Guarantee Your Success with Your Next Weight Loss Effort

After nearly 20 years in fitness and weight loss coaching, I have changed my views about how best to achieve that goal dramatically. It’s true that most people need to be educated, encouraged, guided and corrected along the way. But that’s already the backstretch of the weight loss track. Once I have a client to the point that they are eagerly receptive to my input, and they’re clearly managing challenges at the tactical, day-to-day level, ultimate success is nearly certain.

The trouble is that there is a dark forest one needs to journey through before getting to that point. And the length, terrain and intimidating power of that forest leaves many running for the side from which they came – the empty, yet familiar, world of surrendered personal power.

Now I have nothing against mindfully forgoing an effort that might make my life better and that is well within my capabilities if it’s going to take a lot of work I’m not fully invested enough to undertake. I decided against going to grad school to pursue the Controller/CFO track in my previous career because I didn’t think the reward was going to justify the long hours and hard work. As a result, I’ll probably never make a six figure income. I could be better informed about world events and more culturally aware by traveling. I could spend more time reading and marketing my business. I could take better care of my car (a humble heap) and yard. But the truth is that I don’t hold any of these goals as high as I do the payoff for the choices I make in their stead: More time with my kids, purposeful and rewarding work, going out with my fiancée and away for the weekend instead of having a car payment and higher insurance.

But the time and effort I put into exercise and eating healthfully makes me look and feel much better than I could otherwise feel and look. And I can do more. I can do it better, and longer. That goes for basically anything that’s physical. Knowing that is important to me. The payoff overwhelmingly justifies the effort and prioritization.

Like many other trainers and healthful lifestyle advocates, I get the power of that engagement – I identify with that condition. Just like a race car driver, or a teacher, or a member of the clergy or a medical professional identifies with their chosen profession. I live it.

What does this have to do with your efforts to lose weight? Well, it comes down to choices. Choices define our true values (as opposed to our declared values, which can be quite different). And the choices we make should serve our needs. But we have to feel clear and certain about what’s really important to us first for the choices to lead to the changes we want to experience.

So I’m going to save you some money (diet books, supplements, gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, weight loss spa vacations or online coaching programs) with this precious morsel of truth:

Any number of fat loss approaches can work if you are truly ready to fully commit to them. Of course a more comprehensive, well-designed, sound program that has some degree of individual support over a longer period will always be better than an article that takes five minutes to read on Facebook.

But the most important thing is that you are truly ready to make the changes.

Three questions were presented in a Ted x talk by Virginia Tech Psychology professor, Scott Geller that must be answered affirmatively to determine readiness to make a major change:

1. Do you believe you can do it?

2. Will it work?

3. Is it worth it?

We’ll explore these questions in more depth over the next three posts. But I would add one more question to that list on the topic of weight loss:

Do you believe YOU are worth it?

I know the answer, but you need to know it too – and believe it. Then, when you are satisfied that the path you choose to get lean inspires a “yes” for the other three questions, you are ready.

Call me when you’re ready.

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.