? I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I’m going to assume that if you’re overweight, you don’t only eat because you’re hungry but for various other reasons. Many people eat because they’re bored or tired, or they are just used to eating when they arrive home from work, watch TV at night, or go out with friends, and the list goes on and on.
For many people, eating is a deeply emotional and psychological issue. People deal with painful past or present experiences and insecurities in their lives by eating. Food as comfort. This is one of the most destructive patterns a person can have, and it goes in direct opposition to weight loss success.
I am not suggesting knowing the specific reason why you eat. Still, as painful as it may be, I invite you to spend some time with yourself and identify why you eat, what times of day you eat, what emotions you experience when you eat, and what emotions you experience when you overeat. By doing so, you will unlock a door that many people never even get close to. I can not stress the importance of this step. Until you determine WHY you eat, you will not be able to fix the problem.
So, step 1 is taking responsibility, realizing you have the power to change, and step 2 is understanding why you eat.
THERE ARE MANY PATHS…THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY
As you probably know, there is a TON of information available regarding diets, proper nutrition, weight loss, strength training, and anything else you could ever desire to know about health and fitness. Some claim low carbs…some no carbs…some say only the right kinds of carbs…some say meat only…some say fruit and veggies only, some say no dairy, and some say no FOOD! So how do you know which diet and exercise program is for you? How do you know which path to choose?
The answer is to educate yourself. All of these diets, to varying degrees, will produce some success…the key for you as a health-conscious consumer concerned about your own specific body and its specific needs is to find out why each of these diets works. What is the effect of “good” carbs on the body? What is the impact of “bad” carbs? On a physiological level, what happens if you eat no carbs or only carbs…I want you to understand the importance of finding out WHY.
The truth is that there is a TON of information available, and there are a TON of different ways to produce the results you want and to lose as much weight as you want. The key is to understand why a diet or exercise routine works. And perhaps even more important is to choose a program that works for YOU. One which you feel fits your nutritional requirements based on your individual food preferences and one which will support the exercise regimen you decide to follow.
So remember, step 1 is to take responsibility for yourself, step 2 is to understand why you eat, and step 3 is to realize that no single food or exercise combination will produce results. MANY different things have the potential to help you reach your goals, and the key is to understand WHY it works and then choose the right one for you.
DIET
Your diet, the food you choose to eat, is a crucial step toward weight loss success. As I stated earlier, I believe weight loss success is achieved by combining sound nutritional principles and regular exercise. However, it seems as though much of the information available points toward an exact combination of foods, or the elimination of others, to lose weight successfully. I am here to tell you that this is not the case. You will be thin if you eat fewer calories than you expend. Plain and simple. But if you do not take to heart and APPLY the principles listed above, no matter which “diet” you choose, ultimately, weight loss success will not be yours.
So, how do you know which diet to choose? The answer is as simple as understanding your goal and how you intend to arrive there. Do you want to lose weight? Are you going to do a lot of aerobic exercises? Are you going to do a lot of anaerobic exercises? How often do you plan on exercising? How active are you in your daily life outside of training?
Once you have arrived at answers to these questions, you can determine the nutritional requirements for you, your body, and your tastes. Based on your activity levels and goals, you should eat the appropriate amount of carbohydrates, fats, and protein to supply your body with sufficient nutrients. The key is choosing the healthiest foods possible that fit your tastes and meet your requirements. Diets are not one size fits all.
Your body’s primary energy source is carbohydrates, which come in two forms; simple and complex. Complex are starches from grains and vegetables. Examples of the simple are sucrose, lactose, fructose, and glucose. No matter which carbohydrate you ingest, it ALL gets converted to glucose, commonly referred to as blood sugar. The only difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is how your body digests them. How much, at what times, and which type of carbohydrate you consume should be based on your tastes, activity levels, and goals.
Protein is another essential component of a healthy diet. Protein does far more for the body than build muscle. In the form of enzymes, proteins in the body perform numerous functions, including keeping your brain, heart, and digestive system functioning correctly. Protein is made from 20 different amino acids, 9 of which are considered “essential” amino acids. Essential because your body cannot manufacture these 9, it must obtain them from your diet. If you eat animal-based foods, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you eat a vegetarian diet, you must make it a point to eat the right combination of foods containing plant proteins that will supply your body with the nine essential amino acids. So, how much protein do you need? Again, as with carbohydrates, the amount you need depends largely upon your goals and your activity levels.
