Motivation isn't Magic

But you're skinny!...

It's amazing how often I've been dismissed with those words -- as if my advice might be tainted by some sort of magical genetic gift of thinness. It assumes there is no way I could personally understand the struggle against obesity. There is no "credit" for having battled against gaining weight for 35 years. The truth is that it was often an unsuccessful struggle to keep my weight down through the rough patches -- quitting a horrific cigarette addiction, coping with outrageous stressors as a migrant to Australia and back, and menopause. I've only recently reached a goal weight that eluded me for 25 years... I'm finally back to the weight I was before I quit smoking. It's not magic that I represent one-third of Americans who are "normal weight". Without the motivation -- the fear -- of being a fat dietitian, I wouldn't be a size 8. It takes more than knowledge to combat the fat inducing environment of American consumerism.

Motivation is the key to success. What is your hot button?

* You want money? It's more so for women than men but being buff (and beautiful) boosts sales success. Obese people get fewer promotions. Health insurance costs can double with weight gain. Eating less can save money.

* You want love and friendship? Think about all the teasing fat children receive... it's only slightly less obvious what happens behind the backs of fat adults. Obesity can be the source of distressing social stigma.

* You put family first? Even a moderate excess of 20 pounds slows you down in chasing after the kids, and raises your risk of illness. Who takes care of them when you are sick? What is the role model you are providing? Children now get Type 2 ("adult onset") diabetes because of their obesity. What is the environment you are providing for your precious children?

* You put your faith first? What does it say about your faith to trash the first gift you received from God? How would you be living is your really treated your body as a Temple of God?

Motivation is not magic.

It comes from the gap between where you are and where you want to be. The wanting must be anchored in whatever are your highest values, whether it is faith, family, friendship, or finance. The desire to have energy and stamina must exceed the desire for beer and buffalo wings. Loving your own life has to whisper to you at night with a louder voice than the ice-cream in the fridge.

There are hundreds of tips to help you lose weight. Each small step is an almost insignificant change but taken together it creates a healthy lifestyle. Likewise there are hundreds of small steps you can take to shift your mindset and motivation. This is the "stuff" that makes up the Think Fit part of my "Achieve Health Now! Program". It's easy. It's not "woo woo"; the techniques are all from proven science. It's worked for many of my clients and it continues to work for me... as shown by a dress size that defies my genetics.

Try a sample of Thinking Fit by joining the free Monday tele-seminar. Click here to register. http://www.healthachievement.com/services-products/teleseminar