Lose Weight, Get Lean, Be Fit and Healthy » Motivation

Your Car or Your Body – Which Is More Important

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:15:48 +0000

I love my car. Even though it’s close to being 10 years old, not very sexy, and even a little bit beat up, I still love it.

I love my car so much that I take good care of it. I make sure to change the tires, clean it, take it to the shop when it needs fixing, and put into it only the best gas to make sure it runs right.

Then one day it dawned on me that I take better care of my car than I do of my body. I never put anything that’s bad into my car yet I do put bad things into my body.

For instance, I do eat sweets even though they’re full of sugar and empty calories but I would never, ever, no matter what, put anything that’s not the best into my car. No way in Hell!

[ I just love this picture, even though my car is slightly bigger (: ]

I think that I’m not the only one who behaves this way. I’m not the only one who treats his car better than he treats his own body.

How is it with you? Which is more important: your car or your body?

Naturally, I think my body’s more important and I bet you do to, but when I thought about this it got me thinking about all the things we possess and take very good care of:

We take the time to fold and iron our clothes
We make sure not to download unknown stuff to our computer
We keep our house clean at all time
We take great care not to scratch the Teflon on our pan.
Need I say more…?

A lot of us take better care of our stuff than of ourselves. We take our body for granted, eat crappy stuff, don’t work out, don’t learn how to treat our body right.

To go back to the car example: most of us would go to the shop the moment our car started making funny noises, but a lot of us won’t go to the doctor for every small ache or start a diet when we’ve gained 5 pounds (we’ll wait until we’ve gained 25).

Why does it have to be this way? I’m not suggesting going to the doctor every time you scratch yourself or never eat chocolate cake again.

All I’m saying is that we need to start thinking of our body as the finest, most expensive, and rarest item we will ever own. Once we do, we’ll do a much better job at taking care of it.

#1 Secret To Stop Emotional Eating

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:34:59 +0000

I have some exciting news: I just uploaded a short video in which I reveal the #1 secret to stop emotional eating, binge eating, or any other kind of overeating.

Watch the video here and see a cute cartoon of me (-:

As you may know, emotional eating is one of the main reasons why so many diets fail. You can’t change your body without changing your mind as well. If you can’t control your eating habits, you will never be able to lose weight and to keep if off for a long time.

This is why I think that you will find this new, short, video very good to watch.

Just go here and watch the #1 Secret

Let me know what you think.

Obesity is Costing the US Economy $147 Billion A Year

admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:27:48 +0000

A new study which I’ve recently heard about states that the obesity epidemic (and it is an epidemic) is costing the US economy $147 billion dollars in health spendings. You may be shocked to read this (as was I) but that’s what the study shows. You see, obesity isn’t just about health, it also affects your pocket.

Obese people pay, on average, $1,429 more annually on health bills than people of normal weight. As you can see, this is a lot of money for any hard working person. I can only imagine what this can mean to a family in which more than one member is obese.

But apart from the personal strain, it seems that obesity has become a national issue, one which any American should take into consideration. If we could cut the obesity rate in the US by half, there would be over $70 billion to spend on other, important causes.

For now, it seems that the tide is against us. Data shows that over 25% of the US population is obese (which means that it has a Body Mass index of over 30). You can calculate your BMI here: Body Mass Index Calculator. This is a frightening figure all by itself, but the trend is even more frightening: from 1998 to 2006, obesity rose by 37% in the US and related health spending for various diseases such as diabetes rose by 89%!!!

This has got to stop and it’s time for our society to deal with it and not leave this for families and individuals. It starts with education at schools and for adults as well. The thing we need to remember is that prevention will cost much less than treatment. It’s time to get the word out about what obesity means and also make sure that our elected officials do something about this.

I don’t have data for other countries but I imagine that what is true for the US is also true for may European countries and other developed societies. The future looks bleak but the challenge to turn society into a more healthy, educated one, is a challenge we can meet and succeed in.

I don’t feel Like Going To the Gym Today

admin — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:24:07 +0000

I know the feeling, there are days on which you just don’t want to go to the gym. I can relate. Whether you’ve had a bad night sleep, a hard day at work, lost your mood due to some fight with your spouse, whatever. Not feeling like going to the gym is a natural thing and it happens to me, often.

Every once in a while, it’s okay to succumb to this feeling and skip a day. Rest, do some household chores or errands, spend time with your kids, whatever it is you feel like. This little respite may make you crave going to the gym a lot more than you used to before.

Every so often it’s okay to take a week or 2 off as well. You’re allowing the body to rest and that’s perfectly healthy. However, you need to be watchful that this doesn’t turn into a habit.