Fats are often misunderstood. People shy away from high-fat foods, consistently looking for “low” or “non-fat” foods when weight loss is the concern; people should be far more concerned about the calories and ingredients in their food, not just the amount of fat that it has. Fat tends to make people “fat” because it is so calorie-dense. One gram of fat has nine calories, whereas a gram of carbohydrates or protein has only 4. There are different types of fat, some of which are healthy for the body and some which are not. We need, on average, 15-25 grams of fat a day to provide our body with proper nutrition and to ensure we have enough fatty acids to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins. Your body can manufacture saturated and monounsaturated fat from other foods. However, it can not manufacture the fatty acids of omega-6 and omega-3. You must obtain these directly from foods that contain them. These fatty acids are built into the tissues of your heart, brain, and other vital organs and must be replenished through your diet.
Adequate consumption of vitamins and minerals also plays a vital role in healthy nutrition. The bottom line is that there is no one food you should be having and no one food you shouldn’t have to attain weight loss success. The answer lies in understanding your body’s requirements and fulfilling them with healthy, whole foods consumed in moderation. Once you determine what food is right for you, MAKE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT!!! Don’t try it for a week, then go to something else. KNOWLEDGE, PLANNING, and CONSISTENCY are the keys to a successful diet strategy.
EXERCISE
Exercise is such an essential tool in losing weight and keeping it off, and this is because exercise is a necessary component of a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise will help you look and feel better, and it will increase your energy, motivation, strength, confidence, and self-image.
Besides helping you look and feel great, regular exercise lowers your risk of developing several diseases, health conditions, and cancers. It can improve the quality of your life.
Humans were meant to move! We have intricately designed skeletal, muscular, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems, providing enormous potential. Our bodies, like our minds, are capable of tremendous things. Humans have climbed 30,000 feet to the top of Mount Everest. They compete in marathons, triathlons, and sporting events that draw the attention of millions of people around the world. Everybody is capable of great things. Every person has enormous potential. I’m not saying you need to climb a mountain or compete in a race, but I am telling you that if you want to, YOU CAN DO IT. And exercise is the key.
As far as weight loss is concerned, the type of exercise is not as important as the amount. You need to get out and move. Run. Walk. Swim. Bike. Skip. Jump rope. Lift weights. JUST GET MOVING!
Exercise will accelerate weight loss, and it will help give you the body you want. You can lose weight by applying the above principles to your life, but you can only get a strong, toned, healthy body through regular exercise and strength training. You can’t ignore or skip this. If you want to lose weight and be healthy, and you’re serious about it, then get serious about starting an exercise program…TODAY!
COMMITMENT
To achieve weight loss success, you must commit to your program. After deciding on your specific requirements and choosing a diet and exercise regime, you must COMMIT to your schedule and achieve 100%.
If you’ve taken the previous steps, your success is guaranteed if you commit to the program. If you lose 1lb in a week, you have proven that YOU HAVE THE ABILITY to lose weight. You have chosen a path that works, and hopefully, it’s one you can maintain as a way of life and one that meets your specific needs. Your ability to lose 1lb in a week transfers into 52lbs in a year, 104 kg in two years, etc.
No matter how much weight you have to lose, YOU CAN DO IT! But you must first commit to the program. It would help if you said to yourself that no matter what, you will follow through on your commitment and follow the path you have chosen until you reach your goal. Commit to your program!
CONSISTENCY
This is perhaps the most crucial thing any person can do to achieve weight loss success. CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY! Have you ever asked someone about the top three most important things for business success and heard them say, “location, location, and location!” Well, it’s “consistency, consistency, and consistency!” It’s not enough to take responsibility, find out the way, and choose a plan of attack; you must be consistent. People who are unsuccessful at losing weight try several different things over the year, always looking for the “right” or “best” or “fastest” way to lose the weight and constantly changing their plan of attack. People who are thin and healthy consistently do the same thing and follow the same plan day in and day out for years.
This point is SO important. It’s small changes in the wrong direction…an accumulation of bad habits over the years that lead to weight gain for most people. You don’t just wake up one day an overweight, and you won’t just wake up one day and have the body you want. But the good news is that the process CAN be reversed in the same way it was created. By making small changes in your life in the right direction, you will make progress by accumulating good habits and practicing them every day.
The important thing here is not to get discouraged…to be consistent with your plan. If you go out to eat one night and have WAY too many calories, cocktails, or whatever, DO NOT ADJUST FOR IT THE NEXT DAY. Yesterday is gone, and you need to resume your regular daily routine and get back on the path you have chosen. By altering your way further and making more changes to eating less or exercising more the day after you overeat or miss a workout, you will be falling even further from the path of consistency. When fit, healthy people overindulge one day, they resume their normal eating the next day. They don’t punish or starve themselves. Everything returns to normal. Consistency is the rule. Are you beginning to see what I’m talking about?
