Be Healthy First and the Weight Loss WILL Follow.

Question: I lost over 50 pounds a couple of years ago by cutting out sugars and changing my eating habits. I've gained it all back over time and then some. I started working out and feel so much better when I do but I haven't been able to get hold of my poor eating habits and lose weight again. Any suggestions?

Answer: The physical aspects of being fit, healthy and losing weight are the four steps: Eat according to the 80/20 rule, (eat healthy 80% of the time and cheat only 20% of the time), drink at least 64 ounces of water a day, lift weights no less than two times a week, do your cardio 4 to 5 days a week for 30 to 40 minutes a day intensely. Challenge yourself on every occasion. There is an old saying that if you want to lose fat don't lie down when you can sit, don't sit when you can stand, don't stand when you can walk and don't walk when you can run. I have another client who says if God didn't make it then she doesn't eat it, meaning steer away from processed foods. This is an easy time of year to eat healthier with gardens and farmer's markets.

Make a choice to do whatever it takes to be healthy. Be healthy first and the weight loss will follow. Your mind will direct your body to do whatever you choose to accomplish. Mentally, build a picture of what you want to look like. Play your own mental movie of participating in whatever activity you enjoy doing. Keep that movie or picture fresh. Pay attention daily to what you eat. Be proactive not reactive. This means read labels and pick up a nutritional brochure at the fast food restaurant you just walked into and read the calories and fat breakdown of what you think you want to eat. Then turn around and walk out because you know you can't eat there. Pay attention to how you use your time and make sure your training is a priority. Remove the toxins from your life. This means throw the snacks and cookies in your house out because your kids are in college and you can't use the kids as an excuse to have the junk around. Gently excuse yourself from relationships and habits that are toxic. Hanging out with the boys drinking beer and eating pizza and subs every week will not get you where you want to be. Until you're mentally strong enough to break harmful habits you have to avoid them. Get support from a trainer, family members and friends that want you to succeed and be healthy. Maintain your focus on the path you chose to be healthy. Persevere and discipline yourself. It takes time to break old habits and establish new ones. It takes time to get weight off but I promise you that if you are doing all that needs to be done you will get to where you want to be. Finally take responsibility for your actions or lack thereof. No one is responsible for what you do to yourself, except you. If you want to take control take it immediately. Don't wait for next week to clean up your food, start now. Accept where you are now and determine where you want to be and the directions necessary to take you there. The reality is that a large portion of the "diseases" in our society today can be preventable: Type-II diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, joint problems from being over weight, and the list goes on. Don't settle for being part of a bad statistic. Choose to be more than average.

God bless and keep training,
Daryl

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Posted by Daryl Laws on August 5, 2008 | Printer-Friendly

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