Here is your answer I promised in my post, WIN with YOU.
In my previous post I touched on discipline as a problem people face when it comes to self-improvement efforts. It is a key you must have, but it's not exactly a lack of discipline that causes people to fail, it's having the right kind of discipline.
You, like me have seen people who literally make you want to hurl for all their talk about losing weight, getting fit, quitting smoking and so on. People seem to move from one miracle method to another. It gets really annoying and people typically lose all moral support from anyone who might have cared before miracle cure number 99 came along.
Well, this may seem ridiculously simple, but it's so true. The problem is not that you lack discipline to complete it, but you lack "measured" discipline to take realistic, progressive and achievable steps. What do I mean?
You don't go at it realistically. If you have been eating unhealthy for 20 years and you have gained a hundred pounds, you are not going to lose it overnight. You might lose your mind, but you won't lose the weight. Why? You are setting goals you cannot achieve. I see it all the time. People try to quit all their bad habits all at once. It won't work, you will fail as so many do right in front of my face everyday. Of course there is the exception to every situation, but reality is: for most of the world, it's not going to happen. You simply need a progressive, but disciplined plan with some built-in rewards.
First, start off small. Let's suppose, every morning you have a habit of skipping breakfast. Make eating breakfast every morning your first step. What big eater wouldn't love that? Why would I suggest this to people who are trying to stop eating so much? Because it is a fact: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People who eat breakfast, eat less throughout the day. You continue this until it becomes a disciplined habit. A habit you can love, right? What? You don't like breakfast foods, huh? Nobody said it had to be eggs or cereal. Choose what you like, just eat breakfast.
Second, pick a meal, any meal and reduce, substitute or eliminate something. If you normally get a combo meal of some sort and you typically LARGE size it, just downsize the meal, or if that's too monumental of a step for you, just downsize the soda or fry. Just pick one. Whatever you do, be sure it is a choice you can succeed at and can become a disciplined habit. I did this, and guess what? I messed up sometimes. No, not on purpose as an excuse, but out of old habit. The hardest thing to get down is your ordering habits. We are creatures of habit. I had to really think through my order ahead of time and repeat to myself not to Large size the combo, or not to get the soda with my order. Instead of soda, I get water now. You won't believe what a difference dropping soda alone can make. Wow! Also, think about all the things you LOVE to eat. Write them down if you have to, but think through all that you enjoy eating. Pick out your favorites that are KNOWN healthy foods and eat more of them as a substitute for other, less healthy foods you enjoy. Now, you are filling your belly with the right things and still enjoying yourself.
I think you get the idea. You build in steps according to what YOU know about YOU. WIN with YOU. Once you begin, it's a great thing to decide you can have something you previously eliminated as a bad dietary habit all because you are in control. Yes, I treat myself from time to time. If I treat myself by accident out of habit, I discipline myself by noting something else I have to give up in its place.
You notice I haven't asked you to give up any certain kinds of food, but just to give up a little something here and there progressively until it becomes a disciplined habit. Why? Because the most important thing is for you to become more disciplined in taking control of what you eat and the quantities.
Once this base level of discipline is developed, you have grown stronger mentally, which will make you able to take the next logical and necessary steps. What is that, you ask? Learning what the bad foods are and substituting other things for the junk. You will be surprised to learn that for the most part, not many things by themselves are "bad" for you, but quantity of intake or quality of ingredients is what typically makes something healthy or unhealthy.
Finally, the next logical step along the way is to increase activity with changed eating habits. I am confident you can lose weight and get healthy by following this reasonable, progressive, and achievable approach with "measured" discipline. By increasing activity with your new eating habits you will naturally begin to lose the weight and become more fit. The great thing is, the more active you are, the more you can eat without increasing in weight. What a plan for a healthy life. It's all up to you.
There isn't a diet, or exercise plan out there that can work for you, unless you can take these reasonable, progressive, achievable and disciplined steps to get there according to what YOU know about yourself. Not another soul on this earth knows your will power, your capacity for change or your level of discipline like you do. Nobody. Design a plan for YOU that works. Be real with yourself and YOU will succeed in your way, your power and right on YOUR time.
I hope you get this. I mean really, really get this. Discipline to do the right thing, in the right measure is what brings the right result. What can you do today to get started? I got started with one simple thought shared with me by my daughter. She said, "Dad, I just eat until I am not hungry anymore, not until my belly is full." That was pretty good, and it worked for me.
It doesn't matter if your self-improvement effort is losing weight, quitting smoking, getting over a fear of speaking in public or anything else: YOU are in charge of the program for lasting change. If you are making change for someone else, you often come away empty handed, but if you make change for yourself, your hands will always be prosperous.
These are my opinions only. I am not a doctor. Always seek the advice of a physician before beginning any exercise program or changing your eating habits. There are certain precautions that must be considered by some people with certain medical conditions. Seeing your Doctor, might be your first step of measured discipline.
