Issue #28

Lifestyle

As you are probably aware, being overweight is a lifestyle illness.  What this means is that, no matter how hard you try, you can't become fat over night.  Being overweight requires a steady, ongoing effort in over eating, and under exercising over many years.

What does this tell me?

What this tells you, is that lifestyle issues can only be solved using lifestyle techniques.  Let's examine this further.

The wrong approach

The wrong approach to weight loss, one that is bound to fail, is to expect to lose a large amount of weight by the end of this month.  We are all suddenly hit with urgency when we realize that we just "have" to be thin by next week, when your girlfriends are taking you out for a dance, and you realize that the only party clothes you have are two sizes smaller.  You're prepared to do ANYTHING to lose weight by next week.  Sound familiar?

The right approach

The right approach is to lose weight in exactly the same manner in which you originally put in on.  Cast your mind back to when you were thin.  Let's look at where it all began.  Once upon a time you began to eat more high fat, unhealthy foods, and began to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle.  Before long, that perfect, supple body began to flesh out, and over a period of literally years, you began to bulk up to your now "impressive" size.

The weigh to lose weight is to take the same lifestyle approach.  In the same way that small changes got you into this mess, simple changes will get you out.  Have a look at the way you eat.  Is it healthy?  Is there too much fast food?  Too many snacks?  And when was the last time you actually went for a walk?

Now, don't fall for the "I've got to start living perfectly right now!" approach.  We've all tried that a hundred times, but we always end up putting back on any weight we might have lost.  Remember, lifestyle changes are invariably gradual.  So cut down on the number of times a week you eat fast food.  Or add a walk around the block a couple of times a week.  Simple things.

But disallow yourself from doing it all at once.  Adopt only one change at a time.  To create a new lifestyle you'll need a succession of small steps spread out over many weeks or even months.  Just one small change at a time, no more.

The result

The result is a lifestyle in which you will actually automatically lose weight.  And small, baby changes are a sinch to stick to.  Plus, it's virtually completely stress free.

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