Last week we left off reflecting on our health & wellness. Specifically, I asked you to think about what has prevented you from accomplishing your weight-loss goal in the past. My questions were an attempt to help you identify the obstacles and setbacks that typically derail our initial intentions. Let’s put some perspective on this. The first thing I want you to understand – there is TOO MUCH INFORMATION about weight-loss. Think about all of the marketing messages, sales pitches, advertisements, TV commercials, and gimmicks galore. They’re bombarding you from every conceivable direction and media source.

Wouldn’t more people be healthy and fit if all that stuff worked? I’m often astounded by the ads that “claim” you don’t have to exercise or change your eating habits. Just take this pill once a day and you’ll lose 40 pounds in 30 days. REALLY???

So why don’t these claims work? Mainly because there’s a lot of crap being marketed. And yet despite the fact that some of the information is good, other factors come into play. See if any of these strike a chord:

1. There are too many choices, so we end up confused and frustrated.
2. We’re busy and find it difficult to carve out time to exercise or prepare healthy meals.
3. We’re looking for a quick fix or magic pill to solve our problem.
4. We expect immediate results and are therefore unable to delay gratification; at least for any real length of time.
5. We lack discipline when the going gets tough, and eventually just quit.
6. We give up too easily because we don’t have a strong enough reason WHY we want to lose the weight. Basically, we’re not willing to “pay the price”.
7. We may “watch” our calorie intake, and we may also go to the gym, but we sabotage those efforts with poor, unconscious choices at other times of the day.
8. We don’t understand calorie math. And as a result, our calorie deficit isn’t actually what we think it is. It may actually be a calorie surplus.

And “oh by the way”, I’m not here to proclaim that I have the latest weight-loss secret, fat-shredding supplement, or scientific formula from the Amazon rainforest that’s going to finally and magically help you lose all that weight. I’m here to tell it to you straight.

So then what can I do for you? Well, I can help you break your weight-loss initiative down to its simplest components by making it a little easier for you to understand and approach. Losing weight isn’t as hard as you think, but it will take work.

Accomplishing your weight-loss goal will require you to plan, to have discipline, to sacrifice, to sweat, to get 8 hours of sleep every night, to make conscious choices, to form new habits, and to do these 3 things:

1. Eat clean.
2. Exercise.
3. And figure out WHY this is important to you.

It really comes down to only a few things, done consistently, over time, whether you feel like it or not. Hey, this sounds very familiar. That’s right, it’s the Compound Effect. If you haven’t read it, you should. Buy it here on Amazon.

Okay, now we need to understand what eating clean is all about. And what you need to do for exercise, so both elements work together so you can maintain a calorie deficit to help you lose (I mean WIN).

I personally feel that it’s all about getting back to basics. You need to start slow and remain committed and consistent on your journey.

Eating clean is about eating food in as close to its natural state as possible. By eliminating processed foods and sugar, minimizing saturated fats and sodium, and eating more fruits & vegetables. If you do this consistently, you will take control over your weight-loss.

Exercise is about moving and gaining strength. Cardio training is great for getting your heart rate up for an extended period of time. You will burn a significant amount of calories, depending on your intensity and the time you spend. You will also burn calories during your strength training sessions with weights.

Combine exercise with eating clean and you will gain maximum leverage. Give it enough time and you will achieve your weight-loss goal.

I’d like to make one more point about strength training. While it’s true that your body burns more calories maintaining lean muscle than it does maintaining body fat, this is only one small side benefit. Not only does strength training make you stronger, it’s one of the best things you can do for toning and reshaping. But it takes time.

Don’t worry about “bulking up”. This should be the least of your concerns. Unless you’re spending 4 hours a day in the gym, 6 days a week, you have nothing to worry about. You need to work with weights to gain strength, improve stability, build lean muscle, and burn calories. Your body will thank you for it in the long run.

We’ve covered a lot here. You can link to some of my previous posts that outline these key concepts:

• A 12-Step Program – a summary of things you can do to jumpstart your weight-loss program.
• Just Getting Started? Just Do It! – for anyone that hasn’t exercised in a while.
• Get Back To Basics – gives you a brief, quick-start guide.
• Foods To Avoid – I’ve received some dirty looks for this post, but I think it’s spot on!
• Foods To Eat – a look at the 3 macronutrients and resources to assist.
• Choose Wisely – it’s all about your choices, habits, actions, decisions & disciplines.
• Get Fed Up and Do Something About It! – the 2 powerful forces that are behind every decision.
• Your Why – willpower will only take you so far. You need to activate the power of your WHY.

I’ve given you plenty of information to digest. Now it’s up to you to make a plan and take action. Still confused? Perhaps this DarrenDaily episode will help – http://www.darrendaily.com/step-it-up/.

Next week we’ll look at exercises you can do at home that will burn calories and won’t cost you a dime. Exercises you can start as soon as you get your doctor’s approval.

Thanks for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? What would you like to see in future posts?

Do you know someone who struggles with their weight? I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.