The most difficult part of losing weight is starting. The longer a person has been overweight the harder it is to begin. The saddest cases are those who give up before they start, saying, “I have too far to go.” They view their plight as hopeless and therefore are defeated before they begin. Others can’t get themselves “in the mood,” or can’t find the right time to start, or can’t find a diet to suit them, or “don’t have the willpower.” Excuses for not embarking on a weight reduction program are as varied as the reasons for overweight.
The purpose of this article is to help you overcome these negative attitudes and to replace them with positive actions. The first step in any program of self-improvement is motivation. Every achievement is a result of motivation. It raises the successful above their fellowmen and causes ordinary mortals to become heroes and legends. It also has made slender attractive men and women out of large mounds of fat.
Your body’s natural form is slender. Nature did not make you fat nor did your genes, or your ethnic origin. You did it all by yourself and you are going to have to undo it all by yourself. Don’t look for miracles to make you slender. Don’t expect to take it off any faster than you put it on. And don’t jeopardize your health by distorted diets or starvation. Be sure you get a good diet with a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Don’t be lured into diets that promise fast or easy weight losses. No healthy diet will cause a fast weight loss and no diet is “easy.” Continually keep in mind the benefits you are gaining and not the “treats” you are missing. It takes only moments to eat a piece of cake, but the results linger on and on.
Never feel deprived or sorry for yourself. Consider sugary, fatty, high calorie foods as your enemy. You wouldn’t deliberately eat poisonous foods and pastries and candy are almost as disastrous to an already fat body. Once you have committed yourself to take off weight, don’t be dissuaded or discouraged. Weigh yourself only once each week, on the same day and at the same time. If you are 40 pounds overweight and take off 20, you are still overweight. If you stop at this point you will almost certainly regain it. Never take off weight merely to be able to go back to eating as before. A successful weight reduction is one that is maintained. You will be able to have your “treats” occasionally, but not as a staple in your diet.
Remember, while you are looking for excuses to delay your weight loss program you are adding additional pounds. Begin your journey to feel proud and confident, look and feel healthy and energetic, and face yourself with a feeling of great accomplishment.