actions DO speak louder than words ...

I'm a firm believer in the idea that you reap what you sow when it comes to working on your weight loss. That's not to say, of course, that it always shows up on the scale (wouldn't that be nice!), but, in general, if you're working hard, you'll see the benefit, and if you're having trouble or just plain slacking, you may be disappointed when you weigh in. Most people I talk to tend to agree that this is generally true.

So, that having been said, ask yourself this: What does your weight say about your priorities? I'm thinking that, if you're slimming down nicely, weight loss is probably pretty important to you. More important than, say, donuts or pizza or cookies or bread or hot dogs or whatever your weight-gain pals are. If the pounds aren't coming off as consistently or as quickly as you'd prefer, though, maybe it's time to check your priorities.

Let's get something straight - I'm not saying that losing that gut has to be the #1 most important thing in your life. It's not for most people, and although it was for me once, it sure isn't right now. But if you want to get top results, shouldn't this be a top (or top-ish) priority for you? I certainly think so.

This is what I'm getting at - too often, we demand and expect big, ongoing losses at the scale without having to "do the work." Our actions show us what's truly important to us. We can all make this happen for ourselves, but we've gotta be willing to sacrifice some bad decision-making and some bad habits in order to be successful.

If you really want it, be willing to work for it!



If you don't, it shows.

so what about exercising?

I blogged a few weeks back about my "Spring Break Exercise Challenge" (described here). Initially, I was looking forward to checking in sooner, reporting on how the week-and-a-half went afterward, but something amazing happened: I never stopped exercising!

Nobody could be more surprised about this than I - my disdain for the gym is no small secret, and I avoided regular exercise throughout my weight loss and for more than two years at my goal weight, mostly due to issues related to lack of time and of interest. I had always exercised sometimes, very inconsistently, but never seemed to discover what would turn the occasional recreational outing into a regular part of my lifestyle.

Magic happened over spring break, however. Getting out daily for a while turned exercise into a habit for me - I don't do it every day, but now it's a part of my consistent part of my life (like drinking!). I just don't feel like I've had a great week unless I've been able to make it out to the mountains for to the basketball courts at least a couple times. Turns out that all I really needed was to find that initial motivation to move more, and the habit building took care of itself.

Like so many things in weight loss and in life, habit building is essential to making exercise a part of your life long-term, beyond that initial burst of motivation that we all get from time to time. I suppose the most important morsel of knowledge I gleaned from my exercise challenge is this:

When you attack a problem head on, making a clear, achievable goal and working it through to success, you've already taken the hardest step towards successful, sustainable habit-building.

That having been said, I look forward to balling my way to the biceps of my dreams ...



I'll let you know how that goes.

Keeping our eyes on the prize

I think the weight-loss journey is kind of like a roller coaster - sometimes it's easy to handle, sometimes it's hard, sometimes you can see the next twist or turn before hand, and sometimes you can't. It's not always simpler to stay motivated through all the trials and tribulations of slimming down, but I've always found that having a clear and important goal in mind makes it a lot easier.

Why do you want to lose weight? For your health? For your physical fitness? Maybe vanity is your biggest motivator - it was, and is, for me. Perhaps a combination of these and other reasons is what finally drove you do decide, "now is the time to lose the fat."

Notice this has little to do with what others want - "the doctor wants me to lose weight" isn't enough. If the doctor told you to lose weight for your health, and you want to be healthier, focus on that: "MY weight is unhealthy, and I want to lose weight for MY health." Now, I'm not saying that what other people want isn't important, because it sure can be. But what the doctor wants - or what your spouse, sibling, friend, child, coworker, or anyone else wants - is nowhere near as important is what YOU want.

So, now that we have a "ME-centric goal" (I want to lose weight because _________ ), let's visualize it. What does "slimmer you" look like? What can "skinny you" do that you can't do now? Make this visualization as detailed and vivid as possible.

If you want this goal enough, if your visualization is powerful enough, this can be a great tool to help you overcome temptation. Think about what "slimmer you" looks like, and then ask yourself whether what you're eating is helping or hurting your efforts. I think you'll be amazed at hope much this exercise, with your new clear goal in mind, helps you keep your eye on the prize.