Today’s post focuses on a plan to lose weight. After a mile run yesterday due to a short lived heat wave, I thought it would be a good time to encourage some folks who may be looking to shed some extra pounds. I know I am!
Start Here
A few months ago I listened to Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. The principles inspired me to develop a new way of thinking about my fitness. What follows is an adaptation of Napoleon Hill’s 6 principles and how I think they translate and can help you to shift your mindset towards your weight loss goals.
Remember that your mind has to be on board before your body can follow. The mind is actually your strongest asset in winning the war against the bulge.
What is the bulge?
Mobb Deep in Survival of the Fittest may have said it best, “There’s a war going on outside, no man is safe from.” I feel that this accurately describes the battle between every humanoid and weight gain. We are constantly bombarded with commercials, billboards, radio ads all with the same message: Eat here now.
Why? Because we are cheap and delicious. Many companies and restaurant chains have invested millions to support this battle.
And here we are in the midst of the war zone with a five dollar bill in our pocket, staring at the dollar menu, defenseless. Soon we consume cheap, easy meals. Maybe even a few times a week and the bulge begins to develop. One day you look in the mirror and wonder how that extra belly fat got there.
Where did the love handles come? THIS IS THE BULGE. The byproduct of losing the war that can and will spread to your thighs, arms, chin if you allow it. But we can develop a weaponized defense against the bulge and it is called the TMEL (Think more eat less approach).
Defeat the bulge
First.
Place in your mind’s eye the exact amount of weight you want to lose or the exact number that you wish to see on the scale. You cannot simply say “I want to lose a lot of pounds.” Get really specific.
Second.
Figure out what you will give to someone else once you attain your ideal weight. I know that this is weird to think about, especially when you are in the trenches with the bulge but the reason for this is that you can realize that attaining your goal is not only for yourself.
I believe that there is a duty of reciprocity. The only reason why I can even write this is because my inner circle constantly encourages me to encourage others. Sometimes I compare this mutuality as a cup filling another cup until it overflows into another cup. Once your cup is running over, once you meet your goal, will you fill someone else’s or will you be selfish? I hope it is the former.
Third.
What is the date you want to achieve your goal by? This is another specific piece. It is not enough to say 3 months but you have to say to yourself 3 months from now will be July 30th and I will be 15 pounds lighter.
Fourth.
Create a plan to achieve the number you wish to reach in your head. You must start this plan immediately. It does not matter whether it is perfect or even if you are ready to move forward. If you overthink it you may experience failure to launch otherwise known as procrastination.
A close friend of mine decided one day that he was going to do the T-25 workout dvds and stick to the regimen. The schedule was one intense non-stop workout for 25 minutes 4 days out of every week, on day five stretch….He thought about the plan and went full steam ahead.
Now a couple of months later he has already seen results. You never know how close you are to being a success until you take that first step.
This is also a good place to decide if part of your plan includes diet. Notice I said diet and not dieting. I believe that some small changes in what you eat everyday can go a long way to improving your health.
You can replace some of your carbohydrates with vegetables or protein as a starting point to becoming a lighter you. And if you need a little assistance below are 10 recipes that are low in fat, just to get you going.
Fifth.
Write down in a journal or on sheet of paper, napkin, Charmin, whatever you have and create your mission statement.
This statement should include the amount of weight you want to lose or the number you are trying to get to, the date you will achieve that number, how you will fill someone else’s cup, and the exercise plan/regimen you will follow.
Sixth.
If you wrote your mission statement in a journal or diary rip it out and hang up above your bed, couch, or wherever you sleep. Look at this statement before you go to bed and when you wake up.
I want you close your eyes, picture yourself skinnier, feel how light you feel. See yourself as already being at the weight you are working toward.
End Here
My ultimate goal with this post is to spark something inside of you to change not only how you feel about exercise but to spark ACTION.
You have everything that you need in your possession to change your thought process, then change your body, THEN change your life. The three are inter-connected. I am not saying that you cannot be happy if you do not lose weight. But you will feel a lot better if you decide to apply these principles and adapt them to your personal plan to lose weight.