Successful Weight Loss Starts Here

There is one real reason that our bodies gain and hold onto excess weight: we just eat more calories than we use up. (Duh Kerry, we knew that!).

Keep reading, this isn't the first success strategy...trust me.

For example, if it takes your body 2,000 calories to get you through your day and you eat 3,000 you are naturally not going to loose weight. Doesn't matter if the calories are full of healthy goodies or just a bunch of junk food, calories are fuel. Think of the gas tank in your car, what would happen if you put in more gas than you needed? It'd spill over (stinky and dangerous). The car can't use more than it can hold at a given time, until it has used up what you put in there. Now the body is different because it can hold onto the excess fuel. The way it spills out is all over our bodies (not necessarily stinky but still dangerous).

So then why is so hard to loose weight (or really, why is it so hard to keep it off?!). Why do we eat excess calories? There are many reasons: Food tastes good! Our culture encourages overeating! Some of us have emotional issues surrounding food (count me in). Those of you who are like me and have been gaining and loosing weight forever, already know this. We can know what we know but end up doing the same thing over and over again. I think most people do...why else would antacids, diet pills and weight loss gimicks be in such abundance?

I could write a whole book on this subject...why we eat for reasons other than sustinance but I want to share with you the first and most important step I took and continue to practice everyday to help me keep the excess weight off....

Never talk about yourself in a way you wouldn't want your child or best friend to talk about him/her self. HUH? What did you just say Kerry? What does that have to do with losing and maintaining a healthy weight!?!?! EVERYTHING! When I say to myself..."you have no discipline, you are a fat pig, you'll never get this right, why bother? You were born to be overweight....", I keep myself in that negative place. That place that keeps me going back to the same habits that fuel overeating.

So now think, what would you say and how would you feel if your best friend or child berrated themselves like this? Would you say "Yeah Kerry you are a big fat pig, you have no self discipline, you should just give up". Of course not! You'd encourage, point out all the positives that I've accomplished, offer help. Hmmm...stew on this for a minute. If you stopped beating yourself up on a daily basis and starting encourging yourself, would it be a game changer? YES! It's the first and most important step in permanent weight loss. It's where success begins.

How will you take this "light blub moment" to heart? What will you say to yourself today to start this part of your journey? How will you plan to remind yourself of this tomorrow?

Journey of a thousand pounds

For years I have yoyo'd with my weight. I must have lost (and gained back) a thousand pounds. Many times I would exercise feverishly to drop weight and increase control over my body. Sometimes I did this with much enthusiasm and visible results. Many times I did so begrudgingly and ashamed of how I "let myself go". Most every time, I tried to lose weight by taking extreme measures with food: popcorn and tea diet, no fats allowed diet, low carb diet, no carb diet, starvation and exercise diet, health food diet, fruit, veggie and fish only diet. I paid for special foods, joined dieting clubs and exercise facilities to assist me in my quest. I suffered it alone in my basement with exercise tapes and pictures of slender women pasted around the house for motivation. Can anyone relate?

In June of this year (2010), I started to look at the whole thing as a learning experience that I can share with you. My goal is to raise your hopes and inspire you on a journey toward whole self fitness (body, mind and spirit) and a healthy relationship with your body.


I have embarked on a journey to lose the excess weight for good. Join me as I learn and struggle; fall down and get back up again until at last we can celebrate together the culmination of my hard work and education. I hope you will join me in a quest of your own!