Making the Decision to Lose Weight

Making the Decision to Lose Weight

People make the decision to lose weight every day. Some decide to implement more exercise, some choose to improve their diet, some choose to do both. Here’s the truth… (Patting myself on the back for resisting inserting the word “skinny” there.) But seriously, the truth…

If you improve your exercise habits, your dietary habits, or both…  most of you will see initial progress in your weight loss, regardless of program sustainability. 

Let’s say you have your normal lifestyle of diet and exercise. If you do everything the same, but exercise more… you’re probably going to see initial progress in your weight loss efforts.

And if you do everything the same, but improve your dietary habits…you’re probably going to see initial progress in your weight loss efforts. If you exercise more AND improve your dietary habits, guess what?? You will probably see initial progress in your weight loss efforts!!!

Now there is the simple, yet complicated truth. On one hand,  there are numerous, even hundreds of ways to “effectively” lose body weight. But notice I said “effectively.” Not responsible nor sustainable.

There’s a reason that most that start a diet or exercise program rarely finish and achieve their goals. Their programming isn’t set up for more than short term (1-12 week) success. I can’t even begin to address the many different ways folks lose 5-10 pounds or even more initially, but eventually fall prey to diminishing progress, and often regress and then gain weight.

So when you look at those “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days!!!” ads or even those amazing and too- good-to-be true 90 day transformations ask yourself…”What happens after?” Is there a plan? Has there been a true education? Or did someone just “do this for 12 weeks” without learning much about how their body adapts to various physical and dietary habits? Were the methods used responsibly? And did those methods advocate sustainability?

Every day, people work with a mediocre fitness “professional” and are still successful in losing weight. At least, initially.

Caloric restriction works for weight loss, initially. Working out as much as possible will support weight loss, initially. You could also drink shakes, eat a “cookie” diet, perform “cleanses,” or even follow a pure liquid diet and find success losing weight…you guessed it, initially!

Responsibility and sustainability, especially in regards to weight loss, seem to go hand in hand. Sure you can work out twice a day, 6 days a week. But let’s raise hands and check just who would choose to keep up such a lifestyle on their own. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?? There are a plethora of crazy ways to lose weight, and they work…they’re just not responsible nor sustainable.

And that’s the catch, body improvement and maintenance isn’t something you do for a day, a week, a month, or three months. Every day your behaviors and actions are simple. You are either performing actions to get better, stay the same, or get worse. Really.

Even a mediocre fitness professional, of which there are many (especially in big “globogyms”), can steer you towards some weight loss, even with inferior knowledge of diet and training.

So when you lose five pounds or shed some initial weight, while it’s obviously encouraging, make sure you’re not fooling yourself. Did you lose weight in a manner that you can continue to build upon as part of your healthy lifestyle?

We all know the story of the tortoise and the hare, and there may not be a better application of the moral of the story, “hard work, commitment, and a steady approach” than to your weight loss efforts.

Look, no one can turn off the “autopilot” button for you. You have to do it. Take control of your body. If you have nothing else, you have power over your body. Embrace it. Accept it. Conquer your body with a healthier lifestyle that you are always building, nourishing, and affecting for the better.

“EVOLVE INTO YOUR STRONGEST YOU!”

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