Renown natural therapist Jesse Cannone writes about the core issue facing us in achieving the kind of healthy weight that we want to achieve: the right approach and determination to Lose Fat that wil not waiver when we confront how hard that can be..
Lose Fat, NOT Faith
by
Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFT
I hope you are ready…
Because the secrets I’m about to share with you WILL literally transform your life and body.
Losing weight and becoming strong, healthy and fit is NOT nearly as difficult as you may think or have been led to believe.
Look inside any health related magazine and you will see page-after-page of, or maybe I should say, empty-promise-after-empty-promise, of “AMAZING” weight loss and “TOTAL” body transformation offers. They tell you to do this program, take this pill, drink this shake and eat this bar and “you too will get a body like this”.
Well, as you already know, it’s simply not that easy.
It’s hard to tell the difference between who’s trying to make a quick buck with inflated claims and fabricated testimonials and the legitimate life-changing programs.
And even if you do find a program that works, how will you know if it’s right for you and your body type? That’s right – not every program is right for every body. You must know how to choose the right plan that will work for you and your lifestyle.
But I have some good news for you…
There is a way to know the difference between what’s finally going to help you achieve the body you desire – and what might drive you to once again, throw in the towel on your weight loss battle.
First, you need to start by asking yourself the following four questions: Are You Ready for Change?
Sure, we all want to lose weight and have lean, toned bodies, but ask yourself…are you ready to make the changes necessary in order to achieve your goals?
Americans spend an estimated $40 billion dollars a year on diets, fitness equipment and health club memberships, yet the number of overweight Americans continues to rise. Why?
Too many times we think of weight loss as “dieting”. We are quick to buy the next gizmo, pill or patch and we insist on dieting our way to our goals…then what? We quit and all the weight comes back on, and then some. Now we’re left defeated, depressed and discouraged.
You must change your lifestyle and get away from the diet mentality!
Diet fads are always gimmicks. They exist to sell products and make money. Now, I don’t mean that these plans don’t work at all or are completely lacking in good healthful suggestions, but if they tell you what you want to hear, such as “do this simple easy thing and you will get the body of your dreams”…you know that you’re dealing with a gimmick and not something that will last.
You must change your lifestyle and get away from the diet mentality!
Diet fads are always gimmicks. They exist to sell products and make money. Now, I don’t mean that these plans don’t work at all or are completely lacking in good healthful suggestions, but if they tell you what you want to hear, such as “do this simple easy thing and you will get the body of your dreams”…you know that you’re dealing with a gimmick and not something that will last.
You must remember that you are YOU…you are not the same as your neighbor that told you about the diet, or the guy at the office that lost 10 pounds in one week…you are YOU. Find what works for you, your body, your lifestyle and your abilities.
Until you are ready to stop the “dieting” mindset and start readying yourself for lifestyle change, you will never achieve the level of happiness and confidence that you so deeply desire.
You simply must learn how to come face-to-face with the reasons you desire to change and make sure you fully understand what needs to be addressed before these changes can happen.
2. “Diet” or Lifestyle Change…is there a difference?
So what happens when the plan doesn’t work?
Does this sound familiar:
Eating as little as possible to conserve calories (usually skipping meals)
Loading up on microwave “diet” meals and various “diet” packaged products like cookies, crackers, cereals or basically anything that says “diet”, “lean”, “no fat”
Switching to diet soda and light beer instead of the regular versions.
Substituting supplements like bars and shakes in place of meals.
I bet that sounds way too familiar. I have news for you…this is NOT eating healthfully…this is dieting. There is a BIG difference! D-I-E-T…it’s a four letter word for good reason. The majority of us associate the word diet with failure, mainly because we have started and stopped more than we would like to admit.
Educate yourself on healthy eating (not dieting) and find an eating plan that you can enjoy and that is balanced. It may take some trial and error but you can find healthy foods that you enjoy and once you learn how to portion control and not feel deprived it becomes your lifestyle and NOT A DIET!
The key word is balance. Popular diets that encourage eliminating certain foods or food groups are not balanced and are not a long-term solution.
You want to look to plans and experts who encourage a balanced plan of healthy foods in moderation. You also want to look for a program that teaches you how to listen to your body, determine what foods in what amounts work best for you and show you how to stick to that plan. It may take some time and require a bit of effort at the start, but once you find the right plan for YOU than positive change is right around the corner.
3. Exercise… Do You Have A Plan?
Do you plan your exercise sessions or do you just do them when you can fit them in your busy schedule? To see results, you must commit to a balanced exercise plan that is consistent and right for you and your goals.
American adults acknowledge the importance of regular exercise, yet less that 25% of adults exercise enough to derive significant health benefits.- Study by Louisiana State University Medical School
A winning plan will ALWAYS include: cardiovascular exercise, resistance training and flexibility training. Let me start by first defining these three types of exercise:
Cardio = Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is any physical activity done for an extended period of time that forces your cardiovascular system (heart, lungs and blood vessels) to increase the amount of oxygen and blood circulating through your body so you’re benefiting even when you are at rest. By increasing your cardiovascular fitness level, you are increasing the rate in which your body burns calories. Examples of cardiovascular exercise are walking, jogging, running, biking, stair-climbing, elliptical machines and swimming (to name just a few).
Resistance Training = Anaerobic Exercise
Resistance training is anaerobic exercise. Or, exercise done in short, intense bursts that works your body without requiring much oxygen. Basically, you are working the muscle against some form of resistance in order to break it down and rebuild it stronger and leaner.
Resistance training can be performed using hand weights, machines, body weight, weighted balls and bars, rubber tubing or resist-a-bands.
Flexibility Training = good ol’ stretching.
No mystery here, you need to stay flexible in order to perform better during cardiovascular and resistance training sessions and prevent injury. It is a highly overlooked part of most fitness programs but incredibly important in the big picture.
Any exercise program you choose should contain all of these types of exercise. There are many products (especially on late night infomercials) that claim, “if you do this machine for 15 minutes a day you too can lose all the weight you want”. We all know deep down that this is simply not true.
Weight loss takes effort and just like diet, it takes balance. No one machine or exercise will give you everything you need to maintain good health. Mix it up, keep it fresh and find something you enjoy doing…that is the KEY to any successful program.
4. Are You Forgetting About Vision?
This is an area that most weight loss programs and books almost always overlook. They tell you the exercises to perform and the foods to eat but neglect the emotional aspects of losing weight. Most of us think that as long as we hit the gym and eat right everything will fall into place. It’s not that easy.
You need to address deeper issues, of the past, present and future. When on any new journey there will be tough times. You need to be well equipped to face those challenges head on and not buckle down in moments of weakness. We often pull out our “victim card” when faced with challenges…”I’m too old”…”my family is taking too much of my time”…”this is too hard”…”I can’t do this physically”.
We assume others who succeed are lucky or are born that way and we just aren’t meant to lose weight. You need to have a vision…not just goals, but real idea of what it is you want to obtain and do if you reach your goals. This starts with your own thoughts and self-talk.
You need to have a firm grasp on what it is that YOU want to achieve and what that means for YOUR future. A solid program will help you put this perspective and take you step by step through the mental process as well as physical.
Now that you have it in perspective you need to find a plan that addressed these critical elements and really allows you to grasp the healthy lifestyle concept, rather than just weight loss. I know this all sounds like a lot of work and may seem a bit confusing, but there are people just like you who have overcome the odds and achieved the body and lifestyle they have always dreamed about….
