Do You Believe You Can Do It (lose the excess fat)?

Nearly every day most of us get into our metal boxes that are capable of outrunning a cheetah and manage to arrive safely at our destinations.

We think nothing of it because, if you’re at least thirty, you’ve probably done it thousands of times.

But try to think back for a moment about how you felt the first time you were behind the wheel. You wanted to think you could do it. You had a lot riding on it (no pun intended), but you had no reason to actually believe you could do it. Not yet, at least.

That’s the dilemma I see most Losers in Training (LIT – those who are still trying to achieve success losing fat but have yet to make it a reality) struggle with, and one that can seem paralyzing.

Here’s the problem – you believe your doubts, so they crush your confidence.

You think you’re one of those people who can’t seem to figure it out, commit to a program, resist temptation, etc. Deep down you are not even sure you really want to be successful. Because then won’t you have to keep doing all the hard, scary stuff to keep your lean new physique that you did to lose the fat in the first place? And who can keep that up, anyway?

Those thoughts don’t serve us, or anyone who depends on us.

In my last piece, I listed the three questions that one must be able to respond to positively in order to be ready to take action for fundamental change. The first of the three is:

“Do I believe I can do this?”

You can. Even if you don’t nail it straight out of the gate. Even if you stumble. Even if you are successful in reaching your goal body fat level and then gain all the fat back again. So what? Once you’ve done it, you always know you can do it again.

You’re just not there yet. But I’ve seen many people through this process and you know what they all say, without exception?

That they wished they knew all the years they struggled that they were always capable of doing it. Once you know it, the monster loses his fangs. And then it’s just a matter of desire and maturity. The work and commitment you would extend to your family or friends, you can devote to yourself. That’s just a simple choice of where to place value.

Believe. Until you know, like I do, that you can do this, you will have to take a leap of faith. But that leap is your grab for personal power. That power is your birthright. Claim it.

When you do, you’ll be more than halfway down the road from believing to knowing.

I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.

Dan Taylor, ACE, NASM-CPT, is owner and head trainer at Pleasanton-based Tri Valley Trainer. They offer personal training and small group fitness solutions and an innovative, medically endorsed web-based group healthy eating coaching program.