If you decide not to go to the gym, you need to make a personal decision when is the next time you’ll go. When that date and time comes, there are no excuses. You have to go. This is the sort of discipline you have to maintain in order to make sure you don’t fall out of the habit of working out, and this is something which can happen to any of us.

Another idea for you is to not skip the gym entirely but do a short workout. Even doing 20 minutes on the treadmill is better than being totally inactive. Furthermore, the act of going to the gym has its own importance regardless of how hard you workout. It keeps you in the habit and this is vitally important in its own right.

A third idea is to skip the gym but not your workout. While the gym does have its advantages, you can do a workout at home. Doing squats, lunges, push-ups, crunches, leg lifts, lumberjacks, and so on doesn’t require equipment and can still get the heart pumping. Therefore, if you want to watch TV tonight, go ahead, but don’t just sit on the couch and do nothing. Actually move yourself and be active.

I hope this helps you overcome this workout mood problem. Have a great workout.

People That Can Make You Fat

admin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:01:17 +0000

This isn’t a post to help you blame someone else for you being overweight. We all need to be accountable for our bodies, at least to overselves. However, there are some people who can make you fat. These are people you have to avoid as much as possible if you ever want to really get lean. I’m not saying that they’re all bad people or that you never need to talk with them again, but try to keep your contact with them to a bare minimum while trying to lose weight.

1. People who stress you out – I’m sure you’ve heard of the dangers of stress eating. This can ruin a diet faster than Kobe Bryant can run the length of a basketball court. We all have a tendency to eat more when we’re stressed out because food is a natural comforter. If you’re trying to lose weight this can really hurt your efforts.

2. People who drive you to drink too much alcohol – These may be your best friends, people you love hanging out with. However, if you can’t talk to them about helping you lose weight, realize that alcohol is your enemy. Drinking alcohol is a great way to gain weight, not to lose it. Alcohol is full of sugar and rich in calories. Also, it tends to make you crave munchies and other snacks which are just plain useless to you.

3. People who laugh at you for being overweight – If you want to lose weight and to keep it off forever, you need to do it with a positive attitude. Some people may make you want to be thin but they do so out of making you feel like crap for being fat. These people are not a good influence on you and you should avoid interacting with them. They just get you down.

Being with these people can actually make you fatter in the long run.

4. People who tell you that you won’t succeed to lose weight. Most often these are people who for some reason don’t really want you to lose weight or are afraid that you may get depressed if you fail. They would rather you didn’t try. If you’re not strong enough to handle these people, have as little contact with them as possible until you can prove them wrong.

Surround yourself with positive people with a great attitude and your weight loss process will go much smoother.

How to Set Healthy Weight Loss Goals

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:43:27 +0000

One of the biggest challenges we have when we try to lose weight is to set the right goals. You have to know where you’re going if you’re ever going to get there. This isn’t just true of geography and travel but also of weight loss.

The reason is that no diet plan has ever succeeded without the right motivation and commitment and it’s often difficult to maintain a high level of motivation if you don’t have clear goals to achieve.

The question is, how to set weight loss goals in the right way to serve you well and not destroy your motivation. Here are some quick tips:

1. Each goal needs to have a deadline. You can’t just say I want to lose 5 pounds. You have to determine when this is going to happen. If you don’t then this is too abstract to serve as any motivational boost for you.

2. Set 1 big goal and write it down. This is your ultimate target, where you want to be in the end. If you want to lose 50 pounds in total, this is what you need to do. Writing your goals down makes them stronger in your mind. It’s a psychological trick which you can make great use of.

3. Set mini-goals to achieve the 1 big goal. Since your big goal may take a year or even more to achieve, you have to set mini weight loss goals. For instanct, if you want to lose 50 pounds and you’re giving yourself 10 months to do it, you can set 10 mini-goals of 5 pounds a month each. Mini-goals are much better for your motivation since they’re easier to achieve and you can chalk them off in a shorter time than your ultimate objective.

4. Write each goal down.

5. If you achieve a mini-goal allow yourself to celebrate. You’ve done exceptionally well.

6. If you miss out on a goal, don’t be too hard on yourself. Now is the time to work extra hard to make up for lost time and work on the next mini-goal.

7. Allow yourself to be flexible with your deadlines to a point. If your friend is getting married you may not be able to workout on that same day. It’s okay to change your deadlines. If the superbowl is coming up soon and you want to drink 5 cans of beer during the game, it’s not alright to change your deadlines. It’s just an excuse to drink.

Only you can determine your goals. Make them realistic and be patient with your deadlines. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you.

