No Substitute for Doing the Work

Wishing things were different, HOPING things will be different, LONGING for things to be different....

Nothing changes if nothing changes.  All the hope and wishing and longing in the WORLD will not MAKE IT SO.

What will?  Doing the work.  Day in.  Day out.  When you feel like it, and ESPECIALLY when you DON'T feel like it.  When you have an abundance of resolve, AND when you have NONE.

Especially when you have none.

It is what you do in THESE times which define whether or not you will be successful at attaining and maintaining a healthy weight.

Do the work.  Get the results.

Don't do the work?  Then don't be disappointed with the results you DIDN'T get with the work you DIDN'T do.

I know it doesn't sound especially motivational.  I know it doesn't give you chills to read this.  Maybe it actually puts a damper on your day.

Sorry.  Today I'm all about truth.  Today I will tell you EXACTLY how I achieved success in losing 144 pounds and EXACTLY how I know I will be keeping it off.

Because I'm not afraid of a little hard work.

Are you?  If you are asking "what does she mean by 'hard work', I thought this plan was supposed to be simple!"

It is simple.  It is NOT easy.  The "hard work" I'm talking about is making it your BUSINESS to remain ON PLAN TODAY.  On THE plan, not YOUR plan. 

Now, if you have been in the habit of doing that anyway, then it DOES sound easy AND simple!  If you have NOT been in the habit of doing things you are probably thinking "there has to be another way, because I can't seem to do that!  I can't seem to even spend one full day on THE plan!"

Well, get to a place where you ARE spending one full day on THE plan.  I got no tricks for you there.  THAT is the hard work.  Staying on plan TODAY.

Or, you if you AREN'T in the habit of staying on plan for a whole day, you will likely go a few months attempting this, find out you have turned it into a quasi-maintenance plan, and ditch it altogether, only to go looking for something you don't have to quite work so hard at.

I've got some news for you, THIS PLAN is the SIMPLEST thing out there, so if you can't do THIS PLAN I can't think of a solution for you.  At all.  Your best bet is to wake up tomorrow morning and commit to staying on THE PLAN.  Expect it of yourself, and you might just surprise yourself at what you actually CAN accomplish!

So, there are your choices if you'd like to be successful at attaining and maintaining a healthy weight.

Ya gotta buckle down and DO THE WORK.

And this isn't JUST a lesson for weight loss and getting healthy.  It really applies to ALL goals.  Today I had 8 miles on my marathon training schedule.  Eight daunting miles.  I cringed just thinking about it as I was getting my shoes on.  Could I REALLY run 8 miles today?  Me?  Was there another solution?  Could I build my endurance for the long 26.2 mile run in April just by hoping or wishing or longing for it?  I realized as I DID get my shoes on and got OUT the door, that A) I was capable of more than I gave myself credit for, as it turns out I ran 10.3 miles today when I checked my GPS, and B) no, there is no substitute for doing the work and logging the miles.  The ONLY reason I was able to run over 10 miles TODAY is because LAST Sunday I ran 7 miles, then I ran 3 miles two days later, 5 miles two days later, then 3 miles the next day, took a day off and then TODAY rolled around.  I have been DOING the WORK.  And guess what, I am TRUSTING the training program that I committed to.  I am layering miles upon miles and my body is keeping up!

It is the same with the plan.  There is JOY in the journey, and part of the lesson IS the journey.  Do the work.

Rinse and Repeat!