Saturday, November 27, 2010

The Rest of the Story

     We've all heard of that wildly popular book  - "Think and Grow Rich". History is filled with classic rags to riches stories that can help motivate even the most skeptical among us.

    And who hasn't seen or heard of the awesome success achieved by many a popular sports figure. Legend has it that Michael Jordan - perhaps one of the greatest basketball players in recent history - was cut from his high school basketball team. His first attempt to make the team resulted in disappointment.

And then, he used that setback or failure to move on and get better. Much, much better! He practiced alot. Most likely every day. Rumor has it that his Mother had to drag him off the basketball court and into the house for Supper and bedtime.

What can you and I learn from the great Mr Jordan? Always mind your Mother - and never give up! If you want to accomplish anything keep practicing. Keep moving in the direction of your goal. Whether you want to lose 2 pounds or 52 - you can.

    First, you have to decide upon your goal. Then, start taking action towards reaching your target. And keep practicing. Keep taking action - everyday - if you must. Enjoy the journey and savor the thrill of the experience!

If your goal is a big goal - break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Want to lose 50 pounds? Set your sights - at first - on losing a single pound or two. Then 2 more. Many a health expert - people much more knowledgeable than me - recommend 2 pounds per week is a healthy and safe weight loss target. So, give yourself some time to drop those 50 pounds. if it takes you half a year - that's great!

The great inventor - Thomas Edison - didn't succeed at crafting his first light bulb until he had found hundreds of ways that didn't quite make it. His goal took time - and lots of setbacks! The great violin masters didn't reach their incredible levels of mastery in a week or even a year. They practiced and practiced some more. Their amazing talent took years to develop.

That famous Subway guy - Jared - took a year or maybe longer to shed his extra pounds. And he kept practicing those 2 simple habits anyone can choose to adopt. He walked - alot. And he watched his calories! Simple choices. He chose to enjoy eating healthy foods and and exercise regularly. Together, these simple habits helped him reach his weight loss goal! 

    Even small changes can bring great success. Think about it - If you consume 100 calories a day more than your body needs, you will gain approximately 10 pounds in a year. So, what if you were to cut your calories - just a little - every day? One less beer. Or perhaps passing on that morning donut. Go for a protein rich egg-white omelet instead.

     You could take that weight off, or keep it off, by doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Health experts agree - the quickest way to lose weight  and keep it off - is the combination of exercise and diet.

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