It can make you just avoid weight loss journey success stories. It feels like you’ve tried everything they talk about in all the stories, but you’ve never been able to get the same results.
But reading about the efforts, successes, and failures, of other who are trying to reach the same goals as you are can give you yet one more level of motivation, perhaps the one that finally pushes you to enjoy your own success.
Make no mistake. Many weight loss stories might be more fiction than fact. But if you take a moment to check out the source of the story and whether it seems possible, you’ll learn to separate the truth from the advertising. When you do, you’ll spot some valuable lessons in almost every story.
Just as an example, we looked for a random story on the web recently and found one about a woman who, at at 66 years old, lost 80 pounds. The story appears on the website for NBC TV’s Today show, which is as credible a source as any. We also googled the subject’s name and found other references on the web that backed up the story.
Here’s what you can learn from the weight loss journey
Even just a scan of the story reveals lots of great tips and insights into what worked for this person and what might work for you.
Here are several excerpts from the article and some of the secrets to weight loss that they reveal.
1. “It’s not too late … no matter how old you are.”
Terry Reuer began her weight loss journey when she was 65 years old. Without realizing it, many of us who are trying to lose weight grab onto excuses for it not happening. Things like “my metabolism is too slow”, “nothing works for me anyway” or “I’m too old” are really defense mechanisms we use to avoid failure. Instead, we need to look for ways to make the weight loss happen.
2. “She spent most of her 40s travelling and eating in restaurants and airports”
Restaurant food is notoriously high in those things that pack on the pounds and make it difficult to lose weight, including sugar, salt and large, high-calorie portions. Simply cutting down or eliminating restaurant food can make a big difference.
3. “…her five siblings experienced health problems.”
Being overweight can cause a number of health problems. Terry Reuer saw this first-hand and used it for motivation.
4. “She went through her kitchen and tossed all the white sugar, white flour and processed carbs.”
This single, simple act, which doesn’t involve eating less, or going on a crazy diet, or working out every day, is one of the best ways to start shedding the pounds. Processed foods are rarely the healthiest choices in the grocery store or the kitchen.
5. “I had a lot of sugar cravings,” Reuer said. “Those went away after a couple of weeks.”
“Cut out the sugar” is way easier said than done. Doing it can mean giving up or cutting back on many of our favourite foods. Foods that we count on. Comfort foods.
But don’t let that initial difficulty stop you from reaching your goal. Reuer’s cravings went away after just a couple weeks. Yours might take longer to over come, or they might disappear sooner. Just don’t let them stop you.
The story’s just started. In Part 2, you’ll see how Reuer found motivation to lose weight from just four words on a t-shirt, where she got the support to help her be successful and why she thought one suggestions was “the funniest thing I’ve ever heard”.
If you’re ready to start your own successful weight loss journey right now, call or visit your nearest Herbal One Centre and let one of our nutrition consultants help you take the first step.