Help and Support for Obese Persons Who Are Afraid to Lose Weight

The purpose of this article is to provide emotional and motivational help for obese persons. One of the most difficult challenges that an obese person will likely ever face in their lifetime is the daunting challenge of losing weight. Obese persons who wish to undergo a lifestyle overhaul are likely plagued with questions such as these: Will I succeed in my weight-loss endeavour? Will I be able to go the whole way? If I have a relapse, will I be able to get myself back on track? How will I cope without comfort eating anymore? Will I need help with my weight loss? These are certainly legitimate questions. How about we go through them briefly together to help you to alleviate your fear of weight loss?

Will I succeed in my weight-loss endeavour?

Where there's a will there's a way. You have likely reached the point where losing weight has now become your number one priority in life (that's why you ended up at this page). Keep a list of all the reasons why losing weight is so important to you, and keep this list with you wherever you go, to remind you of your decision. Keep a determined attitude and decide that no matter what comes along (whether externally or internally), you will stick with your resolve.

Will I be able to go the whole way?

Make your new eating habits and exercise regime a lifestyle change, rather than a short-term weight-loss crash program. If you develop the mind frame that this is how you will live your life from now on, then you are more than likely to maintain it over the long-term. Be determined never to go back from your resolve. A determined person WILL succeed.

If I have a relapse, will I be able to get myself back on track?

Everybody has relapses - they are an inevitable part of the recovery process. Don't beat yourself up, accept what happened, and get back on track. Don't make your relapse an excuse to give up, rather, let it make you stronger and more determined than ever to get back on track and conquer your eating habits once and for all. Believe that you can get back on track and you WILL be able to do so.

How will I cope without comfort eating anymore?

You will need to find some new hobbies to pursue and come up with some long-term projects to keep you occupied. Don't isolate yourself, seek out the company of others, and join some local clubs or social groups so that you can keep busy. If you are having a strong desire to comfort eat, go for a long walk to calm down, or phone a close friend or family member to gain strength.

Will I need help with my weight loss?

Yes, you will need help with your weight loss - it should not be something that you should have to go through alone. Don't be afraid to ask for help - everybody needs help in their life at some time or another. In fact, everybody needs help with weight loss; it is not an easy task for anyone! So rest assured that you are not alone in your endeavor! Just make sure that you communicate regularly with close friends, family members and mentors so that they can help you to stay on track.

Losing weight will never be easy, but it can be achieved. There will always be new obstacles and challenges that arise that you won't be ready for, but you WILL be able to get past them and keep moving on. Don't be afraid to lose weight! You CAN do it - Just remember to stay determined, keep to your resolve, stay busy, don't isolate yourself, and most importantly, never give up. Replace your fear of weight loss with an indestructible resolve to lose weight no matter what may come your way! To take the first step of this life-changing weight loss journey - CLICK HERE to find out how this can be achieved.

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Obesity - Are You an Unconscious Overeater?

What do I mean by eating unconsciously?

Well basically many individuals who tend to over eat appear to go into some sort of a trance when they are overeating. Another way of saying this is that they are dissociated or not fully present. This is evident by the fact that they cannot truly feel, in the moment, what they are doing to themselves and to their bodies. What's more many have trouble even remembering what they ate during such periods. Try it yourself and you'll see what I mean.

Such unconscious habits tend to arise spontaneously and are often brought on by disappointing events in the present that trigger the emergence into consciousness old painful emotions or feelings from unresolved past traumatic memories or disappointments.

The tendency is for many individuals to try and "push" these old feelings "out of consciousness" by engaging various strategies. These include soothing themselves with:

1. Food.

2. Sex.

3. Drugs.

4. Cigarettes.

5. Work.

6. Television and computer games.

7. Etc.

Now because the use of food is one the earliest learned strategy for soothing one's self it has the tendency to be adopted early if early life trauma is present. It becomes especially ingrained, in my view, if one's parents used food as a way of soothing their children early on.

So the "self soothing" behavior then is essentially an activity that attempts to quench "unresolved" negative emotions that the individual continues to harbor within.

Unless these emotions are released and cleared once and for all they will continue to exert "pressure" on the individual to do something about their discomfort when they arise.

So you see this is why many weight loss programs fail i.e. they focus simply on the diet and leave out the root cause driving the emotional eating patterns.

Such emotional eating behavior can be released quickly, easily and permanently by individuals who are truly committed to doing so. This can now be done over the telephone employing a new modality called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) (MRP). To arrange an introductory consultation kindly visit the web link below.

Nick Arrizza MD, a former Psychiatrist and Medical Doctor is an International Life, Executive, Organizational Tele-Coach, Author, Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Facilitator. He is also on Faculty at Akamai University in Hawaii. He is the CEO and Founder of Arrizza Performance Coaching Inc. and the developer of the powerful Mind Resonance Process® (MRP).

