by Matt Robinson | Oct 9, 2014 | Journal
Losing weight has so many components involved that it can be a task just to figure out what those components are! The truth is, that while the concept of losing weight is fairly simple (burn more calories than you consume), the act of losing weight is as complicated a thing as anyone will ever attempt.
I was always one of the biggest kids in my class. I was picked for my high school basketball team because “we need someone of your size to get the rebounds”. And after college when I bought my first car, the pounds started piling on.
I’ve tried almost every diet pill and fad that you can think of. The Cabbage Soup Diet, The Atkins Diet, P90x, Body-For-Life, and on and on and on. I’ve tried shark cartilage, diet pills, smoothies, shakes, elixir’s and on and on and on again.
People SWEAR by these things. And you know what? I’m glad some of these options have worked for people. But I’m willing to bet (and I’m not a betting man) that there was something else at work in these people’s lives for them to make the transformation they made.
Sure, some of these options were catalyst for change, but the real change came from the desire to overcome, the support of those around them and consistently following a plan.
I believe these three things are essential in making a transformation. We are social creatures. We thrive in teams. The collective rules society. So when a person can surround themselves with people who will support and encourage them, along with the desire to overcome their obstacles and a plan to make that happen – I think great things are inevitable.
Over the past 6-12 months I’ve adopted these things into my life. The change isn’t coming fast enough for me to endorse a specific product or anyone’s diet plan – but I am making progress. This is a snapshot of the last 3 months.
July to September 2014
This represents about a 14 pound loss in the past three months. In the past year I’ve dropped about 40 pounds and am able to keep it off.
I haven’t used a fad diet. There are no special products I’m taking. I’ve simply decided to make some lifestyle choices that help me overcome my past – and I’m surrounded by people who care about me.
You can make a change. For the sake of the people who depend on you it’s important to make a change! But YOU have to decide. And when you do, I’m sure you’ll find all the support you need.
photo credit: Arya Ziai via photopin cc
by Matt Robinson | Apr 17, 2013 | General, Lessons, Motivation, Triumphs
Losing weight is all in your head.
I’ve read a lot of articles and watched many videos about how to lose weight. I’ve tried almost every type of diet from Atkins and Weight Watchers to eating massive quantities of cabbage soup and rice cakes. I’ve tried counting calories. I’ve tried NOT counting calories. Each approach has had it’s merits, but of those attempts ended in failure for me.
Then it clicked.
It was all in my head.
I looked at my state of mind before each attempt and tried to isolate that feeling; that motivation to keep myself going. I also had to look at what ultimately led me to failure. My conclusion was simple: losing weight began and ended in my mind.
“The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right!”
Henry Ford
It’s easy for someone to say they’ve ‘figured out’ how to do something but more often than not, what the person has discovered is something that has worked ‘for THEM‘. All of the methods I’ve mentioned have their pros and cons. You can take something from each one of them. And keep in mind that there are some very sound principles to learn that will help you lose weight. (I’ll share these in future posts!)
But at the end of the day, losing weight is formed and determined in your mind FIRST! You have to DECIDE that you want to change. You MUST discover your reason WHY – without it, getting through the difficulties that WILL come is going to seem impossible. I say seem because nothing is really impossible if you put your mind to it.
You may have heard about the following story. Before 1954 if you had asked anyone if it was possible for a human to run one mile in less than four minutes you would have been laughed at! In fact, there was ‘scientific evidence‘ that the human body could never handle that kind strain.
That is, until Roger Bannister broke the four minute barrier on May 6th 1954. It took all of recorded history for someone to break this barrier – and 2 months later, it was broken again. Today, it has been broken THOUSANDS of times. What was once considered impossible, became possible because of people who refused to limit themselves.
That may seem like an extreme example, but the principle remains. If you want to lose weight, you must first decide that you CAN do it. If you firmly believe this, your body will become a servant to your mind and the transformation WILL take place.
