Post by J Duncan McNeill on Aug 12, 2009 2:00:28 GMT -5
HOW TO FIND MOTIVATION TO LOSE WEIGHT
One of the main things that stop people losing weight is lack of MOTIVATION. If scaring the pants off you with the uncomfortable truths in this article can get even ONE person to commit to a weight loss program and carry it through to complete success, then this article was worth writing.
Almost all overweight or obese people are 'stuck in a rut' - meaning they live in a comfort zone and have made a decision that they don't want to change anything. Let's look at some of the things that may 'nudge' a person into finally making a firm decision to lose weight.
1) Health Problems
The heavier a person becomes, the more health problems arise, and the list is endless. It includes heart disease, stroke, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, high blood pressure, cancer, high cholesterol, joint problems, foot problems, sleep apnea and heaps more. The doctors do their best to control each of these conditions as they arise, but it is not easy as the root cause is obesity – if you cure that the conditions heal themselves. A few are just painful, but most of them are fatal in the end.
Many now believe that obesity should be called a disease in its own right. This disease is entirely treatable if the person concerned would only make up their mind to take action. Did any of that scare you? If not, then this might.
Obesity is fast catching up to cancer as the major killer in Western society, especially in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Do you realize that the person who died of cancer HAD NO CHOICE? But the person who died of obesity DID HAVE A CHOICE, but elected not to use it. So make up your mind right now, do want to live or do you want to die? Will you make that choice? Now?
2) Loss Of Enjoyment Of Life
The heavier a person becomes, the less they are able to take part in enjoyable activities. Being slim, healthy and fit is a wonderful sensation; being overweight or obese feels awful. If you are obese, can you remember the things you used to enjoy doing when you were slim? Surfing, skiing, dancing, bushwalking, water sports, tennis, soccer, basketball, netball, martial arts, mountain climbing - the list is endless.
If you have had to give up any of those things, don't you look back with sadness at the good times of years ago? Wouldn't it be just wonderful to be able to do them again? Well, you can. Just make a decision right now to definitely do something about your weight. Then you won't have to long to do those things again, you can do them!
3) The Financial Cost Of Being Overweight
If you are overweight or obese, and especially if you are seriously obese, you will incur a lot of additional expenses slim people don't have. You will need extra visits to the doctor on a regular basis, and buy a steady stream of pills and potions to help your body cope with the ailments obesity brings.
4) The Embarrassment Of Being Obese
Things that slim people do without thinking all become difficult for those that are obese. It is harder to get in and out of a car. You can't fit into a cinema seat, or a bus seat, or an airliner seat or a seat at the game like you used to. Other people find it harder to get around you or get past you in a doorway or supermarket isle or other confined spot.
Also, other people look at you briefly, but then look away, and you can see the awe and pity in their eyes (Good Grief, look at that!) but you know in your heart that people stare openly when your back is turned. Children are the worst, they will stare openly even while you are looking at them.
Eventually your embarrassment rises to such a level you no longer go out if you can help it. You can be proud of your body again and save that embarrassment if only you would make a firm decision now to take off weight. There is real help available if you seek it (more on that in a minute).
5) The Shame Of Being Obese
Obese people are bitterly ashamed of their body, though most do their best to hide it. Whether they hide it or not, the feeling of shame is still there. What's worse is that because they feel this shame, they tend to raid the fridge as a 'consolation prize' and get a little bit of satisfaction out of what they put in their mouth. If this is you, please realize that the taste of indulgent food can NEVER feel as good as the feeling of being slim.
6) Personal Difficulties
Then there are the personal problems you face every day. It's difficult to put on socks and tie shoe laces. Cutting your toe nails may be out of the question. You have great difficulty in getting into and out of the bath - or is that completely impossible now? Can you still reach to wipe your backside after using the toilet? You huff and puff going up stairs, and even a long walk is painful and tiring. It is very hard getting up out of a chair, especially an easy chair - and since you are too heavy to do much that is active, you spend a lot of time in that easy chair. Of course, this immobility is also contributing to your weight problem.
7) The Downhill Spiral
You are now (or will be) in a vicious circle, a down hill spiral. At the bottom of the hill is misery, heartbreak, regret and death. I ask the question again: do you want to live a joyous active fun filled life and be able to make a real contribution to society and family; or do want to die as a fat useless blob where you make little or no contribution to others and life is so dreadful and unfulfilling that death is almost a relief. You can make a decision to change all that. Why not make a start now?