Why Parents Must Stay Fit

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:31:49 +0000

Being fit is important for anyone. We all need to be mindful of our health and our appearance because our life, both social and physical is influenced by how fit and lean we are.

But while you and me may have a huge responsibility to ourselves, parents have an additional responsibility to their children.

Parents not only need to lead a healthy lifestyle for their own sake but for the children as well.

You may be thinking that I’m referring to the need for parents to remain healthy so they can be there for their kids. This is ture, of course, but it’s not what I was going for.

What I was referring to is the need to set a good example for your children, one that would set them on the proper way in their life.

We all know that it’s hard to change habits and we develop some our most tenacious habits when we’re children. But this is just part of the problem. The main thing is that children tend to follow what their parents do, especially when they’re young.

When kids watch us eat the wrong things, never workout, and grow fat, they tend to follow in our footsteps. My dad is overweight and I think it was a big factor in making me overweight as a teenager.

I’m not trying to say that you’re bad parents or anything. This is totally not the case. I want you to become more motivated to change your life and your body and to work hard to make your kids learn from the process and help them build healthy eating and lifestyle habits which will last them a lifetime.

I know that this must be something that you want. Now is the time to make it a reality.

Do you Hate Being Fat Without Hating Yourself?

admin — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:15:26 +0000

A lot of people hate being fat. It’s understandable, really. But the important thing is to not hate yourself for being fat in the process.

I remember how I was before I lost weight. There were times when I not only disliked the way I looked, I disliked myself for being that way. During that time I tried to shed pounds many times but never succeeded. Either the weight didn’t melt off or it just came back with a vengeance a short time afterward.

The reason was that I didn’t love myself enough to make a positive change in my life.

It was only when I learned to separate the fact that I was overweight from my perception of the person who I was that I began to really lose weight. When I did, it happened fast and it never came back. It’s been years now.

The main thing that I want you to take from this post is that you are not just the number of pounds on the scale. This is just a small part of you and a temporary one. You are a complete person with the will and the capability to change your life and how you look.

Think back on all that you’ve accomplished in life and you’ll realize that you can love yourself without being satisfied with your weight. Once you learn that, the road to being leaner will be much easier. It was this way for me. I am sure it will be the same for you.

So, you can hate being fat, but you still need to love yourself.

How Much Time Do You Need?

admin — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:55:40 +0000

One of the main reasons (or excuses) which people state as why they don’t workout as often as they should is a lack of time.

Hey, I can totally relate. I know what it’s like to be swamped between work, school, family and other obligations. You wish your day had about 40 hours instead of the regular 24.

The modern way of life is a busy one, I’ll give you that, but it’s no reason to avoid physical activity. You can do a lot and still have enough time for anything you need to do.

The first thing you need to do is prioritize. Many people put their health at the bottom of the list of things they need to do. Some do it without even thinking about it. It’s their actions which speak louder than anything else they say.

You need to make sure that your priorities are set straight: fitness is important and it deserves its share of your time. When you’re fit you’re actually more productive so exercising is actually making better use of your time in all aspects of life which, in turn, gives you more time.

The second thing you need to do is break away from the myth that you need to workout long hours at 5-6 times a week in order to get any lasting results. This is simply not the case. You can workout 3 times a week for an hour max and get amazing results. The key is to make the most out of every exercising minute and not waste it on socializing at the gym.

If you do intensive workouts and push yourself to your limits, you will see impressive results in a short while even without long and boring workouts.

A busy lifestyle is no excuse to not take care of you physically. You can and should set aside time for exercising. It doesn’t have to be long and the results will be well worth it.

Overcome Emotional Eating and Compulsive Overeating

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:17:38 +0000

As you may know, I am a former sufferer of emotional eating. In fact, it’s been a struggle for many years, one which took a lot of effort to overcome.

I have since made it a quest to help people lose weight and lead a healthy life. One of my main actions was to write a special program for people who wish to overcome emotional eating called the Emotional Eating Solution program.

I have never received a less than positive feedback on this program and it’s a great source of pride for me.

Now, I’ve decided to make it easy for people to try it out and see for themselves just how good it is. For that reason I’ve introduced a new trial offer on my program.

You can try it for 21 days and pay a nominal processing fee of just $4.95. Only if you’re satisfied and don’t cancel your trial will you be billed the remaining $35 dollars of the regular $39.95 price.

As I am confident of my program, I am sure that this isn’t such a big risk as most people would assume. I know that you will be satisfied.

Overcoming compulsive eating is a necessary step to lose weight and keep it off forever. I hope that you will let me help you do that.

Here is where you get started: http://EmotionalEatingSolution.com