Want to Get Into Shape, Lose Weight and Make It Stick? Here’s How.

Lets face it, everyone is not meant to be a size 4 or even a 6 for that matter.  We make up many different shapes and sizes of beautiful and God designed it this way.  We should love the skin were in.

The problem is…many of us don’t and we want to do something about it.

So what is the key to shedding those extra pounds and taking control of your health and your body?

Stop complaining and do it!

That’s it.

No magic pill, detailed weight loss plan, or hip new workout that’s sweeping the nation.  None of those will work if you aren’t willing to to.

I hear people ALL the time saying they want to lose weight, tone or just get their endurance back, but then they make a million excuses as to why they haven’t done it.   Face it, some of us are just lazy!

I can hear you now…”shoot, I don’t know who she talking about, I’m not lazy!”  Well, prove it!

Stop making excuses!

Life will happen:  Kids will need attention, you work schedule will not permit, there won’t be enough money for a gym membership and everything  else that can get in the way…will.  What are you going to do about it?

When the DVD breaks and you can’t do your P90X session for the day are you going to just not do anything or think outside of the box and improvise.

When you work later than you were supposed to and missed your time at the gym are you going to just stop going or give yourself some grace and pick up where you left off the next day.

If you want control of your weight and health bad enough, none of those excuses will pan out or stop you.

Question is…do you want it bad enough?

Don’t just commit to starting; commit to finishing

Why do you think gym memberships skyrocket in the month of January but by April, it’s a ghost town with tumbleweeds blowing in between the treadmills.  Those New Years resolutions to get in shape just don’t stick.  Many women want the quick way out and when they realize meeting their goals will be more work than they signed up for, they bail.  Don’t be one of those people.  Don’t bail out when the going gets tough, or the alarm goes off and you don’t want to get up, or that pint of butter pecan ice cream will NOT STOP calling your name.

Get in your head now that it will not be easy.  Push through when the desire to give up is at its peak, and commit to finishing; you’ll be amazed at the results.

Think Permanent, not temporary

If you’re in it just to lose a couple of pounds , show off for a lil bit or fit into some certain dress and then resume your former lifestyle habits once you meet your goals, you’re in for a rude awakening.

I get a little irritated when I hear people say I’m naturally small or I can’t relate to their weight loss struggles because they look at the now.   Yeah I was thinner growing up but honestly 80% of us can look back at our high school pictures and say “man I was skinny back then.”

Genetics is only half, the other half is that after I had my first daughter I worked my arse off and disciplined myself to work out, eat right and lose the weight.  Contrary to what some might believe, it took two years and it was NOT easy.

Once I got the weight off I didn’t stop there.  I realized I would have to maintain and I changed my eating habits and activity level for the long term.  Now, even after two more pregnancies, it’s just a matter of maintaining and consistently employing the habits that got me here in the first place.

Be consistent

You go hard in the gym for about a week and then forget the gym exist for awhile and then decide you want to go hard again.  Keep this up and you will drive yourself insane and forever wonder why you’re not making progress.  The difference between the ones who meet their fitness goals and the ones who don’t is consistency.  Sadly, too many of us are in the “ones who don’t” category.  Choose to continue to show up even when you don’t feel like it, or don’t even care about shedding the pounds anymore.  Show up anyway.  Decide right now that you’re going to show up when you’re suppose to and do the work whether you feel like it or not.

Don’t just take advice and wisdom, put them to work

There have been a couple of times where I’ve literally spent hours putting together everything I’ve learned from my own weight loss journey and shared it with someone at their requests only to hear from them again, frustrated, wanting more advice.  When asked if they followed what I sent them to begin with…they never got around to it.  Blank stare!

How many times have you read an article or got some great advice from a trainer, got excited about it, shared it with others and just failed to follow it.  Those articles aren’t written or that advice is not given just because those people had nothing better to do.  It’s given for your benefit but if you don’t put it to use and then turn around and complain about your lack of progress is there any wonder why you’re still going around in circles?

So…

The guarantee to meeting your goals:

Stop complaining, ditch the excuses, commit to putting in the work, be consistent, and actually use the tools you are given and see if it doesn’t make a world of difference.

What are you waiting for…go get it!