I saw one of my favorite quotes on a website today and thought I would include it in my Blog today.
“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others”.
In my years practicing medical weight loss, I have seen many different recipes for success. Realizing this, and putting it into practice is part of what separates my practice from other medical weight loss clinics. The research is very clear on the fact that successful, sustained weight loss is not a one size fits all equation and any physician or weight loss clinic that tries to tell you otherwise is simply not current on the research. Yes, there are some aspects of any program that are imperative: you must eat breakfast, you must exercise and weight training is much more effective than aerobic activity in a reduced calorie diet, you must get adequate protein in your diet and create a calorie deficit i.e. burn more energy than you consume without eating too little calories and suppressing your metabolism. And for sustained weight loss, you must be committed to wholesale changes in lifestyle. Notice I have written nothing about weekly B12 shots and amphetamines.
The point of this blog however is one of the single most important lessons I have learned in my own life and what I have seen in my years of practice as a physician. Whether it is weight loss, getting into better shape, or being a better father, husband, or friend, showing up is a large part of the battle. In my personal life any success started with a simple decision to move toward a goal, from there it was showing up to work every day until that goal was accomplished. I’ve found that those who have the most success in weight loss are the ones that show up to work every day for the long haul. I can provide my patients with all the knowledge in the world, prescribe medications, and balance hormones, but they have to do the heavy lifting. Successful weight loss is not rocket science, it’s more like manual labor. Sweat all day in the hot sun, punch out, repeat the process again tomorrow. Eventually the house gets built, the ditch gets completed, the weight is lost.
The results of my weight loss program tends to be pretty consistent over time. Those that show up regularly and exercise consistently lose 10 more pounds over a 12 week period. Again, not rocket science, manual labor. I frequently tell my patients they do not need to be marathon runners or body builders but they have to show up and move. The goal is to progressively improve fitness levels over time. If you are maxed out walking 10 minutes now than in 12 weeks we need to be able to walk 20 or 30 minutes. Consistent progression is the key. . The reason for this is simple, generally, less weight = lower metabolism because you are carrying around a smaller load, less mass to support etc, OK so maybe there is a little physics involved but the bottom line is, you need to be able to burn more calories during workouts to continue the same rate of weight loss as you lose. Add minutes, add days, add repetitions, whatever, show up and progress and watch the amazing ability of your body to respond by getting stronger, leaner, healthier and happier.
I hope 2010 is the year that you make a decision to make positive change in your life, and then start showing up everyday. Show up and be brilliant, be talented, be powerful beyond measure and let your light shine. Live your life without fear. You may find yourself in a totally different place in 2011, you never know until you decide to try.
Check back in a couple weeks for my next installment, The Anti-Aging Diet.
Until next time…. Stay healthy and live well. – Dr. Mike
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