6 SIMPLE Steps to Losing Weight and Getting in Shape

Americans are constantly concerned about their weight and health and they should be concerned.  Americans are the heaviest and most out-of-shape people in the world.  Just look at what we eat and you will see why this is so.  The even sadder truth is, that while many are concerned about their health and weight, they do little to correct the matter or prevent future problems.  The mentality is similar to that of the smoker, “We all have to die of something."

For others who truly want to lose weight and work at it, the challenge comes in losing it and keeping it off.  some seem to do everything possible including surgical procedures and still cannot maintain a comfortable and healthy weight limit.  It can be depressing, especially when we are reminded constantly of the glorious figures of Hollywood stars.  While this primarily affects women, men can also be affected by the stardom of buff and in-shape actors.  I have often said to myself and to others that I wish I was in better shape and looked like some of those guys.  Hugh Jackman in his recent role as Wolverine made me think I wanted and needed to be in better shape.

So what do we do?  How can we lose weight and maintain it?  Well, how do you eat an elephant?  Eating an elephant sounds like a daunting task considering its size.  Yet the answer is simple!  You eat it one bite at the time!  In other words, a goal like losing weight or getting in shape can seem like a daunting task, yet, if we take it a little at the time we can accomplish our goal.

In keeping with my SIMPLE platform I have formulated a S.I.M.P.L.E. program for losing weight and getting in shape.

S – Start With A Goal Simply stating we want to lose weight or get in shape is not enough.  In order to be effective and have a target to shoot, we need to be specific about our weight.  for example, how much weight do we want to lose?  What do we consider being “in shape"?  Do we want to get rally big with muscle mass or simply tone up what we have?  Do we want to lose 5 lbs or 20 lbs?  What is our ideal weight?  How much should we weigh?  Making the goal specific and detailed allows us to see the final result mentally like a photograph.  When details are not present then our goal is blurry and we are less likely to achieve it.  Therefore, be specific with the details.

I – Identify The Reason For Our Physical Condition Different people gain weight for different reasons.  Some gain weight (or lose it) because of medical conditions like a thyroid problem while others are simply lazy and eat too much.  The reasons are varied.  However, understanding the reason why we are out of shape or are overweight, can help us to identify the means necessary to getting healthy.  Simply not eating is not the answer.  This is unhealthy and can cause increased weight gain in some individuals.  To identify the reasons why we gain weight or are out of shape may require a physical exam by a doctor.

M – Motivation and Mentoring Motivation is an important factor that drives us forward.  It keeps our “motive" in front of us, so to speak.  Without proper and positive motivation, nothing can be accomplished.  We also need to know why we are motivated and what motivates us.  There is always something.  For example, what motivates us to eat when we should not? What motivates us to sit and watch television when we could exercise?  The answer to these types of questions helps us see that motivation sometimes is an addiction or laziness.  Therefore, we should get ourselves motivated to take positive actions as well.  Motivation, however, is not automatic.  It requires being fed so that it can grow.  How can we get motivated?  I answer that question in my book, Success Is S.I.M.P.L.E., Chapter 5, in which I list 5 things that can motivate us.  Once we figure out what motivates us we should confide in a friend or a coach, a mentor, that we can report to and that can hold us accountable for our goal.  This individual should be someone we trust and that is not too close to us.  Often you can find individuals at a gym or contact someone you know that will be willing to help you and will be there to coach you and motivate you once a week or once a month.  Having a mentor can help us psychologically and emotionally to reach out goal even when we do not feel like doing it.  Mentors are powerful in any endeavor we undertake.

P – Prepare A Progress Chart Keeping track of your progress is extremely important.  Day to day we do not see any kind of progress we make when we take on a project.  Keeping a record of our daily activities and your successes, as well as failures, helps us to see an overall picture of our work and helps motivate us to move forward.  As we hit milestones, (a desired weight loss or a certain amount of hours of exercise) then we feel successful and we change the way we think and we can believe that success is very real.  It can also paint a very realistic picture for us of what we can expect for future results.  Different people progress at different rates and we do not want to have an unrealistic expectation of when and how we reach our future goal.  Businesses track sales, production, customer satisfaction, etc., in order to determine how, if and when they reach established goals.  Using this process by keeping a chart or calendar will greatly increase our chances of being mentally and emotionally determined to succeed.

L – Love Yourself Too many times we do negative things that cause us harm because of low self-esteem or a negative view of ourselves.  We have these views for various reasons but regardless the reason everyone should have a proper view of themselves.  We do not want to be too humble nor too arrogant.  Balance is the key.  We should love ourselves enough and have enough respect for ourselves to want to take care of ourselves and our bodies.  The Bible says at Romans 12:3 that we are “not to think more of [our self] than is necessary to think; but to think as to have a sound mind." This would indicate that not only do we not think too “highly" of ourselves but also not too “lowly" of ourselves.  We want to think what is necessary to think!  We should love ourselves and it is a human characteristic to want to be loved.  Even if others do not love us, we should at least offer this to ourselves.  Loving ourselves moves us to take care of ourself and have self-respect, thus avoiding things that bring us lasting harm.

E – Expect Results Successful people expect results.  Believing that we can lose weight and get in shape makes it so.  Napoleon Hill has been noted as saying that whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.  Belief is a powerful force in the universe.  It was God’s belief that he could create that led to our existance.  It was belief that moved Henry Ford to build the first V-8 engine when he was told it could not be done.  It was belief that led to the creation of Microsoft and Apple.  It was belief that allowed the New York Giants to defeat the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and it was belief that allowed me to write this article.  Believing we can accomplish our goal is extremely important because without it we will definitely fail.

These SIMPLE steps can help anyone with the right attitude.  It is not always about what we eat or what type of exercise but about having the right education and motivation.  Losing weight is not easy, but it can be SIMPLE!

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