Category: Motivation

All of us who reach the point where we want to make a change in our lives to get healthy and/or fit want those changes to happen immediately. I know; I wanted this to happen, too. However, it’s neither realistic nor safe to do it too quickly.

When Sherry and I started our first Whole30, we decided that we weren’t after huge or incredible rates of weight loss. We wanted slow and steady. We wanted to be safe, and we wanted our weight loss to be sustainable long-term. We also wanted to avoid some of the side effects and risks people face when losing weight too quickly. It turned out to be the right decision, because neither Sherry nor I suffered from any of the ill effects some people suffer when losing weight too fast.

Ironically, there were people who admonished me about losing weight too quickly. They saw me losing weight on Facebook or here on the blog, and they didn’t realize how long ago I started the process. To them, it looked like I had lost weight overnight. I can confirm that my weight loss was definitely not overnight.

I lost 20 lbs in the first month, but I was nearly 300 lbs. Losing that 20 lbs was not noticeable to anyone; not even to me! I had lost 50 lbs before anyone noticed, and 80 lbs before I could really tell. At 100 lbs lost, I felt like I looked really different, and now at 110 lbs lost, I’m a different person. However, I didn’t get here overnight. I didn’t even get here over the period of a few months; it took over a year.

We don’t always see the progress we make. It’s hard when you see yourself day after day in the mirror. Those changes become invisible to you. That’s why status photos are so important. I took them every few weeks, and only then was I really able to tell how much I had lost.

My fitness has been taking the same route. I started running over five weeks ago, and I’m just now starting to get to a point where running is effortless. On my run this morning, I ran the entire three miles without pain, and without feeling like I was exerting a whole lot of energy. I wasn’t taking it easy; I had set a pretty good pace for myself (a record pace for the first half mile, even!) yet my body was rewarding me with all the work I’d put in over the past five weeks by making this run easy.

It didn’t happen overnight either. It took weeks of running slowly, of building up the distance and the pace to get to where I am today. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, and that’s what I will work on over the coming weeks and months, but I am very happy to be where I am today. I’m a runner, I’m no longer overweight, and my health is good (just had a physical last week!).

Take your time. You’ll get there. Concentrate on being good and eating the right foods now and taking exercise when you feel that you can do so without hurting yourself. Even then, take it slow. You’re not in a race. The good changes will happen, and the results you’re after will come. It just takes patience, discipline, and determination.

It’s easy to get demotivated. It’s easy to quit when you see others succeed and you aren’t experiencing the same results. It’s easy to just eat that donut or kolache, or to just stop at McDonald’s to pick up a meal pack and eat it for dinner. It’s far easier to eat low-quality pre-packaged food than it is to plan it, shop for it, and make it.

That’s the thing. Those are all the easy way out.

You’re better than that. You’re worth more than that. You are worth the time and the effort. You deserve it. Your body needs it.

It is hard to be dedicated. It is hard to stay motivated. It is hard to stick with eating whole foods and avoiding sugar. For some, it’s extremely hard. Sugar addiction is every bit as real as heroin addiction, and it’s been suggested by scientific studies that it’s every bit as difficult to kick sugar as it is to kick hard drugs.

Everyone fails every now and then. Everyone has moments of weakness. What defines those who succeed at kicking the sugar addiction and being able to realize the success at losing weight and adopting a healthy lifestyle is never giving up and getting back up on that horse at the very next meal.

Don’t let the fast food and the sugar win. You can do this. You can beat this. No, it won’t happen over night, and yes, it’s hard work, but you can do it. Trust me. I’m super lazy when it comes to putting in effort to lose weight, and I was able to do it. 110 lbs in 13 months. I’m no Superman. I’m just a regular guy who said, “No more” to being fat.

I don’t expect everyone to lose 10 lbs a month. But with effort, discipline, and motivation, you can reach your goals. It won’t be overnight, but you will get there, but only if you try.

What makes something hard? What is it about anything you consider difficult that makes it so? If you can think of the obstacles before you, then you can also think of the ways to defeat those obstacles. Losing weight and getting fit is no different.

“But I love fast food!” So do I. I had to make a choice between the instant gratification of eating fast food to the long-term benefits of being healthy.

“I hate exercise.” So do did I. Fortunately, weight loss is 90% dietary, so if you want to lose weight, it’s easy to do with some discipline and motivation.

“It’s hard to stick to a diet.” What is making it hard? Your willpower? Your inability to resist temptation? Your extreme love of certain foods? If any of these are the case, these are things you need to address before you can really start on a diet plan.

“I can’t give up donuts.” Or any specific food for that matter. Well, I’m not advocating giving up on any foods for life. You just need to cut them out for a while until you reach a goal weight, and then, you can have those foods as treats every now and then. You just need to cut them out from your daily or even weekly meals.

In the end, anything is only as hard as we allow them to be. I set my mind to losing 100 lbs in a year, and I did it because it became the most important goal I had. I accomplished my goal because I knew it was the best thing for me to do, and it was necessary.

You’ve done harder things. You can do this, too. You just need to decide: are you worth it? If so, then stop making excuses, make a plan, and execute!

Remember that thing you wanted so badly you saved up for it? How about that one accomplishment you wanted to complete and you spent months or even years attaining? How about that relationship you nourished and slowly helped grow into something that will last a lifetime? Yeah; all that stuff that didn’t happen in a day? You did it! You set your mind to it, and you did it.

You put aside other wants, desires, and yes, even needs to make it happen. If you were saving up to buy something, you skipped some meals out, or didn’t buy some items here and there that you didn’t really need. If you were studying, you spent more time with books and study groups and less time in the bar, hanging out with friends, or watching movies. If you were building a relationship, you were likely not spending as much time with others with whom your relationship would impede.

Your health and weight loss are no different.

How bad do you want it? How important is it to you? Where does your health and your weight rank in your priorities?

These are tough questions, and lots of people lie to themselves and say things like, “My health is important!” but then they go and eat half a pizza with some bread sticks while drinking a soda. This is like saying that safety is the most important thing to you and then skydiving without a parachute. It just doesn’t make sense.

Take a real, long, hard look at your priorities. Be honest with yourself.If your health isn’t your top priority, then admit it and move on. However, if it is, or if you want it to be, then commit to making it the most important thing and adjust accordingly. Every other aspect of your life has to adjust and change to allow this priority to have top billing.

In my life, health and weight come first above foods I like to eat. Do I like pizza? Very much so! But I place my health and weight at a much higher priority in my life than I do pizza. Exercise is up very high now, as well. There are computer games I’d like to be playing and TV shows I’d like to be watching, but I find myself spending more time exercising and working on projects than watching TV or playing games. Priorities are set, and I respect them by sticking to the plan.

Make a plan. Set priorities. Stick to it, and do it. You can do it. You’ve done much harder things before.