Lies, Lies, and More Lies!

Admit it, you're lied to several times a day, if not a hundred! And by who? Yourself! Yes, that's right, and even worse, you listen to those lies and eat them right up - pun intended!

Here are just five lies we tell ourselves which discourage us from reaching our health goals, or from even stepping out in faith to start the journey in the first place! Once you realize you've been lied to, you can then step out in truth! And from this day forth, see if you can pinpoint other lies as they pop into your mind...

1. LIE: You really can't do this. Who are you kidding? You've tried a zillion diets before. You're just too fat, too beyond help. You just need to live this way.

TRUTH: You CAN do this. If you've ruled out health issues (thyroid, pituitary tumors, etc.), then it's possible to achieve weight loss, but even more importantly, it's possible to achieve better health! Here's a scientific fact:
decreased calories (better nutrition) + increased exercise = weight loss (better health).
Follow the formula and you're a winner!

2. LIE: I just want to lose some weight so all I have to worry about is restricting my food.

TRUTH: The reality is you can choose to only restrict your food intake and not necessarily make more nutritious choices, and choose not to implement exercise into your life. And you might lose some weight. But two things will occur: You won't keep the weight off (it'll come back, and usually with a vengeance!) AND you haven't improved your health. To be truly healthier, there should be an increase in your cardiovascular endurance; a building and strengthening of muscle; and good nutrition pouring into your body to feed it efficiently, to regulate your blood sugar levels, to give it a wide array of minerals and vitamins, and to provide the types of foods which will benefit your digestive system.

3. LIE: I tried to watch what I eat and I even moved my tush for three weeks, only to lose a measly 1 pound. It's just not worth it.

TRUTH: ANYTIME you do something healthy, it's worth it!!! Whether you see the pounds come off or not, you're better off exercising and eating healthier foods than if you didn't!! You strengthen your heart, build muscle, and build endurance. It's a win, win. If you have this attitude, you won't lean toward discouragement over slow weight loss because your focus will be overall health, and not just numbers on the scale! Eventually, you'll retrain your metabolism and you will lose weight on your journey to better health. Just persevere!

4. LIE: I'm not that bad. Sure, I'm bummed I can't fit into my favorite jeans, but it's okay.

TRUTH: While that may be the truth for some of you, for the majority of us, it's just an excuse to put off hard work. And deep down, we are very bothered and sad that we've let ourselves get into this state. Honestly, but realistically, assess how you feel about your overall health and weight. It seems as if we were young and fairly in shape and then BAM, one day we woke up, and found ourselves 30, 40, 50 + pounds heavier than in our youth! Just like that! But it wasn't overnight; it was ever so insidiously gradual like the frog in the boiling water. We became acclimated to each 5- and 10-pound gain, until we're where we are today. Change IS hard. Exercise IS hard. Modifying what we love to eat IS hard. Yes, yes, and yes. But don't focus on what's hard and run from it. Focus on what's right and good for you, and then do it!

5. LIE: I'll just start buying low-fat, sugar-substitute foods to achieve weight loss.

TRUTH: Yes, those things can help you get over hurdles if you find you will cheat if you can't have something sweet, etc. However, in the long run, if we're talking health - those things don't constitute nutritional food - and you have slyly found a way to get your cake and eat it too! However, it won't work. You haven't changed your mind or your body to focus on nutrition and health - you've only tried to fool it by "substituting" one bad thing for a lesser bad thing. Please don't forget the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, grains, legumes, and even water! And I'm not talking artificially flavored water either! Just pure, plain, refreshing water. Don't get caught up in the "diet" mentality where you're filling your body with artificial sugars and flavorings just so you can say you're eating low-fat and "no sugar"! Permanent weight loss and better health will occur when you're willing to put value on nutrition and exercise.

Go ahead. Grab hold of the truth, reject the lies, and start your journey toward health today!