Weighing Options

We want the fitness but not the work it takes to get there. So much money has been made off of the idea of a miracle pill or the "easy weight loss" program. Please step back for a moment. Do you believe that? Do you believe that science is on the brink of a pill ... or has already made a pill ... to really make you fit? Hopefully you do not. I do not mean to talk down as if everyone believes that, but when you see an ad for a "lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks" do you immediately think that is your answer? Please think this through. One thing you have to understand is that cannot happen. You certainly will not lose 20 pounds of fat in that time. Burning fat happens at best at 2.5 pounds a week unless you are really obese and can maybe push it higher. One pound of pure fat is a reasonable goal.

Check out this list! To really get fit, you can expect some pretty boring and unexciting stuff like ...

1. Eating lots more fruits and vegetables ... some you may not even like very much right now
   
2. Exercising on days you don't want to and doing some exercise you may think you hate
   
3. Weighing yourself and taking other measurements (and recording them somewhere) often. At the longest, once a week. Preferably daily or multiple times in a week
4. At least getting some ridicule or criticism from friends and coworkers (lots of people can be very unsupportive in a strange way .... just wait until the day you skip lunch with co workers to exercise)
   
5. Missing a lot of desserts (if you eat dessert a lot)
6. A lot less comfort food while watching tv
7. Sometimes fighting off uncontrollable urges to eat bad foods (especially when starting out)
8. Consistency. A lot of routine.
9. Meal planning at least to some extent
10. More time to make meals ... fast food is less of an option
    
11. Calorie counting and measuring
12. Possible ridicule or criticizing of your choices
13. Maybe a resentful friend or spouse
14. Less sugar and baked goods or some other processed foods you may have grown up on
15. Going to a place serving free refreshments and not finding much of anything you can eat
    

That list is really lame!!! Worst list I have ever written. Nothing fun on that list. And on some level, everyone knows those are the kinds of changes and sacrifice that will be needed. So is it any surprise people have made a fortune from "easy" weight loss programs and gimmicks?

Can you look at that list and be willing to take most of that on?

But when you get where you want to be, you will know you earned it. Every bit of it. And you end up smarter, wiser and healthier because of it. And fortunately, all of the above comes easier (and even funner) over time.

Something Lacking ...

I think one of the things that finally helped me understand that living fit is really something that has to be routine is this feeling I kept walking around with that "something is lacking". Hard to describe. I had a good life. Good job, great family .. I felt very fortunate. But when you are not feeling confident in your physique and have all this extra weight to carry around, there is always this feeling like you need to do something about it. Whether it is for you or some other reason, you just feel like "I need to do something about this". How great is it to not have that feeling? It is wonderful. And on top of that, you get all sorts of other benefits that we have talked about.