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Discipline
is key to weight loss
No
pain, no gain
I say this because of my
own experience. When my wife Lisa and I embarked on a path to lose
weight and get fit, we just did not know what to do so we basically did
everything. And it worked. While it would have been great to
follow a more structured program, we still succeeded because we read
everything that we could find, joined gyms, bought our own exercise
equipment (along with training videos and manuals), changed our diets
and eating habits, and literally changed the way we live. Since we
started the program, Lisa is down to 110 lbs from her original 138 lbs
while I am down to 132 lbs from my original 164 lbs. Now mind you,
we were never truly overweight. We just had fat in all the wrong
places. (Related link: Excuses
for not working out)
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Since our
body makeover
success, we were not only admired for our achievement, we were
constantly approached for advice and suggestions. So instead
of repeating the same information, we started to offer our free advice
in the gym of our local community college. To pay for heat and
other miscellaneous expenses, the community college charged a nominal
fee of $20 for a 6-week program. The maximum number of 24 people
signed up for the program in a matter of two days when the announcement
appeared in the local newspaper. Our first session went well and I
thought that everyone was motivated and committed. Believe it or
not, six people dropped by the time we were in the second week. At
the end of four weeks, we only had 11 people and when we wrapped up the
program in February, only six people attended all the sessions. Of
course, we were disappointed but we also learned that weight loss and
getting a toned body does not come easy. Tom Venuto, the founder
of the Burn
the Fat program, aptly comments, "What you must understand
is that people who accomplish much and people who accomplish little BOTH
have fears. The difference between the two is that the latter feels the
fear and lets it immobilize them. The former feels the fear and does it
anyway." (Related article: Weight
loss through change in lifestyle) |
You will need to work
hard consistently and be disciplined about it the rest of your
life. Here are some lessons that we developed after talking to
both those who completed the program and those who quit:
- If you are not serious about your body, forget
it. You will not succeed unless you appreciate how important
it is for you. You will need to commit yourself to doing
whatever it takes.
-
Most people have a difficult time maintaining the focus that is needed,
particularly if you do not have a mentor or personal coach who guides
you and watches you so that you do not give up half way. (How
to achieve your weight loss goals)
- The desire to lose weight, to become fit, and look
sexy has to come from within. It has to be an inner desire
rather than just a casual wish.
So what should you do?
In our opinion,
discipline and focus are the two key elements of success in getting the
body that you want. While it may not be easy for everyone to
afford or even find a personal coach/mentor (read the subsequent story
on how to find a virtual workout partner), there are several programs
for people who wish to pursue body makeover on their own:
- Truestar
Health offers a program that recognizes the problems
that we have mentioned before. Weight loss is not merely one
problem. You gained weight in the first place because there
were several things that you were not doing right. This
program focuses on five key areas: Attitude, nutrition,
sleep,
vitamins and exercise. Through a combination of exercise
videos, weight loss programs, meditation CDs, supplements, and above
all, advice from experts. (Related:
weight loss surgery for
children)
- Beach Body takes a similar approach but emphasizes the value
of belonging to a community. We saw this while we ran our program.
The participants loved to hear stories from others and found it a
great way to exchange tips and advice. The other great thing
about being part of a community is that you can connect with people
like you. The best part is to see someone you know who loses
weight - nothing is a bigger motivator. If s/he can do it, I
can do too! Beach Body's website has an excellent community
section.
- South Beach Diet is not necessarily a fitness program but I like it because without a
coordinated diet program nothing works. Thus, I recommend that
if you do not plan to use a exercise program, then this program is
for you, along with the
South Beach Heart Program. While Truestar Health and BeachBody both also provide
some diet information, South Beach Diet gives you more complete
information.
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