A Free 1 Hour Introductory MRP Telephone Consultation is available upon request. (You will be asked to cover your own long distance telephone charges)

Web Site: http://telecoaching4u.com

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Is There Really a Difference Between Losing WEIGHT and Losing FAT?

There is quite a big difference between just losing weight and losing specifically fat. Most times if someone is quite overweight they use the expression "I just need to lose weight." When it comes to bodybuilding and fitness related competitions it is extremely vital to lose FAT and not lose weight per se. The reason behind this is because bodybuilders want to keep as much muscle weight as possible and ONLY get rid of the body fat. I think it's a bodybuilders dream to be able to see the scale staying at the same weight but the skin fold measurements (body fat measurements) decreasing each week. That means that you are keeping all your muscle but continually losing body fat. This is the ideal. Having muscle and being relatively lean has its own advantages. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. So it is much easier to stay lean and become leaner while enjoying a bit more leeway with your diet. You feel stronger and more energetic and you look good!

Now there are many ways to do all this. For instance, some people think that by just stopping eating all together and only having say one meal a day will help lose weight. Now yes this may very well make you lose WEIGHT, but you will definitely lose your muscle and this may not be optimal for everyday functioning. Your energy levels could become compromised and your body will not run at its best. So while you will see the scale decreasing, this is probably not the most efficient way to do it as you are sacrificing all your muscle in the process.

Another downside of this is that if you give in to a craving and have a large unhealthy meal after not eating for hours you could end up seeing a lot of that stored as fat. The reason behind this is that your body will realize that it is not getting enough food and nutrients by you only eating one meal a day, so when you decide to have that large meal, your body will say 'hey, finally we can get some food, lets hold on to and store as much as possible since we don't know when we will ever get this stuff again!' This is the basic idea.

The way forward is to try to activate as much muscle growth as you can while still trying to lose the fat, because ideally we all want to have some (even though you may not want a lot of) muscle definition once we lose the 'weight.' And for the benefits of having muscle, as has been discussed previously. So what is the best way to lose fat and preserve muscle? Weight training and eating protein! Have a few small meals throughout the day, even three is fine as long as with each meal you are taking in some form of protein.

See the one thing that the body cannot store is protein, as protein. For example take carbohydrates. The body stores carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, which can be used at a later stage for energy when needed. But the body does not store protein to use at a later stage when you need to repair your muscles.

Thus if you work out and do not eat some form of protein to help repair your muscles, your body will start to breakdown your muscle tissue as it has nothing to build it up with. That's why the need arises to constantly ingest protein to supply your muscles with amino acids to maintain and repair them. Weight training stimulates and keeps the muscle there. The saying 'Use it or lose it' comes into play here. If your body doesn't need muscle it will try to eliminate it, that's where weight training comes in, to maintain and build muscle.

So by weight training you are forcing your body to use your muscles and keep them there, or better yet to grow. The more fat that someone has, the bigger the initial drop of weight will be. So say we take a man who weighs 100 kg at about 20 % body fat compared to a man weighing the same weight, 100 kg at about 10 % body fat. If both men were to start a clean diet and a good training regimen, the former man should see a bigger drop of weight initially; say in the first month or two. The body is not designed to lose fat easily, so you have to continually FORCE it to lose fat by frequently assessing your diet and training regime and making changes when needed. You will almost always hit a plateau somewhere along the line of losing fat, and this is where you need to assess everything; your diet, rest, and workout routine, and make the necessary changes.

Now the main point to take away from the above, is this. To lose FAT and maintain muscle you need to do some weight training, cardio and a low calorie diet. BUT while on a low calorie diet, your protein intake needs to be relatively high to maintain your muscle.

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Dieting Obstacle When Life Gets in the Way

 Dieting Dilemma No 1: When Life Gets in the Way 

That pesky thing called life has a way of fouling up our the best laid plans. First you decide you're going to start keeping your car cleaner, thinking, "I'll wash it every Saturday morning." Great, you have a plan. Saturday comes along and someone calls inviting you to go golfing. "I was going to wash the car, but I can do it when I get back," and off you go. Maybe you do wash the car later that day, maybe you tell yourself, "I'll wash it next Saturday. It wasn't that dirty anyway."

Next week Saturday comes along and someone invited you camping so you're in the woods thinking, "Oh, well, I can't wash the car from here, can I?"

Another Saturday rolls around and you've forgotten all about your car washing plan, so even though you're not doing anything else you're thinking, "I don't really FEEL like washing the car right now. I'll do it later," and so it goes.

"Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." -- John Lennon

It happens to all of us. You join the gym and immediately get the flu. Sign up for a adult education class and you're car breaks down on the first night. When you need to water the grass there's no rain in sight, but wash the car and what always happens? These examples aren't meant to give you a pessimistic outlook but instead to point out why persistence in the face of obstacles is what separates the haves from the have nots.

It's not what happens but what you DO with what happens that matters 

The best approach is one-day-at-a-time, or even lesser intervals depending on what you are attempting to do. If you're trying to quit smoking, you might want to take things half-an-hour at a time. With food or eating it can be one meal at a time, one hunger pang or craving at a time, or whatever interval works for you.

Choose your Time Interval then Make it Happen 

If you say you'll never do something again (smoke, overeat, over drink) it never lasts (you must build in the possibility of occasional lapse), but if you wake up in the morning and decide for that day, and only that day, that you will follow through with your plan, for just that one day, then it does happen.

There's a real rush of accomplishment when you wake up and realize that yesterday you did follow-through; you accomplished what you set out to do. And that's when it's easier to decide your intention for that day (or that hour) once again. Each accomplishment builds onto the next, and it gets easier and easier. Learning to follow-through takes practice.

Let Successes Build, Lapses Pass 

It takes practice to get proficient no matter what you are learning, so plan to persist. Small lapses aren't failures, they are only lapses, and you then decided for the next time period. You will find that you are following through more often than not as time goes by. Doing this allows you to pre-plan when you know you'll not stick to your eating plan, thereby making it okay on occasion to over indulge. Holidays, special occasions. People who maintain a healthy body weight do this all the time without thinking about it. When you give yourself permission to indulge, it's amazing how much less you'll feel like overdoing it.

What About Those Obstacles and Unexpected Events? 

What about when you decide and something comes up unexpectedly? For instance, you decided you're going to work out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work at 6:00 PM. This works great on Monday and Wednesday but Friday someone asks you to join them after work for drinks or dinner. Maybe that cute co-worker you've had your eye on.

What do you do? Do you say, "No, thanks, I have to work out," and risk never getting to know that person, or "No, I already have plans," and sound like a jerk, or "Maybe some other time," and you know there'll never be another time, or "Yes, that sounds great," and then you berate yourself for being a whimp and not following through with your workout plan? Either way you're not going to feel good about your decision and you're setting yourself up to fail.

Set Things Up So You'll Succeed - No Matter What 

Instead, set things up so you will succeed, no matter what. Before you decide what you want to do, think it through completely. This is part of the "Creating a Compelling Outcome" process (included in the Ending Emotional Eating Workshop). When you decide what you'd like to do you must also consider everything else that will be affected and whether your plan is workable in the real world. Maybe Friday night workouts are going to be interrupted often. Better then to choose a different day or time.

If you thought about it before-hand you may have realized that things would often come up Friday evenings, so you decided to work out on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, or some other schedule. Thinking about what might interfere is why many people do their exercise in the early morning hours. Working out in the morning virtually ensures nothing else will interfere. No one invites you out for 6:00 AM except maybe your running partner!

If you want to get up early, think it through. Are you a night person? Early morning hours probably won't work for you, but some other time will. Do you have a spouse who'd complain loudly? Consider them as well, but don't let everyone else's preferences keep you from doing what's best for you. Consider others and any objections they may have, and then decide in advance how to counter those objections. It's basically a way to look at your plans from all the angles, figure out the danger zones, decide in advance on strategies to keep you on track, and then get started.

Secondly, realize that once in awhile you won't be able to keep to your plan. That's okay. Holidays interfere with gym hours. I've been annoyed when the gym was closed on Christmas Day! Sometimes despite your best efforts, things come up. That's okay too. You must be somewhat flexible, but at the same time persist to make sure you have scheduled a plan that can work the majority of the time.

Use This Process on Any Change You'd Like to Make 

If you're making changes in your eating habits, do the same thing. I've done this successfully with many eating habits such as my old "Once a week cheese burgers and fries habit" which is now down to seldom or a couple of times a year. I did this by taking my four times a month cheese burgers and fries habit and cutting it back first to three times a month, then twice a month. Finally it was easy enough to just drop it. The habit was broken once I broke the regular cycle.

Remember too, you're not setting up a perfectionist situation, but a plan you can live with and work with. Choose one small thing to change, one habit, one event. Achieving small wins daily builds to enormous successes, and life goes on. Enjoy every moment of it.

Then, when those special situations arise, you'll know what to do, because you've already planned ahead, and even if you abandon your plan, for a vacation perhaps, you just get right back on track when you return feeling refreshed and excited to get started again. Relaxing like this on a vacation many find they eat a lot, play a lot and any weight they gain is lost within days of their return.

By Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com

Get The Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.

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