When Is The Right Time For Weight Loss?

When do you make the final decision to take action on your weight? What’s the last straw that pushes you over the edge? What is your “warning weight”… the number that you set in your head that says “ok, gotta have a look at my training and my diet”? Is it when you pants no longer fit? Or you have to squeeze into that theater seat? Or is it when your doctor says “you have to do something or you’re going to die” ? or is it when you sit on the chair at the Christmas Party only to have it collapse under your weight?

I have a friend who keeps talking about his weight and setting goals to do something about it. I’ve been given a written “goal” listing why, when and how this is going to happen, yet it never seems to. Something keeps getting in the way and stopping this person from actually taking charge and doing it.

Finally, the moment came.

A recent visit with the doctor had my friend coming away with the info “Do something about your weight or you’re going to have severe medical problems“. I’m guessing drugs would be required, possibly diabetes, maybe an early death… I don’t know, and I’m paraphrasing… that was the gist of the message but not the exact words.

Alright then, lets get to work. Lets create a plan and then act on the plan. Walking every day and weight training 3x a week. Tweak the diet is always good, but it’s the addition of the weight training and walking or other cardio that is going to make all the difference.

I love when someone commits to taking action on their health. It’s the most inspiring thing for me. To create a plan, acknowledge what you know and what you don’t know and be willing to make mistakes, but at the same time, to correct the mistakes as you go as well. My Mentor T. Harv Eker teaches “Ready, Fire, Aim“… get moving, then correct and continue as you go.

The main point is to begin.

Take action.

There’s power in taking action. You can know everything you need to know about your given field, but until you take action on that knowledge, all you are is smart. You have no experience in the field and no results.

So time to prove it.

Of course, my friend has been at it since seeing the doctor. Going strong every day knowing that he’s doing something positive. He was scared enough to come see me and create the plan and now has had an entire 6 weeks under the belt of exercise and fitness.

Nope.

Poof.

Disappeared

Doesn’t return phone calls or emails.

So why would you figure, that someone told to do something about their weigh still has not taken action.

What are the reasons that are stopping you?

I’m curious.

Tell you what. You come up with the reason and I’ll bust it for you ok? Give me your excuses and I will do my best to help create a plan to work around whatever it is that’s stopping you.

I understand that this can be scary. I really do. I’ve been there too. Not wanting to go back to the gym because I gained some weight and my friends will talk behind my back and ask “omg, what happened?” I can see from my own experiences from gaining some weight back that just starting a gym routine could be extremely scary.

Blush, a new member of the weight loss forum has this belief:

“There are a lot of people in great shape in the gym and I’ll look dumb or fat if I show up and they’ll all talk about me. I don’t know how to use the equipment, so I’ll look dumb or get hurt.”

Is she right or wrong? Doesn’t matter.. it’s a belief, and that belief can be changed. What I plan to do is to take her to the gym and introduce her to the equipment and that’s it. No workout, just go in and look at the equipment so she has an idea of what it looks like and what to expect.

That’s part one.

That’s the first step.

Then, when she’s thought about it for awhile, imagined what it’s like, then we can go back. I’ve also introduced her to my personal trainer here in Edmonton. She’s going to be taught how to use the equipment and a beginner routine and then she can go back and do the workouts herself, or with a friend.

For the record… I see potential in everyone. When a new person shows up in the gym and begins to train, I admire them, regardless of shape because they took action. They’re doing something. I sure hope they took a before photo!

Another belief might be “I don’t know what to wear to the gym”.

or “I don’t have the time to go to the gym. I have kids so I cant get to the gym, I have to watch them.”

or even

“I live in a small town and there aren’t any gym’s”

Well, lets bust that one right now. Ang, who wrote me and allowed me to post her commitment to weight loss a few weeks ago, lives in a small town in southern Alberta. She has one single piece of fitness equipment that she can carry in her purse (well, practically), which she takes to the park at her kids school and then uses the jungle gym equipment and her special workout equipment (the TRX Bodyweight Fitness Trainer) and does her workout there. That little bit of exercise along with her daily hour walk is all she’s doing.

What other reasons are there? I’m sure there are a lot.

Now, the next question is… how do you bust your belief?

What would it take to prove to you that someone else in the same circumstance (or worse off) can do it? What if your complaint is that you can’t get up early enough, or you’re sore. Well, what if a guy born 3 months premature, weighing a half a pound (0.5), who nearly died and has had multiple surgeries and has to use crutches to get around can do it? What if the most important thing to him was to prove that he could be healthy and fit? Could you do it then? Meet Nino Savona. Nino is Unstoppable and his motto is “No Excuses”… God Bless You Nino!

What is important to you? Is being healthy important?

Would it be better to be healthy than to lose weight?

They’re both in the same league I think, but maybe it’s just a matter of focus.

Maybe being healthy is more important than being slim and trim.

It might be that you’re happy being the weight that you are.. and that’s fine… be happy. Being happy is critical to all success. In fact, some believe that just being happy will attract everything you want into your life.

