Why Do You Want To Lose Weight?

People have different reasons for wanting to lose weight. Your reason for wanting to lose weight could be in order to be able to wear stylish clothes, not be ashamed of your weight, going to the beach with friends, being able to snowboard or for health reasons like less knee pain. Whatever the reason may be trying to lose weight can be very hard and stressful, because although it is possible self discipline plays a major role as one can fall back into old habits just after a month of full force.

Habits are hard to change. Eating habits are particularly hard because you have to make choices everyday and many times a day, at that. It's not like quitting smoking or drinking. With almost any other abusable substance, you can just stop using completely. This is not the case with food. You have to learn to manage it.

One way to keep your focus and motivation strong is to make a list of the reasons why you want to be thinner. Keep the list posted on your fridge, at your computer, on the bathroom mirror...wherever you will see it regularly. Here are some samples to get you started:

I want to be healthy

Obesity continues to be a risk factor for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. A new study just came out suggesting a possible link between obesity and several cancers we didn't know were linked before. As the authors of the study said, "We may not have a smoking gun, but we have bullets all over the floor." I want to look good. This means different things to different people so it's good to flesh this one out for yourself. Looking good may mean you want to wear a shirt tucked in with a belt, or you want to get into your smaller, more stylish clothes.

I want to get off my diabetes medication

Many people/patients are able to get off these types of medications when they bring their weight down to a healthy range.

I want to sleep better

Extra weight can cause sleep related problems. When you are very heavy and lay down the pressure of the weight can make breathing difficult. Even turning over in bed is hard when you are very big. I want to feel good about myself. There are few things one can do in life as dramatic as losing 100 pounds. I know people who have lost up to l80 lbs, and have gone from not being able to walk, to running and riding a bike. The joy these people feel in getting their lives back is amazing. They not only feel better physically but they love themselves. Sometimes for the first time in their lives and many of these people are in their 60's.

Be Realistic

You have to be realistic. If you are 50 years old you are not going to have the body you had at 18, but you still can lose weight and have a body that 30 year olds would envy! Again, you must decide what you are seeking, do you want to be fit and muscular or do you just want lose weight for health reasons? Maybe there is a history of heart disease and high cholesterol in your family. If that isn't a powerful reason to exercise and stay lean don't know what is!

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