It’s so important to choose a path, but even more critical to STAY ON IT! Remember, it’s the accumulation of good and healthy habits that produce weight loss success, and the only way to accumulate is to BE CONSISTENT!
ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability provides you with additional support on your journey toward a healthier you. This is where the help of a family member, or a professional, can encourage you and help keep you motivated when you begin to have doubts. Being held accountable to a program through another person is ESSENTIAL to your success. Until you develop proper eating habits and until you create new ways of thinking about yourself, food, and exercise, having another person to guide and assist you can make all the difference between success and failure.
Find someone…a coach, trainer, friend, or family member who is committed to you and your success. After taking responsibility for yourself, determining why you eat, choosing a path, defining your nutritional requirements, and devising a plan for your eating and exercise, find a person who will keep you accountable to the program. It’s A LOT harder to skip a workout, cheat on your diet, or lose consistency if someone is waiting for you to show up and work out.
The right person to keep you accountable depends on you. Just make sure it’s someone you trust, someone with proper knowledge about you and your goals, and someone who will provide you with the right balance of encouragement, support, and discipline you need to achieve your goals.
TIME
This is an integral part of the weight loss process and is often diminished or left out of conventional weight loss methodology. I am here to set the record straight for you. This will not happen overnight, and this did not happen all at once, and it won’t “unhappen” all at once either.
I am sorry to break this to you. I’m sure if you’ve tried things in the past, unsuccessfully, to lose weight, you probably are beginning to understand this…THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A QUICK FIX. Programs or people who try to sell you or tell you otherwise are out for your money, not your success.
If this is not what you want to hear, I am sorry. If you don’t believe me, that’s OK too. But how many times have you tried, how many different “fast” ways to take the weight off have you tried that hasn’t worked?
This is because it’s a process and it’s a lifestyle change. Not a quick change in your diet, the sudden elimination of a single food, or the adoption of a magic one. It’s about LEARNING how to eat. How to think about food properly, incorporate healthy foods and diets into your life for your goals, and how to do it in a manner that you can maintain over time.
Healthy, sustainable weight loss occurs at anywhere between 1-2 lbs a week. That’s right. Probably not what you wanted to hear. BUT THAT’S THE TRUTH. A pound may not seem like much. BUT the AMAZING thing about this is if you keep it up for a year, BE CONSISTENT in the path you’ve chosen for one year, and that 1lb turns into 52lbs—104lbs in two years. See what I’m getting at here?
Accept that it takes time. You will not see success overnight, but do not let that discourage you. That 1lb you lost, if you have applied the above principles, is GONE FOREVER. Don’t be discouraged…BE EXCTATIC at your 1lb loss! If you can lose 1lb in a week, you have just proved to yourself that YOU HAVE THE POWER to lose ANY AMOUNT OF WEIGHT YOU WANT! Realize this. Understand this. Know this. BELIEVE THIS! Be consistent, accept time, keep your eye on the prize, and YOU WILL LOSE THE WEIGHT!
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
If you’ve taken the previous 9 principles to heart, the final thing you need to successfully achieve your weight loss goal is to BELIEVE that you can do it. This can be difficult, especially if you’ve tried things in the past, perhaps several times, and seen no results or the weight comes back on.
But I want you to know that if you take the 10 principles listed here and APPLY them to your life, you CAN, you WILL lose weight, and keep it off. But it would help if you believe in yourself. Deep in your heart, you need to know that you can do it. You’ve taken responsibility for your actions. You’ve figured out why you eat. You’ve chosen a path based on your diet and exercise preferences and requirements, and you’ve realized there is no ONE right way to lose weight. You’ve COMMITTED to your program and committed to being CONSISTENT. You’ve found someone to hold you accountable to your schedule, and you know that it will take time to achieve your goals, but you CAN DO IT. Now…believe in yourself!!!
You can lose as much weight as you want to, and you can choose to become the person you wish to be! Listed here are your keys for taking weight off and keeping it off. Your success will be determined by your determination and by how sincerely you APPLY these principles to your life.
I want you to succeed. Apply these principles to your life, and I guarantee your success. YOU CAN DO IT!
Reference Links
- weightlossadvice.water.blog
- happydiet8.wordpress.com
- quickweightlossadvice103.blogspot.com
- ibdrelief.com
- ismailinho94.wordpress.com
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