Feed Your Faith

KEEP FEEDING YOUR FAITH AND YOUR DOUBTS WILL STARVE

How would we ever reach our goals if we don't believe it's possible? If you believe you can, you can! If you believe it's impossible, it is. You have all the power you need.

You can't lose 100 pounds overnight but you can take the teeny tiny steps in the right direction and little by little, slow and steady, pound by pound, you can lose it. You can change your habits, you can stop eating so much processed crap, you can drink water instead of soda, you can get your ass off the couch and break a sweat once in a while, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, you can learn to feel your emotions instead of eating them and you can feel better in your skin if you really want it.

When you have over 100+ pounds to lose it can seem impossible, overwhelming and so out of reach. Even those last 10 pounds can seem just as impossible. No matter how much you have to lose, it's NEVER easy but IT IS possible.

There's allot of talk about "the switch" and "the wagon" and how it's either "on" or "off." I'm learning that it's not that simple. There is no switch and some days we're driving the wagon and other days we're chasing it down. There are hundreds of little decisions to be made each day and each one is an opportunity to get you closer or further away from your ultimate goal. There will be days that you will want to eat cake, have a cocktail or indulge in some decadent treat and that's ok. The problem is when we get into the all or nothing mentality. We think one splurge is a good reason to give up because it's impossible. How can I expect to lose weight if I just ate birthday cake? I might as well have another piece, right? WRONG! A splurge is a splurge and a treat is a treat. That's all it is. Enjoy it and move on.

We always want what we can't have so as soon as you tell yourself you can't have chocolate, ice cream, cake, cookies, chips, dip, whatever...that's all you think about, that's all you crave and as soon as you give in to those cravings, look out, it's a slippery slope back into those fat pants. Regaining weight that took so much effort to lose can be devastating. You can't just go back to your old ways that got you fat in the first place, you have to make permanent changes to keep the weight off permanently.

I'm sure we've all bought into one rapid weight loss plan or another over the years only to be let down by the promise to "lose all the weight you want without exercise and still eat your favorite foods." I call BULLSHIT on every single one of those plans. Don't buy it. Don't waste your money or your time. Sure, most of them will enable you to lose some weight but unless you are willing to follow the plan for the rest of your days the weight will come back. I know, I've been there. I've lost it a few times on one commercial plan or another before and it always came back. I couldn't eat food out of a cardboard box forever and I couldn't live the rest of my life without eating bread. I love bread. I decided life without bread was not worth living. I had to find a plan that worked for me and my life. I needed to break some weight loss rules and create my own rules. We can't always live by someone else's rules. What works for me may not work for you but you can figure out what does work for you and make it happen.

We live in a world of instant gratification. We don't want to have to wait for anything. You know the person behind you will beep the horn if you're not hitting the gas the second the light turns green. We want it and we want it NOW! If I eat right and exercise this week I deserve to see a loss on the scale, right? Well, sometimes that just doesn't happen for any number of reasons. We have to get over being instantly rewarded for doing the right thing. Just doing the right thing is the reward. I exercised allot and ate right all week and still gained 0.9 pounds. It doesn't seem fair but it is what it is. The number is just a number and not an accurate reflection of my efforts. It's not an excuse to slack off and give up.

We all want weight loss to be easy and effortless. It's easy and effortless to gain but it is a stubborn bitch to take off. I hate to break it to you but if you haven't figured it out yet, you have to face the fact that it takes effort, lots of effort, to change your lifestyle. There is no magic pill, it's not all sunshine and rainbows, and it doesn't happen overnight but if you are consistent in your efforts you will see results as long as you never stop believing. It does get easier once you make your new habits part of your routine but it takes a consistent effort.

There is a better way but only YOU can decide what is right for YOU. Is your plan working for you? What can you do right now, today, to get you one step closer to your goal? Take a small step in the right direction and you'll be one step closer to reaching your goal.

Keep feeding your faith and your doubts will starve. I know I will reach my goal and I know you can reach yours. Like Dorothy and her ruby slippers, we've had the power all along, we just need to use it.

Keep the faith!