Weight Loss: The Beginner's Guide to Losing Weight
- By:Lawrence Cole
So you've decided that you're going to do it.
You're sick and tired of being sick and tired and are once and for all
hell bent on losing weight.
Well, let me be the first to warn you of a very grim fact:
Millions have tried before you and most of them have
failed miserably at reaching their weight loss and diet
goals.
Therefore, I've put together a little beginner's guide to
help make sure that you are one of the few that actually ends
up being successful at this.
- Get an accurate picture of where you are now
- Set specific, realistic goals for your weight loss, and WRITE THEM DOWN.
- Adopt a step-by-step course of action to get you there
- Get started IMMEDIATELY
- Be Prepared for the emotional roller coaster
- Don't stop until your goal is reached, no matter WHAT
Many people just go and hop on a diet or weight loss program without
knowing exactly where they are from the start. This is dangerous
because along the way there WILL be numerous times where you will be tempted
to simply quit altogether. Without knowing where you started, you won't
be able to accurately gauge your progress. Not being able too see that
progress put you at an extremely high risk of quitting down the road when
the going gets tough.
This is one of the most ill-executed steps in the entire process of losing
weight. Most people will passively quote some random amount of weight that
they "hope" to lose.
"I need to lose 30 lbs."
"I'm trying to get back down to a size X"
"If I can just fit back into Y, I'll be fine"
That is the exact WRONG way to go about your weight loss. All above the above
are hopes. Wishes. Desires. And none does a thinner body make.
What you need are detailed, definite goals that are
written and time bound (e.g. "over the next 3 months")
to hold yourself accountable to doing what you
said you were going to do by the time you said you were going to do it.
In order for this to work there needs to be a concrete method to your
weight loss madness. To this end, you need to chose a weight loss plan
that will lead you step-by-step through what to eat (and what not to eat),
how and when to exercise, and every other imaginable aspect of losing
weight. The reason for this is that goals have a much better chance of
becoming reality when they are being attained as a result of a plan or system
of action.
Most flunkies know how to study. Most broke people know how wealth is
generated. Most overweight people how to lose weight. However, what separates
all of these very knowledgeable, yet unsuccessful people from the results
they desire is action. Don't let that be your fate.
Once you have written specific goals and chosen a plan of action, don't
delay in getting right on track to weight loss. The cheesecake, burgers,
chocolate, and pastries aren't going anywhere. You can snack on them moderately
once you've achieved your goals. Don't get caught into the
trap of holding off having Your
Best Body any longer. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be done.
Nearly everyone who has tried to lose weight has had some level of success
at one time or another. For those who have not been able to sustain desirable
results, being knocked out by the emotional roller coaster is most likely to blame.
Look, losing weight is very simple, but not easy. If it were, there wouldn't
be so many people trying to get it right. The #1 skill that you will need to
develop in order to make it through is surviving the roller coaster of emotions.
One day you'll feel as if you're getting great results. A week later, you may actually
feel that you are moving backwards. Either way, just know that as long as
you consistently follow the weight loss principles, you will ALWAYS move forward, even
if it does not feel like it.
So many times people come to a screeching halt in their efforts to lose
weight and diet because they get discouraged a portion of the way through OR
after they reach a certain benchmark they allow themselves to be satisfied
and quit the program even though their goal has not been reached.
DON'T DO IT.
There was a specific reason that you set your initial goal. Do not sell
yourself short by settling for anything less. Stick it out until the very end,