For the past three days I’ve been fighting the worst ear ache I’ve ever had. I’ve been to the doctor and been told to ‘tough’ it out. In the past this advice would have had me stopping my weight loss efforts until I’m better.
But not this time! This time I’ve decided that I CAN continue even through the pain. I CAN still exercise. I CAN eat better. I CAN drink more water. This little battle has been waged and WON in my mind…and my body has followed along!
You don’t need designer clothes, designer programs, designer gyms or designer foods to change your body. You simply need to design your thinking to adapt to whatever you face.
Take it one day at a time. One hour at a time. One MOMENT at a time and decide for yourself that THIS WILL HAPPEN. Your body will follow along!
I’d love for you to get connected with those of us challenging ourselves to live better. Why not Join the 100lb Challenge? Decide in your mind and then work with those of us who are doing the same. Together we can build a strong, solid, life-long foundation of health and success!
photo credit: xopherlance via photopin cc
by Matt Robinson | Jul 5, 2011 | General, Lessons, Older Posts, Preparation
There has been a lot of things changing around me in the past little while. Not just with losing weight but life in general. Things seem to be getting ‘faster’ which is a good thing! In the midst of it I’m taking on this life change to be a healthier, more fit person. In the past it’s been difficult for me to stay motivated so I’ve come up with a few things that are helping me stick with it this time. These key motivators aren’t new by any stretch of the imagination. But keeping these 3 things in front of me each day are helping me re-shape my life.
Visualize what you want to look like when you reach your goal.
I’ve been doing a LOT of reading on the subject of visualization and imagination. I’m naturally a ‘dreamer’ which means getting a picture in my head of something I want isn’t difficult for me. You may have to work at it, but pictures just pop in my head! But using those pictures and images are a different story.
I use to think that what I saw in my mind was just fanciful thinking; when in reality the pictures I see can really help speed up weight loss. In particular I was reading an excerpt from a book by Maxwell Maltz who is the author of PSCYHO CYBERNETICS. Maltz is a plastic surgeon and expert on self image psychology. In a nutshell, he has found that our brains can’t distinguish between what is real or what is imagined. This means that if I hold an image of myself in my mind, my brain begins thinking that’s what I’m supposed to do! Athletes have been using visualization for decades, but the impact this could have on your weight-loss success is huge! (pardon the pun!) Currently, I’m picturing what I’ll look like when I lose my weight, but I’m also visualizing the activities I’ll be doing – the emotions I’ll feel – the sense of accomplishment – and by doing this, my brain can’t tell that it’s not real…it just begins directing the body to that end!
To be honest, this is all new for me. But I’m convinced that a powerful tool like visualization will help me (and you!) stay motivated to lose the weight.
Recall the reason ‘why’
The second key is, the reason why. Why do I want to lose weight. I can guarantee that there are more than a couple reasons for every person to be fit and healthy. The obvious ones are physical, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually we all have reasons for getting to a healthy weight and being as fit as we can!
I look at my family and see three girls I have to walk down the aisle. I see a wife that deserves a husband that is strong and able to help her feel secure. I see a family that wants the best for me and I see colleagues who will benefit from me being in the best shape of my life. I see many, many things! My reasons why are very long. Make a list, review regularly and continue to push towards why you want to drop the weight.
Pushing past your comfort zone.
Comfort zones kill people. As a creative person, If I continually stay in a place of comfort, I never end up realizing what ‘could’ be. I’m not the most curious person in the world, but at the end of my life I want to know that I achieved everything possible for me, with every opportunity I’m given. Not everyone wants to be aggressive with their life goals, but I think everyone should be looking to push out of their comfort zones.
Research tells us that the body is VERY adaptive. Workout routines can reach plateaus within a month. Pressure put on the body can be accommodated. This means that to really succeed with my weight loss goals I’ll need to be pushing myself out of comfort zones as long as I can. This may mean more intensity in my workouts, less or different foods at different times or it could just mean altering the time I work out so I can always keep my body guessing.
I don’t mind being comfortable for a time, but I know that I’m only there to rest. And then I’ll need to move on.
