Something different is happening to me. I don’t know if it’s age, genetics, stress, a combination of all three, or something I can’t even see.
But on my last “lean out” cycle, I couldn’t seem to drop the last few pounds of fat I wanted to get rid of.
Despite doing what I always did, the scale wouldn’t budge for two weeks.
As most of you know I failed at losing weight for over thirty years. However, when I finally got it down, it was never this difficult, and I’m not sure why. But here’s what I do know:
Why it’s harder doesn’t matter. All that matters is I do something about it.
Since I took the time to learn the truth, I know only three things will work:
Eat less calories.
Get more active.
Do both.
I began with fewer calories. Now I love gluten free pancakes A LOT- and by a lot I mean I’ll eat them five or six times a week- breakfast, lunch, dinner doesn’t matter.
But since they’re almost all carbs, I stopped eating them- and ate eggs or some other all protein food instead.
I also love peanuts, raisins, and dark chocolate baking chips- my favorite homemade “trail mix.”
Even though my trail mix is pretty healthy- especially compared to something like a processed candy bar- it has a lot of calorie density- so I replaced my mix with fruit.
When that didn’t work, I knew that left getting more active, so I added three extra twenty minute sessions of cardio per week.
It took this “extra effort” [if you can really call it that] about a week before it worked and the fat was gone.
What would I have done if it didn’t work?
I would have tried harder. Even thought I don’t like running, I’ll would go running. Even though I don’t like going hungry, I would have fasted for a day or two if that’s what it took.
You may think “This sounds a little extreme, what’s the big deal about 2 pounds of fat?”
It’s not the fat that’s the issue. It’s the all encompassing, all critical life skill this teaches you:
How to get what you want, regardless of the obstacles [even ones put there by your own mind] placed in your way.
Here’s what hardly anyone in health and self improvement wants to tell you:
Information on what to eat and how to exercise is everywhere. Information is not the problem.
What matters is you see what individual issues are stopping you from having your best body and life- and you don’t give up until you defeat those issues.
The fact of the matter is we all have are “issues” [for example, my issues were no self discipline when hungry and a total aversion to strenuous exercise].
The point is, I could fill your head all day long with healthy “tidbits” of information [for example what nutrients are in blueberries] but until you’re ready to face your “issues…”
It’s not going to matter what you know or buy.
What’s going to matter is you choose blueberries, over blueberry muffins.
Legitimate information while helpful, is not the crux of the issue. The crux of the issue is putting that information to work in a world that relentlessly pressures you to do the opposite of what’s best for your health and happiness.
The sad truth is, every day you face a giant marketing machine. And the job of that machine is to convince you that it’s somehow your idea to not do what’s best for your body.
That machine is your biggest obstacle to having the body and life you deserve.
Not genetics, a hectic schedule, personal circumstances, or lack of information.
And I don’t want to sound harsh, but regardless of your weakness, be it food, drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc, there will always be someone ready to exploit that weakness by selling you something.
[Note I’m not telling you what’s right or wrong, that’s between you and the Man Upstairs. I’m saying you’ll never live your best life until you remove whatever it is that has it’s hooks in you.]
The truth is, it doesn’t matter exactly what you eat [natural food will just make your physical transformation a thousand times easier].
Nor does it matter what exercises you do [the more challenging the activity, the better it is for your heart and muscles.
What matters is you become the one in control.
How does becoming the one in control of your body give you a new life?
It forces you to see where others are lying to you [buy this junk food, processed “health” food, whatever]…
And it forces you to see where you’re lying to yourself [I deserve it, it’s no big deal, everyone does it, I want to enjoy my life, whatever].
Regardless of how you decide to transform your body, it’s going to come down to this one all encompassing ability:
The ability to change the choices that hurt you, over to choices that help you- and again- do this in a world that wants you to keep making exceptions.
What’s best for your long term health and happiness is nothing more than treating your body the way it was designed and created to be treated; eating natural food and challenging it physically.
What the “world” wants you to do is ignore that reality, so it can sell you unhealthy stuff- basically trying to convince you that it’s somehow a good idea to use your own money against yourself.
You have a decision to make. You can be controlled by giant businesses that only care about your money.
Or, you can take your body, life, and future into your own hands, and become the one in control.
Is it “worth it?”
In the end, that’s for you to decide. However, I believe becoming the one in control is a skill that will serve you the rest of your life- and will teach you a resourcefulness that can never be taken away from you.
If you like the idea of becoming the one in control. If you like the idea of the future being limited only by your imagination and willingness to take action…
Get started by taking control of your health choices, you’ll be amazed at what else in life falls into place.
To your heath and success, and may God bless,
Michael
P.S. I’m starting to get a little flooded with emails, and I really enjoy answering questions about New Body New Life, but if I take a few days to get back to you, forgive me.
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