Hopefully if you?ve been frustrated in your attempts to lose weight for a while, you?re at a bottoming out point where you?re willing to do whatever is necessary in order to accomplish your goals. Luckily, it does not require giving up your first born child. Unfortunately, it does require a shift in the way you think, and that shift is towards greater self-discipline.
But is it really unfortunate? I?ll ask this: How many people do you know that are in really great shape and are moody, pessimistic, and intolerable to be around? If you hate what you see when you look in the mirror, it is nothing for you to adopt non-existent exercise habits as well as poor nutrition habits to create a sluggish body to match your low self-esteem. So, in becoming more self-disciplined, what are you actually sacrificing besides your own gloomy outlook on yourself and the world in general?
I really truly hope that you continue to ask such questions of yourself, and wait for an answer that does not lead to more self-flagellation. In the meantime, here are some useful tips for losing weight that a positive mindset can quite easily absorb:
- Consume less calories than you expend. If you do very minimal exercise and eat foods loaded with empty calories and wonder why you aren't losing weight, it's because it's impossible to do so in this manner. You don't need to lose your head and count every calorie you consume. If you are not sure about what kind of foods that you will enjoy that also are low calorie alternatives to some of the things you may now enjoy, there are many books out there that will you give you an idea of nutrition as well as specific diets that you can start instantly.
- Develop a passion for exercise. See, doing it is not enough, and doing it because you feel like you have to brings you nothing but a quitter's mentality. The most fabulously toned people I've ever met love to exercise, because they use their imaginations, they set themselves goals, they figure out how to make it enjoyable rather than endlessly insisting that it's a painful endeavor (even if only subconsciously).
- Develop a taste for natural foods. The idea of 'developing a taste' is really important. I'll give you an example to show you what I mean. For many years I was a frozen pizza and salty French fries kind of guy, but I also noticed that my energy levels would get so low that I was convinced that I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Rather than run to my doctor, I decided to go on a 4-day fast where I consumed only fruit, vegetables, and spring water. I figured 4 days was the perfect amount so that I wouldn't feel overwhelmed. Well, after 2 days I was bouncing off the walls with a remarkable, grounded energy. And, when I finished this diet, salty fries were intolerable to me. It's not about sacrificing something of value; it's simply about getting used to something new.
If these tips for losing weight seem too simplified to be considered ?the secret?, well, ?the secret? doesn?t really exist. I stand corrected; there is a secret, but it?s not a diet fad or pill. The key to getting from where you are now to where you want to be is persistence. Do you honestly believe that if you exercised regularly, consumed more natural, low-fat foods and kept an eye on calories over an extended period of time that you still wouldn?t achieve your weight loss goals?
To get results, you need to know where you desire to be, write down both short term and long term goals, and do something every day towards achieving them. And don?t ever allow your self-flagellating, counter-productive, settle-for-less ego tell you different.
