Wednesday, June 6, 2012

INCEPTION

INCEPTION

All of my adult life and much of my childhood I have struggled with what America calls being overweight. Until recently, I didn’t understand why most people blamed me for being overweight. I was convinced that I was not the blame because I always blamed the food that I ate. I blamed the cookies, ice cream, chips, candy bars, fried foods, fast food, processed food, buffets etc. It puzzled me how I could eat a quarter pounder and gain four pounds. That’s false advertisement! If I eat a quarter pounder I should only gain a quarter of a pound right? Wrong!  I gained weight at a rapid pace because I didn’t understand why it was happening. Sadly I didn’t attempt to understand or care either. I continued to grow outward and not upward. My clothes fit very tight. When I noticed my clothes fitting tightly, I told myself that enough was enough! I bet you know what happens next. If you guessed that I decided to start a diet and lose weight you are wrong! I went to buy bigger clothes. Duh! For most people something really bad has to happen before they make a change in lifestyle. In my case it took a change in mindset and a strong will to make the right choices.

First thing that I did was admit to myself that I was FAT. Although I had heard it many times and even called myself FAT it really didn’t carry meaning because I saw it as a non-issue. In reality it was a huge issue.

Second thing that I did was decide that I am serious about losing the weight. When we are not serious about something that’s when we welcome frustration because the outcome will more than likely not be favorable. However, sometimes we have no clue where to start which was the case for me. I had no clue where to start but figured at least try something.

Third thing that I did was set realistic goals. I set many small goals and one large goal in a set time frame. I decided that one year was more than enough time to lose 201 pounds. Five pounds per week was my goal. Most weeks I shattered that goal. Other weeks I would lose exactly five. It all depended on my level of focus. When we are focused any goal can be achieved.

Fourth thing that I did was create a plan to achieve my goals. Of course if we knew exactly what to do to achieve our goals we would do it right? Do your research before starting. I consulted with my Doctor and got cleared. Once research is done that’s when the fun starts. We are all different so not all things work the same for everybody. I found out what worked for me and did it until it stopped working. Then I would try something else. I used my discouragement to fuel my encouragement. Staying motivated was something that came from within me not others. Please remember that.

Fifth thing that I did was surrounded myself with people that had similar issues and desires to lose weight. A support system or team is proven to be more effective when referring to weight loss than a solo effort. I would like to give a shout out to my We’re Bringing Sexy Back Crew old and new. Without all of you, I would have struggled to meet my goals. Thank You for the support. If you know people personally that have the same issues or desires to lose weight there are plenty of websites that you can join and find people that do have the same desire to lose weight.

Sixth thing that I did was made my goals public. There was nothing better than people knowing my intentions and supporting me in everyway that they could. They held me accountable and in turn it made me more accountable for what I did.

Seventh and final thing that I did was never made an excuse. No matter what, I made it my personal agenda to eat right and exercise daily. It becomes routine if you do something over and over. However, it becomes insanity if you do something over and over but expect different results. Do what works for you.

Those are the seven steps that I took to a new beginning. Please ask questions start a discussion whatever you want to know I will answer. With that being said, thank you for reading and your time.  




11 comments:

  1. This is very inspirational, thanks for sharing! I liked how you mentioned that you set realistic goals, I think that is very key to reaching any goal you set. It reminds those who have really high expectations for themselves to re-evaluate their goals and determine if they are realistic or not. Again thank you for sharing.

    -MJ
    @BlaqueSwann

    ReplyDelete
  2. MJ thank you reading and responding. I know that people have huge expectations, which is fine, but a situation like this can not be fixed over night. I would be honored if you followed my blog for future posts that I submit. Again thank you for stopping by. By the way how did you hear about my blog? Just curious to know if I am plugging it enough in the right places.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So inspiring! thank you for sharing your story!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Michael please tell me how to follow the blog...I'm new to the blog thing,lol. I too am FAT and I have made up my mind to lose weight to become a healthier, happier me. I've been telling everyone what my intentions/plan are for the summer. I'm excited that I've finally decided do something for me, lose the weight that I gained while dealing with depression and stress. My results will be attributed to your motivation, focus, hard work & lots of support

    ReplyDelete
  5. " I used my discouragement to fuel my encouragement. Staying motivated was something that came from within me not others. "

    I love this! Saw your post on MFP and was inspired reading your blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You Jim. I hope you continue to come back and support.

      Delete
  6. lisa parker - this is so transparent and such a call to action. Wow. It is blowing my mind that the weight is gone in a year. Seven doable steps. Nice. You have so much fuel to use in this post, it is my favorite of your post so far. And one I will revisit over and over again for direction, inspiration and to renew. Um on the blog side, I still dont know how to post my name. LOL. So I will just continue to write it in my actual post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank You for reading this Ms. Lisa Parker. I am glad that you left feedback and very useful feedback. The reason your name doesn't show up is because of your email address settings associated with the blog. If you change those it will show up as whatever you want it to. :-) Thank you for reading, following and sharing my blog. It is greatly appreciated.

      Delete
  7. All of what you said is so true! You went ALL in and didn't stop and that's amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your journey. I hope that this time next year, if not before, I can be as much as an inspiration to others as you have been to me!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love your blog! As an avid blog reader just want to suggest eliminating the background pics altogether, it will make blog easier to read and more professional :) Simple black or white works well!

    Love the detox idea, your story and the way you write :) Wondering what you diet & exercise plan looks like now?

    ReplyDelete
  9. So I realize I am late stumbling on this blog but I'm glad I'm here. =)

    When I read this, " I used my discouragement to fuel my encouragement. Staying motivated was something that came from within me not others. " .. all I could say was "MMM! "

    This post has inspired me to set some small but realistic goals next month. Goals are something I really need to work on.

    Peace & Blessing

    -Elle M0

    ReplyDelete