Have you been thinking about losing weight but just haven’t been able to get started yet? Do you think each day about how much better your health would be if you’d drop the extra 20, 60, or 100 pounds?
Have you been telling yourself that tomorrow will be different, but just for today, let’s have a “last supper”?
I’ve been there myself, and I understand how tough it can be to get motivated and get moving. I know what it’s like to want to make a change but continue to indulge in self-destructive behavior (overeating, binging, emotional eating, etc.).
I also know what it’s like to be on the other side, on the side of looking back at the accomplishments I have made thus far, and gaining more motivation from the actions that I have already taken. Yes, I have had to push myself at times to get started and get moving, however once I did (and continue to!), I feel so much better.
Today I’d like to give you the top 5 reasons why it is imperative that you start
today and lose that weight. I hope to encourage you to take the action that you have so dearly been wanting to take, but have been putting off until “tomorrow”.
- There is no tomorrow. No, I’m not being a fatalist here. Let me ask you though, to think back and count how many times you have told yourself that you will start tomorrow. You want to lose weight, you know that you can take small steps beginning today, and you realize that you can make it a priority to fit at least 15-30 minutes of exercise into your daily schedule. However, you continue to tell yourself today that tomorrow everything will be different.
Tomorrow you will really get out there, you will dig in and give it your all; you will succeed. Perhaps you even tell yourself that tomorrow you will be perfect.Well, I have to tell you that tomorrow will never come. Today is where it’s all at.
You may be reading this at 8:00 in the morning, 3:00 in the afternoon, or 9:00 at night. It may be a Monday, a Wednesday, or a Saturday. The time and day do not matter. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you will start your weight loss plan on Monday morning at 0600. Start it now.You do not have to diet. Instead, you can make lifestyle changes that you can live with.
Even minor changes such as giving up all sodas and replacing them with water can make a large difference.Make a commitment to yourself and do it now. I cannot tell you how many times that I have told myself that I would start tomorrow. If instead I would have taken action then, I would already be at my goal weight.
- It takes 21 days to build a new habit. Make today day one. If you begin making changes in your eating and exercise habits today, you will have one day behind you on the road to creating a new habit.
Let’s say that today you begin walking 5 days a week, 30 minutes a day. In 3 weeks you will have made great strides towards creating a lifelong, healthy habit. While I cannot say that you will always want to get out there and walk for 30 minutes (I still have to push myself sometimes), however once you do it, I bet that you will feel a great sense of accomplishment afterwards.
Besides, walking is one of the easiest forms of exercises that you can do. It can not only help you lose weight, but also give you many wonderful health benefits.
- There will always be excuses why today isn’t a good day. It’s true; there will always be reasons that you can come up with why today isn’t the best time to start.
If you are reading this on your laptop in a hotel room, away on a business trip, you could tell yourself that it doesn’t make sense to start today because you’re away from home. Well, where are you staying? Do they have a workout room? Could you get on the treadmill for 30 minutes? Could you go outside and walk for 30 minutes? Could you order water with lemon instead of coke with your meals?
I like to stress that lifestyle changes are more important than the “all-powerful” diet. Pick some small changes that you can make today and live with them. If you can start with just one, it can help you build up to the next one.
Yes, it might take you longer to get the weight off, but if you go on another restrictive diet, how long will you stick with it? Yes, you will need to cut out addictive foods and foods that trigger you to overeat and binge. Yes, you will need to exercise, however you can still make changes that you can live with.
There is no excuse against making small changes today and getting on the road to a healthier lifestyle.
- Your health depends on it. Forget about your weight for the moment and focus on your health. You may have been informed by your doctor that you need to lose weight “or else”. Or else, your current medical issues will move into the danger zone, or you are in jeopardy of creating new ones.
Did you know that if you are even 30 pounds overweight and you carry that weight in your stomach region, that this can be a large health risk? I learned this in “You on a Diet“, however you can also refer to this BBC news article.
Think about what you love about your life, and why you want to stick around as long as possible to enjoy it. Use this as your motivation to regain your health and fitness, rather than focusing on a number on the scale.
- You can put an end to the mental chatter that is telling you daily that you need to change. This has turned into a rather lengthy article, however if you are still reading it 🙂 , I bet that you may have that voice in your head that is always telling you “I need to change, I can’t keep going on like this”.
You don’t need me to tell you that your health depends on it, or that you will enjoy life more when you lose the weight. You already know this. It can really start to weigh on you though, when that chatter continues, day after day.What if you could put an end to it now?
If you take action today and decide that now is the time to get on that journey to better health and weight loss, the voice in your head won’t have anything else to say. You will be taking action, and as long as you persist and stick with it, you will be already be doing everything that you can to get the weight off and obtain a healthier, fitter body.Take action today, and get on the road to not only weight loss, but improved health, fitness, and overall well-being.
I am entering this post in a group writing project that Darren Rowse at Problogger.net is sponsoring on his blog. His theme, “The Top 5”, was my inspiration for this post today (thank you Darren!).
I am passionate about what I have written, and I hope that I have inspired you to take action towards your weight loss goals today (no matter how small or large), instead of waiting for that ethereal tomorrow.
