Weight Loss (and other stuff) I Believe – Part 2

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Here’s a list, certainly not all-inclusive and in no particular order, of weight loss related and non-weight loss related stuff I happen to believe. (If you missed it, you can read Part 1 here.)

Diets that involve drastic, short term, changes in your eating habits will only lead to short term weight loss. If you’re going on a fad diet, you WILL gain the weight back. If you understand that, why would you go on a fad diet?

Smoking makes you smell like an exhaust pipe on a taxi cab. And yeah, that awful perfume or cologne from WalMart you saute yourself in only makes it worse. People hate being trapped in an elevator with you but won’t tell you because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. Instead they’ll just hold their breath for 18 floors. I don’t care about smokers’ feelings. You smell funky, and it’s not a good funky.

Eating right does not have to be ‘too expensive’. Becoming unhealthy from a diet filled with calorie-dense, nutrient-deficient shit posing as food? That’s expensive. A bag of apples costs less than a large bag of Doritos. You can save a lot of money by not buying bagels, cookies, ice cream, crackers, chips, frozen pizza, and other processed crap. Then you could spend that money on real food.

Stress is a choice. Situations are not stressful. Stress is caused by your REACTION to the situation. How you react is your choice. Just chill out. Always remember to ask yourself “What is the worst thing that can truly happen?” And be honest. Short of death or disfiguring accident, it probably isn’t that bad.

If you choose to live in a state of constant stress (even low-level stress), you will always have a very difficult time with fat loss. The stress response causes increased insulin and cortisol production in your body, which basically makes you an effective fat-storing machine. If you’re eating right and exercising properly and still aren’t losing fat, you might want to examine your stress levels.

I’ve never worked with anyone who was truly suffering from ‘over-training’. I’ve seen plenty of people who choose to ‘under-recover’ and confuse that with over-training though.

Those who spend all of their time and energy trying to divide people suck. I think both Bill O’Reilly and Keith Olberman are idiots.

Obesity is not the fault of McDonald’s, KFC, Coke, Pepsi, or Krispy Kreme. Yes, they make a lot of awful food that you shouldn’t eat, which, if eaten in too great a quantity, can cause obesity. But everyone has a choice of what they put in their mouth. Nobody is forcing you to eat that toxic waste.

Stop being ‘against’ everything.

“I’m against this proposal or that proposal.”
“I’m against health care reform.”
“I’m against religion in the classroom.”
“I’m against taking religion out of the classroom.”
“I’m against the death penalty.”
“I’m against building more jails.”
“I’m against blah blah blah…”

Being against something doesn’t lead to solutions. How about telling me what you’re for instead? There’s a great story about Mother Teresa. She was in the US and was asked to participate in a march against the war. She said no. The organizers were confused why she wouldn’t do it. She replied, “If you have a march FOR peace, I’ll be there. But I won’t march AGAINST the war.” Think about it.

There is more than one way to get most of the things you want to achieve in life. Health, fitness, weight loss, money, happiness, friends, peace, whatever. If someone tells you there is only one way (their way) to do something, find someone else to follow.

Tiger Woods is a great example of why you should be careful who you label as role models. Face it, none of you reading this really knew Tiger Woods the person. We only knew Tiger Woods the brand. And that brand was carefully scripted and honed, just like Apple, Microsoft, IBM, or Mercedes. Beyond the golf course and pitching razors and Cadillacs on TV, you had no idea what went on in his private life or what he was really like as a person. Now, he’s probably the greatest at the game of golf that ever lived, but brands are not role models. If you’re a parent, you should be your child’s role model. Don’t let professional athletes or celebrities take that role away from you.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know below.

~Dave

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3. Kirstie Alley’s New Weight Loss Program
4. The Berenstain Bears Guide to Weight Loss