Let’s get real! All the rhetoric is not really much of a difference.

I don’t know about you, but I am so tired of articles, books and discussion on talk shows about weight loss. I realize that January is a time for resolutions and losing weight seems to be on most people’s lists. But, let’s get real if you look around you know that all the rhetoric is not really making much of a difference.

As a nation we are getting fatter and fatter. Could it be that all the constant chatter is actually creating the opposite effect. Perhaps we are just like children who continue a negative behavior even though they have been chastised dozens of times. Maybe it’s more comfortable to be overweight because there are so many individuals who are.

I don’t have any answers to the problem other than what I consider to be common sense. If you eat less, and move more, you’ll get thinner. But because the problem has become so extensive, it has created a whole army of scam artists who make a living promising miraculous outcomes from a host of ridiculous diets.

If I need a good laugh I go to the book store and read the titles in the diet section. I know the customers around me are probably thinking I forgot to take my meds before I left the house, because my guffaws’ are rattling the building. There is always a book that has the word “ultimate” in it, as if you were about to embark on a quest for the holy grail. I love titles that contain the phrase “ The last diet you’ll ever go on”. Isn’t that a little like a death sentence. If you die it’s probably going to be the last time you’ll ever need to lose weight. In fact you might be the thinnest person in the cemetery. How about “Ten Pounds in Ten Seconds”. Of course I’m being facetious, but you’ve all seen the titles that promise quick results. The only way I know of to lose that much weight in that little time is to have your head cut off.

Then there’s the programs on TV that have individuals who are extremely overweight trying to climb a mountain with a log on their back or dragging a boat with twenty people in it. I call that a heart attack waiting to happen, but then all that really matters is ratings. Whatever happened to maintaining one’s dignity? I guess that doesn’t matter either.

Maybe, that’s the answer! If we thought more of ourselves, we just might lose weight to feel better. Now that’s an idea worth thinking about.

Changing behaviors for the New Year

Every year at this time I am asked about what resolutions I intend to make for the new year.

I, like many of you, have promised myself that I “Must” change certain behaviors that are not indigenous to a happy, healthy life many times over the years. Unfortunately the word “must” imposes a boot camp mentality that feels like a forced march.

Changing our behavior is one of the hardest things we can choose to do. Our patterns are so ingrained that it takes a jackhammer to loosen them. Personal transformation isn’t concrete; rather, it’s a culmination of many smaller changes. You didn’t gain weight , become unfit, or get stressed out overnight. You did it over a period of time. Take that into consideration, and try to reverse the process in the same way you created the problem.

The 21st century has produced a plethora of marketing tools that promise the consumer fast and easy ways to change behaviors, and a lot of people have bought into it. But in order to have lasting results,” slow and easy” wins the race. One of the wisest ways to transition from where you are to where you want to be is to do it in baby steps. Every small step you take towards becoming healthier and more fit is one that leads you towards your goal. When you follow this mind-set, you’ll have a much greater chance of reaching your goals.

Here are five benefits to taking baby steps:

1. Make gradual changes to allow your underlying beliefs to shift with you. Remember everyone lives with thinking models that oppose one another. I call it “twisted Sister and the Fairy Godmother.” Your fairy godmother wants the best for you, but your twisted sister is always there to give you a good dose of fear and reasons why you shouldn’t rock the boat. But every small action you take encourages you to become stronger.

2. Take small steps to give the people around you a chance to adjust.

3. Don’t say too much about what your plans are for change. You don’t want people saying, “Oh I’ve heard that before”.

4. Make it a game. Becoming healthy and happy doesn’t have to become an internal war. Try to make it fun.

5. Don’t focus on past failures and what might not happen. It only creates more of the same. Write down what you want and how it will manifest a better life; see it in your mind’s eye; and practice, practice, practice. Eventually your behavior will catch up.
Most importantly enjoy the process.