Motivation – Are you Ready?

Earlier this year, the New York Times published an article entitled, 'Do you have to be Superhuman to lose weight?'  The answer to that understandable question is, of course, NO.  However, you do have to be ready.  And let's be clear about one thing: being ready to lose weight is different than just wanting to lose weight.  For instance, I would love to learn another language, but I'm not ready to actually work toward that goal.  It would be great to have that ability, but I'm not ready to study, buy materials and practice.  I feel that's the way many of us are with our weight loss.  We say we want to slim down and it would be nice to fit into some different clothes, but when it comes to actually putting forth the consistent effort that it takes, we quickly find that we are not ready at all.  We usually refer to this kind of readiness as motivation.

It's especially difficult to get motivated if you're confused about what really needs to get done.  One step in that direction is realizing a very common disconnect in our minds between the day-to-day activities we engage in and the big picture of our overall health.  For instance, in the moment of eating that vending machine snack, the occasional buffet lunch, some football party-food on the weekend, we think nothing of it, it's no big deal.  It all seems so insignificant, doesn't it?  There's always tomorrow, and you can just spend an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill, right?  But that's just where the problem is, it's not insignificant, it all matters!  That's what a lifestyle is, an accumulation of all the “small” stuff.  Before you know it, all that small stuff that didn't matter has led to high blood pressure, diabetes and difficulty fitting into many clothes.  That's exactly why whether you do any physical activity this week matters.  What you have for dinner tonight matters!

So remember, you don't have to be superhuman to lose weight, you just have to be ready to change the “small” stuff on a consistent basis.

For one very motivating story of a non-superhuman guy losing a superhuman amount of weight, watch the video below.