Secret to Weight Loss

Every day I hear people talking about this weight loss tip, strategy, product, secret, etc…  It really is amazing how so many people can be completely blinded by the fact that their being taken in by creative marketing.  When you buy the pills, devices, clothing, books, and the other junk that is out there you have just purchased an empty promise wrapped in a pretty package with a bow on top.  Companies and people will stop at nothing to guarantee you some “miracle” that will cause the pounds to drop off you.  You either will have to do nothing and see the weight come off or you will only have to work 90 days and the weight will fly off as well.

Occasionally I hear of some success story from someone that bought the DVD’s or something else but they are few and far in between.  99% of the time I end up hearing and talking with people who complain that they spent $$$ on products and haven’t seen any results.  I can also say the same about people who come to the gym and workout but are complaining about not seeing any results.  In years past I was even in these groups so I have some experience and know what I’m talking about here.  I’ve even spent hours with some people going over their eating habits and helping them to tighten it up.  As a result I’ve actually had quite a few successes but also a failure or too.  That’s okay though because you can’t help everyone even if you give them 100%.  They have to want the help bad enough and there’s nothing you can do if something has already defeated themselves.  It comes down to 2 simple things when it comes to weight loss.  Are you ready to find out what they are?  Are you sure?  I can almost guarantee that you already know them and have known them for years.

Here they are: 

1.       Calories In vs. Calories Out

2.       Quality of Calories vs. Quantity of Calories

So now that you know the BIG secret that all the books and other junk want you to pay for let’s break them down.

Calories In vs. Calories Out – It’s no major science trick to understand this principle.  You must burn more calories than you take in on a daily basis in order to lose weight.  The trick is knowing how many to burn in the first place.  Take this number in account; 1 pound of body fat is approximately 3500 calories.  So by the knowing this number you have to reside yourself to burn at least that much a day.  Here’s where people get into trouble though.  They see that number as a definite and strive to burn that.  That’s all well and fine, BUT you have to take into account that number of calories that you’re taking in daily as well.  So, if you want to lose 1 pound a day and have a 2000 calorie diet then your goal should be: 

Example:  2000 calories in – (2000 calories out + 3500 burn) = 5500 calories out

The trick is to burn more than you take in so if you set on losing 1 pound a day and eat 2000 calories of food then you will need to burn a total of 5500 daily in order for that to happen.  It is possible to attain this kind of burn but most of us experience “real life” and it’s just not possible to do that.  The better option would be to break it down into smaller daily increments.  Say you want to work out 5 days a week then you will need to burn 700 calories a day plus what you take in.  The goal is to put your body into a calorie deficit; this is the area where the actual weight loss happens. 

Quality of Calories vs. Quantity of Calories – some people are under the impression that as long as they stay within their calorie goal that their nutrition plan is fine.  This could NOT be farther from the truth.  Weight loss has just as much to do with what you’re putting into your body as well.  Think of your body as a sports car, you wouldn’t put 87 octane in it and expect the same kind of performance as if you had put 93 octane in it would you?  And yes, your body is a high-performance machine whether you think it is or not.  You want to be filling your tank with healthy food choices that will not only keep your metabolism burning but they will also have a physical impact as well.  Think about the last time you ate junk food.  You’ll think that you felt great afterward and having a good time and all.  What happened after that?  Your body crashed from the sugar rush that it was on and you began to feel bad.  If you have instead filled up on some better options like lean proteins, healthy carbohydrates, & essential fats & oils then your body not only would have sustained its energy longer, you would have felt full longer, and you wouldn’t have been left with the sick feeling  from the crash. 

So that’s it.  Now you know the secrets of weight loss and I didn’t ask you to spend a dime or commit to some crazy plan.  The trick for you now is to take what you’ve learned (or re-learned) and put into practice.  If you can do this and make the healthy choices then you’re going to see the weight loss that you want.  It may not happen overnight but it will happen as long as you stay committed to what you are doing.

Challenge Yourself. 

The New 4 letter words…

Remember when we were kids and our parents would tell us that if we got caught using the “4 letter word” we would get beat?  I don’t know about you but my parents used them like they were standard conversation language in all aspects of their lives. 

As I grew up I would hear horror stories about how some kids had used it and their parents had lost their minds.  Your even witness to this in the movie “A Christmas Story”.  The scene where Ralphie is helping his father change the tire and when the bolts get bumped and lost, you hear him utter that infamous word.  Flash forward to him sitting in the bathroom with soap in his mouth, (Come on, you know this happened to just about every one of us).  The part that really sets it off is when his mother calls the mother of the other little boy and you can hear her beating the daylights out of her kid over the phone.

Ok, I know you’re wondering why I bring this up.  Since I’ve embarked on my journey to become fit and healthy I’ve realized that there are quite a few others words that I now consider to be part of that “4-letter” category.  Though they contain more than four letters their meanings cause me to lump them right into that category.

Words like:  Lazy, Laziness, Procrastination, Negativity, Loafing, Judgmental, Ignorant, Intolerant, Fake, Excuses, Depressed, Afraid, Fear, Unmotivated, Glutton, Sloth, Obese, Lack, Not, Can’t, Won’t, Stupid, and Weak.

Now, I know the argument can be made that a lot of these words can be used in a positive manner and your right they can.  But consider this:  Most of the time that words like these are being used is in a hurtful manner and more often than not are being used to tear someone down.  You should strive to consider if the usage of the word is appropriate for the time and place and should never be used to refer to someone in a bad light.  Everyone and I mean EVERYONE can always work at being a better person and if you think your making yourself better by stepping on other people then eventually you’re in for a very rude wake up call. 

As I started my journey I remember all too well what it was like to be on the end of some of these words.  I’ve even been on the receiving end of having my own family use words like these not only to describe me but to my face as well.  I will even admit that I have in the past done the same thing to other people to make myself feel better and you know what, it never did, and I would always stress about how I made the other person feel when I said things like this.  I now live everyday trying hard not to use words like this and instead try encouraging the people around me to see the positive not only in life but in themselves as well.  It can be hard, but living a healthy lifestyle is not just about the physical.  You have to feel good on the inside as well to be a complete person. 

So I challenge you now, try to eliminate these “4-letter” words from your life.  Being a motivated positive influence to yourself but also others has a lasting effect.  The people in your life will appreciate it and you will also feel better yourself.