Choices on Weight and Health

Getting Started

It’s the same with any addiction or bad habit, for every action there is a reaction. I cannot simply wish it into reality. It takes work, it takes planning, and it takes action. I have to forget about the past failures; live in the future not in the past. What can I do right now to help myself? Get motivated; feel good about what I am doing for myself. I need to do some research and face reality that being overweight raises the risk considerably for chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, which are on the top of the list. It’s time to take my head out of the sand and get started for the newfound self. The simple and basic fact is that if I look after myself, I will feel better in every way and the quality of life will improve, and that is the joy of living. If I put my head in the sand and let myself fall apart, then things will get worse.

A positive attitude makes a real difference in how I begin a weight loss program. Getting started and having a mindset may be the most difficult of all. Knowing and telling myself I can do this.

I am already defeated if the words come out of my mouth “ I can’t”. If I tell myself I cannot do this then it will not happen. It’s the same thing if I tell someone else I cannot, I am just reconfirming to my subconscious it’s no way this will happen. On the other hand I can begin to confirm my plan to the subconscious mind by telling others what I am going to do.

The story goes a young man ask Socrates how he could get wisdom, Socrates replied, “Come with me” He took the lad to a river, pushed the boys head under water, held it there until the boy was gasping for air. When the boy gained his composure he ask him what did you desire most when you were under water. The boy replied, “air”.

Socrates told the boy, “When you want wisdom as much as you wanted air when you were immersed in water, you will receive it.

Likewise, when I have an intense desire to loose the weight it’s the first step. But since making the choice to change my lifestyle I have made it my number one priority and have focused on that in my mind. I also use affirmations bringing myself back to focus and desired goals. One is telling myself “nothing taste as good as slim feels”, another is “telling myself I can do this” and “ I will do this for my health” I often take out the pictures of little over 3 years ago when I was down to 195 pounds.

I have heard the saying “People do what they want to do”? Or “If there is a will there is a way”? The question is do I want this as bad as I would want air if my head were immersed under water? Am I focused and determined? The subconscious mind will help me once it finally sinks into my conscious being. It’s not a wish I could; it's an action response. Making positive steps that will make a difference in reality, such as getting rid of all simple, refined, processed carbohydrates, including sweets in the cabinets and filling the shelves with whole grains, beans and vegetables. Or even cleaning out the fridge and putting in some fresh fruits and vegetables.

The magic is believing in myself, knowing I can and will make a weight goal and obtain it. Knowing this is good for my soul and body. Feeling good about myself, knowing I am taking care of my body.

Moderate exercise will also help me get the weight off and also help in maintaining my ideal weight. Research is showing one hour of moderate exercise daily is extremely helpful along with diet in controlling obesity.

Let’s grab the tiger by the tail and fling obesity out the window of misery and shame and jump through the window of opportunity and success. I am determine to once and for all defeat this Goliath in my life. To lower my risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and joint degeneration.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have an “Easy Button” like on that Staples commercial.

I do realize there is no magic pill out there somewhere, no magic diet, no magic surgery? I have not as of yet found my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, nor have I found the yellow brick road that leads to the wizard of permanent weight loss. But I can say so far keeping the fat low, no sugar, no soft drinks, eating an abundance of raw fruits and vegetables, and whole grains is almost magically, as the pounds continue to melt off rapidly. I received an email from a young lady that had lost 93 pounds in less than ten months. She was also counting fat grams and calories

Another piece of reality I have to face, 97% percent of people that lose weight gain the weight back. And that sure is the fact in my situation. So that means I have to work on a plan for permanent weight loss, that will not just happen. Just as an alcoholic or a smoker I will have to be diligent in fighting temptation. In facing reality I am just as an alcoholic but with sugar rather than alcohol, or like a smoker that finds quitting smoking to be a challenge. Even after getting to my ideal weight all sweeteners, artificial sweeteners and refined carbohydrates will have to be excluded from my diet. Of course this time I will continue to be a vegetarian. My appetite, since eliminating all the sweets, artificial sweeteners, and diet soft drinks has made a 180-degree turn. The 8 cups of water or more makes a real difference also.

The pure and simple fact is regardless the program I am on, and the reality that I had to face is; calories count. My body is going to store fat if I consume more than it burns. I had to face reality in knowing my body is different from the person that can metabolize fat efficiently, being morbid obese it’s obvious I have an abnormal amount of fat cells and store fat much easier than other people. I have made the choice to eat healthy and exercise learning from past mistakes, but not living in the past, and that is not making a permanent change. In Dr. Dean Ornish’s audiotapes “Simple Changes” he speaks on the subject of making changes and the feeling of deprivation. Dr. Ornish believes that conventional wisdom may be need rethinking and changes in lifestyle and diet may need to be rapid rather than slow gradual changes as not to leave a person feeling deprived. He continues to explain your palate will change if you remove meat altogether, but if you just cut back and eat less meat, you will continue to have the taste for it. Another good example is skim milk, cutting back and drinking some whole milk and some skim milk. The skim milk never taste good until you stop drinking the whole milk. After getting use to the skim and then drinking the whole milk it taste greasy and heavy, the palate changed.

I am finding that to be true in the case of sweets and refined carbohydrates also. Of all the previous times I lost weight only to regain it, my palate never changed. I would use artificial sweeteners that kept my cravings and sweet tooth going. To eliminate all sweeteners and artificial sweeteners including diet soft drinks has made a huge difference in controlling my appetite eliminating cravings, binges, and compulsive over eating. Never before concentrating on my blood sugar level and not understanding how insulin was helping me store fat. The other huge factor is water at least 8 glasses or more per day.