8) The Statistics
As if all that wasn't enough, let's have a look at some real statistics. I find these figures really frightening; so what is your reaction to them?
64% of the entire population of USA is overweight.
48% of the European population is overweight.
750 million people are over weight World Wide.
27% of the population of USA is classed as obese.
300 million people are obese World Wide.
Obesity causes 325,000 deaths in USA each year.
Obesity cost Americans $75 billion in 2003.
$61 billion was spent on weight loss in 2008.
Those are really frightening statistics! Do you really want to continue to be part of them?
Conclusion
The combined effect of the health risks, the lack of enjoyment of life, the extra cost, the embarrassment, the shame, the difficulties, the thought (or actuality) of the down hill spiral and the raw statistics will, I hope, make you pause and reflect. I further hope that it leads you to make a firm irrevocable decision to lose weight and regain your health.
It doesn't matter if you are just a few pounds overweight, or a few tens of pounds overweight or a hundred or more pounds overweight, it is just as important that you make a stand on this vital issue and do something about it. Not only is obesity rife and a disgrace to human society, but the alarming thing is that we see even children suffering from this plague.
If you do make that decision, start by deciding that you will not use any "fad" diet, and you will only consider a method or program that offers a permanent life changing system. Be warned, most programs only show you a short term answer because the weight comes straight back (with interest!) when you revert to your old eating habits. This is called yoyo dieting, it is bad for your health and actually causes weight gain. So make sure you are comfortable enough with the program so you know you can stay with it for life.
You must also decide that you are prepared to make those changes to your diet and lifestyle as laid out in the program you choose or the advice that you follow so you really do end up with a permanent life long result.
You are going to need help to effectively lose weight and keep it off. Harvard researchers have proven that being part of a social network of people getting in shape can help you lose weight. A ground breaking study released by the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that weight loss can spread from person to person through social networks of friends and families.
Now that’s good news, now there is some hope. What you need to do now is find a social network site dedicated to weight loss. That is where you will find help, encouragement, inspiration, tips, ideas, companionship, recommended weight loss programs, and, especially, one or more weight loss buddies – you help them while they encourage you. Now you have no excuse not to make that important life changing decision. But please, don’t procrastinate, just do it, do it NOW.
Need help? Try www.weight-loss-neighbourhood.com
One of the main things that stop people losing weight is lack of MOTIVATION. If scaring the pants off you with the uncomfortable truths in this article can get even ONE person to commit to a weight loss program and carry it through to complete success, then this article was worth writing.
Almost all overweight or obese people are 'stuck in a rut' - meaning they live in a comfort zone and have made a decision that they don't want to change anything. Let's look at some of the things that may 'nudge' a person into finally making a firm decision to lose weight.
1) Health Problems
The heavier a person becomes, the more health problems arise, and the list is endless. It includes heart disease, stroke, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, high blood pressure, cancer, high cholesterol, joint problems, foot problems, sleep apnea and heaps more. The doctors do their best to control each of these conditions as they arise, but it is not easy as the root cause is obesity – if you cure that the conditions heal themselves. A few are just painful, but most of them are fatal in the end.
Many now believe that obesity should be called a disease in its own right. This disease is entirely treatable if the person concerned would only make up their mind to take action. Did any of that scare you? If not, then this might.
Obesity is fast catching up to cancer as the major killer in Western society, especially in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Do you realize that the person who died of cancer HAD NO CHOICE? But the person who died of obesity DID HAVE A CHOICE, but elected not to use it. So make up your mind right now, do want to live or do you want to die? Will you make that choice? Now?
2) Loss Of Enjoyment Of Life
The heavier a person becomes, the less they are able to take part in enjoyable activities. Being slim, healthy and fit is a wonderful sensation; being overweight or obese feels awful. If you are obese, can you remember the things you used to enjoy doing when you were slim? Surfing, skiing, dancing, bushwalking, water sports, tennis, soccer, basketball, netball, martial arts, mountain climbing - the list is endless.
If you have had to give up any of those things, don't you look back with sadness at the good times of years ago? Wouldn't it be just wonderful to be able to do them again? Well, you can. Just make a decision right now to definitely do something about your weight. Then you won't have to long to do those things again, you can do them!
3) The Financial Cost Of Being Overweight
If you are overweight or obese, and especially if you are seriously obese, you will incur a lot of additional expenses slim people don't have. You will need extra visits to the doctor on a regular basis, and buy a steady stream of pills and potions to help your body cope with the ailments obesity brings.