So be happy.

Create the habit of doing something daily that makes you healthier. I don’t think anyone would disagree that being healthy is more important that being the perfect weight.

Lets say that you have a belief that people will treat you differently if you’re slim and trim. Maybe you’re a woman and your fear is that by being trim, you’ll be treated like an object. That’s a common fear. I understand. Lets turn it on it’s end though. What you focus on expands. Thoughts lead to Feelings which lead to Action which leads to Results. TFA – R.

Ok.. so lets have a look at this example again under a different light.

Same person. Same goal.
…… Different focus.

Now the focus is on being healthy. Would being healthy have more mens eyes on you? Probably not. Being healthy would earn admiration from men and women alike. You’d also be a role model for your children, or your nieces and nephews. Being healthy allows you to do more for society, to contribute, to grow and then share that with others.

How do you get healthy? What’s involved?

Daily physical exercise is a part of being healthy. Going for a walk every day… going to the gym to become stronger so that you can have more fun with your kids… and to show your kids that being active every day is fun… then instills in them the habit that they will teach to their kids as well. You can take your kids to the park and play on the jungle gym. You could do pushups in the sand, or incline pushups with your feet up on the park bench and your hands on the grass. You can challenge your kids to see who can do more pushups and who can improve quicker. You can do pull ups using the jungle gym. You could use the TRX system and do core work. You could kick the soccer ball around and mix in some interval work like walking lunges, or frog jumps or burpees.. involving the kids and getting healthier.

Eating more fruits and vegetables and less snack food is healthy isn’t it? You might begin eating oatmeal with some egg whites in the morning and then adding in a small salad. That’s healthy. Adding in some Good Fats… Some Essential Fatty Acids for health. Easy.

Maybe lunch would be chicken breast and a small salad rather than a sandwich with two huge pieces of bread and a little slice of sandwich meat. You might consider balancing your macro nutrients more in favor of protein and less starchy carbohydrates.

An afternoon snack might be an apple or some blueberries instead of a muffin loaded with sugar.

You might come home after work and go for a walk with the husband and kids instead of watching tv… or if the kids go out to friends, then you could go for a walk with your hubby or boyfriend.

Is that doable?

You might respond

“that’s a lot of changes all of a sudden”

Yes, you’re right… doing all those things on a daily basis starting tomorrow would be a huge change.

So.. like I’m explaining to Anthony in the weight loss forum, start with the macro and work to the micro. He’s overcoming challenges at work having to do with being able to warm his food up without using a microwave… so he’s going to at least DO IT with the microwave while he finds a solution to warming the food up in a safer manor. His starting weight is 405 pounds and his toughest challenge so far is deciding between beginning Taekwondo or joining a gym. How’s that for being unstoppable?

So yes, begin with the habit, then focus on Constant And Never-ending Improvement or CANI.

Know the plan ahead of time, then begin adding in one new positive habit at a time. Work that habit for 21 days to completely anchor it, then add in another one for 21 more days and then another… and so it goes.

Begin with adding new habits. The big habits. Don’t count calories – those are the details. Begin with just the habit whether you get it exactly right or not, just do it.

Eventually, as you read more and learn more about health and activity, you can then fine tune the details and get them exactly right if you have to… but stick with taking action first, then fine tuning later.

Oh.. and a really good habit to begin right now… today… that will support you in your health is to stop eating dairy products. There is no value in them except to the dairy industry. They will do whatever it takes to keep you eating and drinking their products. They will continue to fund research and advertising and promote dairy products in the schools so that they can create a habit early too. Dairy products do nothing to promote health and everything to destroy it. Stop your association with dairy products and you will reap health and financial rewards till the end of time.

Now.. here’s how changing your focus gets results. What is the result of focusing on your health? Making healthy changes on a day to day basis?

Reaching your goal weight and getting fit in the process.

See, it’s the same end result but at least you took the steps necessary because the belief didn’t get in the way. You found a way around the obstacle. Be like water grasshopper!

To follow up about my friend in the first part of the story… I honestly do not know what he’s doing. He may very well be training 3x a week, but I have no idea. The plan we came up with did not come to fruition the way it was designed, but that’s not important. The universe may have a better plan in mind. In most cases, a firm commitment to the goal will allow things to show up that support your decision, but not necessarily the way it was planned. Maybe Blush was supposed to join the forum, and maybe my buddy was supposed to meet her and maybe they were supposed to begin training together? or maybe they’re both supposed to join us in the river valley on Sunday mornings for some sort of outdoor activity? I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that the universe supports me and it will support you too. Your only job is to be open to the invitation and the presentation of the people, places and events that will guide you to your goal. Believe, Trust and Keep Your Eyes Open!

I started this post with a question: When is the right time for weight loss? When do you make the final decision to take action on your weight? What’s the last straw that pushes you over the edge? and then I asked for you to submit your road blocks and that I would make my best effort to provide a solution. So that is how I leave you today… asking for you to tell me what it is that stops you from committing to taking action on your weight loss.

So.. What is stopping you?