Are you ready?

If you are reading this article I assume you are interested in losing weight. You already understand the statistics. You know that obesity is one of the most expensive medical conditions in this country. It has been estimated that being overweight could take as much as 10 years off of your life expectancy. You, likely, already know that obesity is directly correlated with heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, sleep-apnea, cholesterol problems, knee & hip problems, and the list goes on and on. I have seen more people than I care to think about suffer through life because the were so fat that their knees gave out on them. People who lost their vision, kidneys, legs, sensation, and others due to obesity. Something must be done. You know that you should do something or else you probably wouldn’t be looking here. The question is, are you ready?

Losing weight requires sacrifice. Your road won’t be easy. For some, it may be the toughest thing you will ever do. But, your life depends on it. You have to make a decision. To quote Yoda (from Star Wars) “Do or do not. There is no try.” You must make a decision today to live everyday, or die everyday. It won’t be easy, but it is simple. You simply have to make a decision to make the changes required. As stated in a previous article, losing weight is as simple as tipping the scale in favor of burning more than you consume.

You will need to decrease your caloric intake. You will need to eat healthy. You have to give up most of your cake and deserts. You need to get up off your back-side and start moving. There are many things that you can do to burn calories. Do not let perfection be the enemy of good – in other words, do something. Anything. Go for a walk or, better yet, start running. Start lifting weights, you’ll need the muscle. Quit drinking calories (no sweet tea, colas, juice, milk, etc). You cannot go for a run and tell yourself that you have earned the right to have that box of fries. You have to burn calories AND decrease their intake. Many foods are just too calorie dense to burn off by a 3, 4, or even 5 mile run. Ensure that every calorie you put in your mouth means something (has nutritional value). Start thinking of food as fuel. That is all it is.

There are a number of things that can be done to improve your chances of long-term success. These will be the topics of future articles. But, at some point, you simply have to make a decision to change. Jerrod (from Subway) was able to do it all on his own by burning calories (walking) and cutting his intake (eating lower calorie meals/sandwiches). Some can do it all on their own. Most will need help. There are NO magic pills! There are some things that can help. You still have to do the work. Anyone who tells you any different is selling a lie. If you aren’t ready to commit 100%, do yourself a favor and don’t lie to yourself. Make the changes you can, it will all help. But don’t expect serious results! If you have decided that you are ready and will do what it takes, buckle your seat belt. Its going to be an incredible journey. And it will be worth every step. Go to the next article (Get Started by Counting Calories).