Weight loss is one of the biggest industries in the world! And for those of us that need to lose weight it is the biggest struggle of our lives! The industry takes advantage of the fact that we don’t want to give up our “little pleasures” by telling us we don’t have to. They also know we don’t want to get all sweaty, out of breathe, and feeling pain, so they tell us we don’t have to exercise. “All you have to do is take this pill every day and the pounds will melt away, as if by magic!” they tell us. But, if you look at the small print they go on to say, “diet and exercise will make it work even better.” But, come on, when you really stop and think about it realistically, of course it isn’t just going to happen by taking a pill. We have to put more effort into it than that just because of physics and gravity if for no other reason. How is a pill going to make your body go against gravity? It isn’t. It may help us burn fat, but the fat only comes back if we keep eating the way we have been and if the pill burns the new fats that we put into our bodies the old fat is still there. And besides all that what side effects is the pill having that isn’t good for us? And just look at all the money we spend to lose weight and then frustratingly it doesn’t happen and we could have spent that money on a cruise!

Well-known mental health people tell us that being overweight begins with the way we feel about ourselves. For some that might be a clue as to why they are overweight and give them a starting point. But I have found that losing a few pounds is what starts me feeling better about myself.

I think if we face this thing realistically, we will realize that losing weight is going to take a life change. For some of us that is a really hard thing to face. Most of us just want things to be the same. But here is something to think about: when things stay the same we do not grow, we become stagnant. Personally, I desire to live forever and if that means changing my life style then I will attempt it. To make a life change you will have to prepare yourself and set up a new way to think. Don’t just jump in with any diet. Do some research and pick the one you can stick with. There are diets tailored to the individual now, that are more likely to work than the fad diets. Find out what your blood type is and what your body type is and then look for a diet tailored to you. Then do some self-talk. Just talk to yourself out loud. Address your body as if it was another person. Keep everything you say as positive as possible. Say, “Body, I love you. You are a part of me and I want to take really good care of you. I know if I do that you will make sure that you and I feel good and look good. You are the part of me the whole world sees and you reflect my thinking. This is what you and I are going to do.” Then tell your body what kind of diet you have planned for yourself. I hate the word diet because to me it means, NO! So think of it as a life change and refer to it that way always. When you talk to others refer to it as a life change. Tell your body why it is a good life change for you what it is going to do for you, and how good it is going to make you feel. Then each day touch base with your body. Praise your body for not giving in to cravings. Tell your body how well it is doing, how nice it looks, how nice it feels! Self-talk is something you can do throughout the day any time you are alone. The best time is in the morning when you first wake up before your day begins. Tell yourself what kind of day you want to have. Tell yourself you are going to be happy and smile all day and have pleasant thoughts. Tell your body you are going to eat good food that will give you energy throughout the day. List the things you want to accomplish during the day.

Remember that you aren’t going to get skinny overnight. But, you will feel better overnight! And everyday that you accomplish this life change you will feel better. If you have a day that didn’t go so good don’t be negative or stop talking to yourself or beat yourself up over it. Admit to yourself that it was a difficult day, and praise yourself for something that did go right. Then pick yourself up and get back to your life change.