4) The Embarrassment Of Being Obese
Things that slim people do without thinking all become difficult for those that are obese. It is harder to get in and out of a car. You can't fit into a cinema seat, or a bus seat, or an airliner seat or a seat at the game like you used to. Other people find it harder to get around you or get past you in a doorway or supermarket isle or other confined spot.
Also, other people look at you briefly, but then look away, and you can see the awe and pity in their eyes (Good Grief, look at that!) but you know in your heart that people stare openly when your back is turned. Children are the worst, they will stare openly even while you are looking at them.
Eventually your embarrassment rises to such a level you no longer go out if you can help it. You can be proud of your body again and save that embarrassment if only you would make a firm decision now to take off weight. There is real help available if you seek it (more on that in a minute).
5) The Shame Of Being Obese
Obese people are bitterly ashamed of their body, though most do their best to hide it. Whether they hide it or not, the feeling of shame is still there. What's worse is that because they feel this shame, they tend to raid the fridge as a 'consolation prize' and get a little bit of satisfaction out of what they put in their mouth. If this is you, please realize that the taste of indulgent food can NEVER feel as good as the feeling of being slim.
6) Personal Difficulties
Then there are the personal problems you face every day. It's difficult to put on socks and tie shoe laces. Cutting your toe nails may be out of the question. You have great difficulty in getting into and out of the bath - or is that completely impossible now? Can you still reach to wipe your backside after using the toilet? You huff and puff going up stairs, and even a long walk is painful and tiring. It is very hard getting up out of a chair, especially an easy chair - and since you are too heavy to do much that is active, you spend a lot of time in that easy chair. Of course, this immobility is also contributing to your weight problem.
7) The Downhill Spiral
You are now (or will be) in a vicious circle, a down hill spiral. At the bottom of the hill is misery, heartbreak, regret and death. I ask the question again: do you want to live a joyous active fun filled life and be able to make a real contribution to society and family; or do want to die as a fat useless blob where you make little or no contribution to others and life is so dreadful and unfulfilling that death is almost a relief. You can make a decision to change all that. Why not make a start now?
8) The Statistics
As if all that wasn't enough, let's have a look at some real statistics. I find these figures really frightening; so what is your reaction to them?
64% of the entire population of USA is overweight.
48% of the European population is overweight.
750 million people are over weight World Wide.
27% of the population of USA is classed as obese.
300 million people are obese World Wide.
Obesity causes 325,000 deaths in USA each year.
Obesity cost Americans $75 billion in 2003.
$61 billion was spent on weight loss in 2008.
Those are really frightening statistics! Do you really want to continue to be part of them?
Conclusion
The combined effect of the health risks, the lack of enjoyment of life, the extra cost, the embarrassment, the shame, the difficulties, the thought (or actuality) of the down hill spiral and the raw statistics will, I hope, make you pause and reflect. I further hope that it leads you to make a firm irrevocable decision to lose weight and regain your health.
It doesn't matter if you are just a few pounds overweight, or a few tens of pounds overweight or a hundred or more pounds overweight, it is just as important that you make a stand on this vital issue and do something about it. Not only is obesity rife and a disgrace to human society, but the alarming thing is that we see even children suffering from this plague.
If you do make that decision, start by deciding that you will not use any "fad" diet, and you will only consider a method or program that offers a permanent life changing system. Be warned, most programs only show you a short term answer because the weight comes straight back (with interest!) when you revert to your old eating habits. This is called yoyo dieting, it is bad for your health and actually causes weight gain. So make sure you are comfortable enough with the program so you know you can stay with it for life.
You must also decide that you are prepared to make those changes to your diet and lifestyle as laid out in the program you choose or the advice that you follow so you really do end up with a permanent life long result.
You are going to need help to effectively lose weight and keep it off. Harvard researchers have proven that being part of a social network of people getting in shape can help you lose weight. A ground breaking study released by the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that weight loss can spread from person to person through social networks of friends and families.
Now that’s good news, now there is some hope. What you need to do now is find a social network site dedicated to weight loss. That is where you will find help, encouragement, inspiration, tips, ideas, companionship, recommended weight loss programs, and, especially, one or more weight loss buddies – you help them while they encourage you. Now you have no excuse not to make that important life changing decision. But please, don’t procrastinate, just do it, do it NOW.
Need help? Try www.weight-loss-neighbourhood.com