Featured Fitness Professional

"I Want To Lose Weight, But..."

By Dean Carlson

I had a great conversation recently with a friend who is trying to lose weight. I have known this lady for a couple of years, and ever since I have known her, the topic of weight loss invariably comes up. It has been fun to share my own fat loss experience with her, and try to give her a tip here or there to help her out.

I met her after I had lost all my weight, so it was fun to see the look of disbelief on her face when I told tell her that I had lost over 70 pounds. I like to think it is encouraging to tell others that if I could do they can too, but it doesn't always work that way.

You see, often the first word I hear out of the person's mouth is "But". I am convinced that is a four letter word in disguise, because that little word often stops people from taking the action that results in the change they desire. It is usually something along the lines of "Well you did it, BUT I don't have time to exercise, BUT I don't have time to eat breakfast, BUT it's too expensive to eat healthy, BUT the moon is in its second lunar tri-phase", or some other perfectly good reason that isn't a reason at all.

BUT that's ok, because most likely that person doesn't have a big enough reason to change. Until I reached the point where the pain of being an overweight, pre-diabetic with high blood pressure was worse than the pain of doing something about it, I didn't change either. My mission is to show people the benefits of a healthy lifestyle before their health spirals downward. Some people listen, some don't. I'm not going to stop trying.

Ok, so back to my conversation. The reason I said it was great is because I think she is finally turning the corner. Her attitude is changing, and that was revealed to me by a simple statement. She said "I am focused on all the good things I can eat, rather than what I can't". You see in the past, she was always talking about the cake she shouldn't eat, or the donut she didn't have, or that it was no fun to go to parties anymore. BUT now she is focusing on the positive, on the whole new world of eating healthy and all the possibilities that come with it. She has found that the benefits of changing outweigh the pain of that same change.

Is this really the key to weight loss? Is the battle we wage in our mind even more important than the food we put in our mouth?

I am convinced that you can lose weight a number of different ways, some better and healthier than others. I believe there are principles that should be followed; and if you have tried to lose weight in the past, you can probably recite many of them yourself "Eat breakfast, drink appropriate amounts of water, eat 5-6 meals a day, exercise regularly, and many more".

BUT I am further convinced, primarily because of my own experience, that all of these principles, while important, are secondary.

Skeptical? Here's what I want you to do. Before you put another bite of salad with low-cal dressing, or broiled fish, or sugar free jello into your mouth, take out a piece of paper and write down 10 good reasons and/or benefits of losing weight, or getting healthier, or whatever else your goal may be. After you are done, I want you to post the piece of paper where you can read it every day. Get back to me in 60 days and tell me how you're doing.

"BUT Dean".

About the Author:

Dean Carlson is a certified personal trainer located in Concord, NH. His website is http://www.cr8health.com