(Note: Found this photo on Pinterest that originally posted on Tumblr but I cannot find the owner in order to give proper credit and tremendous 'thanks' for this visual)

Last week I covered a great deal of reasons we become unmotivated with our plans to tackle a healthy lifestyle.  My personal pet peeve was the inability to lose weight in spite of my daily running and introducing weight training.  After much reading and consulting friends in the medical field I was able to put my worries to rest and remain on track.  But nothing helped like this photo!  This week while web surfing I found this photo which sealed the deal for me!

I cannot stress enough that there are no secrets or magic bullets to weight loss other than your decision to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  For every diet or weight management program out there, and for however great they really are, the most important ingredient to their success is YOU.  Don't believe me?  How many people do you know that have regained their weight even after enduring lap band or stomach reduction surgery?  The problem is not our mouth, it's just a little above that, it's our brain.  

I am a firm believer that your objective should be to live healthy and happy and that weight loss and body strengthening will be a wonderful side effect.  You must abandon the way you used to think and adopt a new dialog and perspective on your body's overall health.  

Here are some tips that have done wonders for me!

1. Scratch negative words from your dialog.  Don't say or ever go on a diet.  That is restrictive and temporary.  Use terms that are built for long term use such as "healthy LIFEstyle."  

Don't use negativity to motivate yourself.  Be your best cheerleader.  Compliment yourself for all your achievements great and small.  And when you revert, skip beating yourself up and replace it with the commitment to do better on your next meal or next workout session.

2.  Quitting is NOT an option.  I have found that when I leave myself no escape I have no other choice than to stay committed.  Some 20+ years back when I began my healthy lifestyle I was on Weight Watchers and going to the gym every other day.  One day I skipped and my dad said to me, "You don't have to exercise but you have to go."  Just the discipline of getting ready and driving over there made all the difference.  Somedays I would get in a great work out and somedays I was sluggish BUT I went and it was really the 'discipline' muscle I was working out then that has gotten me to where I am today.

The same could be said with food.  If you find yourself counting calories and one night you are tempted to over do it, give yourself a 'cheat number.'  My WW friends have a rule of thumb to kill the temptation and that is to give in to it by allowing themselves 3 teaspoons of said tempter.  Three chips, or 3 bites of bread, or three tiny teaspoons full of ice cream.  This way you STAY IN THE MOMENT and have control over it and the damage is far less than if you excuse yourself with the old "I've ruined it anyway so I may as well go all out!"  

3.  Don't trust just one source for your weight and health.  I learned that this month!  How you look, what your measurements are and most importantly - how you FEEL - are a better indicator of the success of your weight & exercise program.  When my scale began to tell me I was gaining weight I panicked first and then I went on a research mission.  I never considered giving up because I could see my thighs were far more toned, and my skin wings have diminished, and I feel STRONG.  

Learn to trust and listen to your body.  You are your best advocate for the most precious resource you have ever been given and will ever have - YOUR body!