All great reasons to start losing weight today and good entry to the problogger group writing project. I did a series on Weight Loss Success that you may enjoy. Check it out:
http://ww-success.com/blog/index.php/2007/04/26/weight-loss-success-part1/
Hi,
Thank you! I’m looking forward to all of the great new articles that will be entered in the group writing project at Problogger this week. Hope you enter also, good luck! 🙂
All the best,
JoLynn
5 very good points. And people will need those 5 reasons not just to start but to keep going, because inevitably the going will get tough..
Hi Talia,
Thanks!
Yes, true, very true, persistence is key in getting through those tough times, I know exactly what you mean. 😉
Me and my girlfriend have always been planning to start a weight loss plan. But every time we start, we tend to stop halfway.
Although we are not very fat, we are both very conscious about our health and our appearance.
Nice set of tips in giving back my own eagerness to start a weight loss plan.
Thanks for your post.
If you have time, why don’t you drop by my post:
http://mobileko.blogspot.com/2007/05/snatch-top-5-tips-on-how-to-be.html
It’s also an entry for the problogger top 5- group writing project. ^^ Goodluck to us all!
Hi Karlo,
I’m very happy to hear that I could give you the eagerness and motivation to increase your level of health! 🙂
You bring up a very good point – you don’t even need to be very overweight to become healthier, i.e.: if you currently eat processed foods, you’ll notice a large increase in your level of energy once you cut back or eliminate them.
Good luck with the Problogger contest! 🙂
JoLynn
Great post and thank you for your comment! I think this is a good way to just start on the trek to losing weight instead of setting goals for yourself, use that time to get out there and walk. Alot of people use the thought that if they walk, they deserve that cheeseburger or cake. It’s a hard cycle to break, but you’re right, there is no time like the present.
Good luck in the contest, I enjoyed reading this post.
Hi Roberta,
Thanks!
Yes, I just read something about that, the thought that you “deserve” to overeat because you’ve exercised. The conclusion was that you should forget the exercise because it leads to overeating.
Counterproductive eating that follows a workout isn’t going to help much, and I firmly believe in exercise instead of eliminating it. You’re right that what would need to change is the eating habits that follow the workout. 😉
Good luck to you in the Problogger project, also!
JoLynn
Great post! I am started, really trying to watch what I eat.
Very good tips and I think I’m following most of them. The chocolate sometimes gets in the way though.
Thanks so much for a great post! The tips are perfect advice. And, it’s so well written! Your tips provide a plan that is easy to follow because they’re practical. You have inspired me!
I’m having a great time reading everyone’s posts. I’m glad that I found your post. Good luck!
Hi JoLynn,
Five very good reasons to get started today… great post!
Hi!
@Jennifer, that’s great that you’re started on the path to better health. You’ve already made the first step and with persistence, you will get there!
@Jen, I used to eat a lot of chocolate, every day, I know exactly how it feels. I don’t even crave it right now, though. I stopped all sugar last Friday and it’s taken care of the cravings.
I’ll keep monitoring my progress (I’m updating my ban on sugar here each Friday for the next 30 days).
@Carolyn, sure, you’re welcome, and thank you! I’m very happy to hear that I could provide some inspiration, and that my tips came across as practical, too.
I agree, isn’t it fun reading all of these new blogs, there are so very many submissions!
@David, thank you! I haven’t seen you on the Problogger group writing project list yet, you’re submitting a “top 5” I hope?
Thank you everyone for your comments, I love getting your feedback! 🙂
I commented your post on my blog.
Lifestyle is more important than exercise & nutrition. Stop postponing, act now.
Many people talk about discipline. Discipline & will-power only works short-term. In the long-term habits count. The 21day rule works well.
Reasons why you should lose weight: you’ll feel better, better health, more confidence.
Great post, I particularly like the bit about the mental chatter. It is pretty annoying to keep thinking about something you should be doing.
Hi! 🙂
@Mehdi, thank you! Yes, I agree that you can build a new habit in 21 days. It will have good root growth, however it is essential to keep practicing that new habit consistently. 😉
@Elysa, thanks! Yes, that mental chatter can really bring you down. Louise L. Hay teaches to eradicate the word “should” from your vocabulary and replace it with “could”.
This works very well to eliminate negative thinking about yourself if you normally tell yourself that you should do this or that, or something else. 🙂
All the best,
JoLynn
This was very inspiriational, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on it. I know that I always seem to struggle with weightloss
Hi Shalamar,
Sure, no problem!
There are many many people that struggle with weight loss, so you aren’t alone in that. I have struggled with it for most of my life, and now am determined to resolve my issues with weight, food, exercise, and the emotions and thoughts around all of it. Weight loss and successful life-long maintenance of that loss is definitely possible! 🙂
The first one should be reason enough for most people. It’s so easy to tell yourself that you will start tomorrow, but so difficult to actually do it. Almost everyone can relate to this by thinking of a time when they told themselves they would start or do something the next day, but that thing never actually got done.
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@M,
Exactly, the time is always now, in fact the time is always now, there is no tomorrow or yesterday, we only have the present moment – so why not get started in the present? 😉