Cold Turkey

So, as I sat watching T.V. a commercial for a brand of nicotine gum aired and lead me to my most recent epiphany.  In the commercial there's an animated person explaining how people don't expect you to work out one day and drop 25 pounds the next day so they shouldn't expect you to quit smoking cold turkey. They explained that the process should be taken one day at a time with small changes in habits being made daily.

Now if you're reading this and you're anything like me you're thinking, "Duh, everybody knows that change takes time." 

Question: if this is something that "everyone" knows why is this mistake one that trips up most people involved in making major life changes (especially for those of us involved in the battle of the bulge)? 

What mistake you ask? 

The one in which you make the declaration to change your life for the healthy (or insert your new year’s resolution here) and as a result you swear off (insert your vices here) all pop, all alcohol, all juice, all candy, all desserts, all bread, all pasta, and all potatoes. Instead you make a vow to only eat lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and drink only water. You're going to work out 5-7 days a week and you'll get 8 hours of sleep every night and this will all happen first thing tomorrow morning.

Sound familiar? (Don’t act like I'm the only one)

That type of thinking is actually the very tool that sabotages our good intentions before we're even able to put them into actions. In my opinion, anything that is built entirely around restrictions (can't have this, don't do that, only do this) is bound to fail. This is because the very thing that you aren't supposed to do is the very thing that's constantly on your mind. 

I'm reminded of my early years as a Christian. I didn't immediately stop partying, cursing, and living life as I had prior to accepting Christ. No, if I were able to do that I wouldn't need Christ; I would just go ahead and cure world hunger and bring world peace while I'm at it. 

What I understood then was that doing my will a.k.a. doing things my way is what got me into my situation and I was not strong enough to change that on my own. I understood that all I wanted and needed was in Christ and as I further immersed myself in Him I would eventually lose the desire for the things that were outside of His will for me.  

Small changes can make BIG differences.

In the case of my Christian lifestyle I made the small, but big choice to build a relationship with God and He worked everything else out. The key was committing myself firmly to God and allowing him to guide me through this process of reconstruction. It baffles me that it's taken me 31 years to figure out that I need to approach my weight loss with this same philosophy.  

We make hundreds of choices daily that have lasting impacts on our quality of life. Most of these choices are made without ever considering the overall impact it will have on our mind, body, and spirit. 

Today and every day going forward I am making the small, but big choice to choose life. I am choosing to commit to working out three days a week for 60 minutes (to begin) and I will gradually increase to six days a week for 60 minutes over the course of the next eight weeks.  

Choosing to focus on just one thing in your life to work on can make a huge impact in your overall health. 

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Lastly, If you're a fat chic like me stay motivated, be encouraged, and know that inside of every fat chic is a skinny chic waiting to come out!