In my previous post I touched on discipline as a problem people face when it comes to self-improvement efforts. It is a key you must have, but it's not exactly a lack of discipline that causes people to fail, it's having the right kind of discipline.
You, like me have seen people who literally make you want to hurl for all their talk about losing weight, getting fit, quitting smoking and so on. People seem to move from one miracle method to another. It gets really annoying and people typically lose all moral support from anyone who might have cared before miracle cure number 99 came along.
Well, this may seem ridiculously simple, but it's so true. The problem is not that you lack discipline to complete it, but you lack "measured" discipline to take realistic, progressive and achievable steps. What do I mean?
You don't go at it realistically. If you have been eating unhealthy for 20 years and you have gained a hundred pounds, you are not going to lose it overnight. You might lose your mind, but you won't lose the weight. Why? You are setting goals you cannot achieve. I see it all the time. People try to quit all their bad habits all at once. It won't work, you will fail as so many do right in front of my face everyday. Of course there is the exception to every situation, but reality is: for most of the world, it's not going to happen. You simply need a progressive, but disciplined plan with some built-in rewards.
First, start off small. Let's suppose, every morning you have a habit of skipping breakfast. Make eating breakfast every morning your first step. What big eater wouldn't love that? Why would I suggest this to people who are trying to stop eating so much? Because it is a fact: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People who eat breakfast, eat less throughout the day. You continue this until it becomes a disciplined habit. A habit you can love, right? What? You don't like breakfast foods, huh? Nobody said it had to be eggs or cereal. Choose what you like, just eat breakfast.
Second, pick a meal, any meal and reduce, substitute or eliminate something. If you normally get a combo meal of some sort and you typically LARGE size it, just downsize the meal, or if that's too monumental of a step for you, just downsize the soda or fry. Just pick one. Whatever you do, be sure it is a choice you can succeed at and can become a disciplined habit. I did this, and guess what? I messed up sometimes. No, not on purpose as an excuse, but out of old habit. The hardest thing to get down is your ordering habits. We are creatures of habit. I had to really think through my order ahead of time and repeat to myself not to Large size the combo, or not to get the soda with my order. Instead of soda, I get water now. You won't believe what a difference dropping soda alone can make. Wow! Also, think about all the things you LOVE to eat. Write them down if you have to, but think through all that you enjoy eating. Pick out your favorites that are KNOWN healthy foods and eat more of them as a substitute for other, less healthy foods you enjoy. Now, you are filling your belly with the right things and still enjoying yourself.
I think you get the idea. You build in steps according to what YOU know about YOU. WIN with YOU. Once you begin, it's a great thing to decide you can have something you previously eliminated as a bad dietary habit all because you are in control. Yes, I treat myself from time to time. If I treat myself by accident out of habit, I discipline myself by noting something else I have to give up in its place.
You notice I haven't asked you to give up any certain kinds of food, but just to give up a little something here and there progressively until it becomes a disciplined habit. Why? Because the most important thing is for you to become more disciplined in taking control of what you eat and the quantities.
Once this base level of discipline is developed, you have grown stronger mentally, which will make you able to take the next logical and necessary steps. What is that, you ask? Learning what the bad foods are and substituting other things for the junk. You will be surprised to learn that for the most part, not many things by themselves are "bad" for you, but quantity of intake or quality of ingredients is what typically makes something healthy or unhealthy.
Finally, the next logical step along the way is to increase activity with changed eating habits. I am confident you can lose weight and get healthy by following this reasonable, progressive, and achievable approach with "measured" discipline. By increasing activity with your new eating habits you will naturally begin to lose the weight and become more fit. The great thing is, the more active you are, the more you can eat without increasing in weight. What a plan for a healthy life. It's all up to you.
There isn't a diet, or exercise plan out there that can work for you, unless you can take these reasonable, progressive, achievable and disciplined steps to get there according to what YOU know about yourself. Not another soul on this earth knows your will power, your capacity for change or your level of discipline like you do. Nobody. Design a plan for YOU that works. Be real with yourself and YOU will succeed in your way, your power and right on YOUR time.
I hope you get this. I mean really, really get this. Discipline to do the right thing, in the right measure is what brings the right result. What can you do today to get started? I got started with one simple thought shared with me by my daughter. She said, "Dad, I just eat until I am not hungry anymore, not until my belly is full." That was pretty good, and it worked for me.
It doesn't matter if your self-improvement effort is losing weight, quitting smoking, getting over a fear of speaking in public or anything else: YOU are in charge of the program for lasting change. If you are making change for someone else, you often come away empty handed, but if you make change for yourself, your hands will always be prosperous.
These are my opinions only. I am not a doctor. Always seek the advice of a physician before beginning any exercise program or changing your eating habits. There are certain precautions that must be considered by some people with certain medical conditions. Seeing your Doctor, might be your first step of measured discipline.
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