Do You Really Know Much Your Extra Pounds Are Costing You?

Yesterday I was walking our dog and met my neighbor Donna. She was slowly lumbering back to her house from the mailbox.

Actually, she’s in better shape now. Before the snow buried our streets, she was taking our walks by riding her motorized chair.

She had knee replacement surgery last summer, and was slowly recovering from the ordeal. Actually, she’s been in pain for the most part, receiving cortisone shots regularly to help ease the suffering.

Since the operation, her back has been killing her, so that she has to trek 20 miles one way to see a therapist specializing in her kind of back pain. (In our small city, 10 miles is the average commute.)

I get a lot of comments from all sorts of people, from those barely making ends meet, to others who have a stable of Mercedes Benzs and BMWs in their super-sized garages.

What comments do I hear? Is it really worth spending the extra dollars for organic healthy food?

I didn’t hear these comments from Donna, so I don’t want to make this to sound judgmental. Besides, I don’t really have her full story.

The fact is, Donna is about 5 feet tall, and perhaps about 50 pounds overweight. She’s probably borderline obese at best.

Her knees gave way to her body fat that she’s been carrying for decades.

Do You Really Know Much Your Extra Pounds Are Costing You?

The cost of the knee surgery replacement? About $600,000.00.

Different things trigger different reactions for people.

You see, this is the way I logically came to a conclusion about my own health:

I would rather spend 2-3x in my grocery bills today, and everyday thereafter, than to go thru the pain and agony of ANY surgery down the road.

If I live for another 40 years, $600K is about $1250 monthly. I have no complaints spending an additional $1000 per month, to buy quality food that will PREVENT me from having any health issues.

Anyway, like I said, I don’t know Donna’s full story, but I’m sure very thankful to my creator, for not being in her shoes.

As a token of this appreciation, I do what I can to educate myself about the God-given assets that was given to me.

I have decided to take an active role in taking personal responsibility for my own health.

I’m encouraging that you do the same.

So let’s summarize our last session:

1. Logical - you have to educate yourself about health.


2. Emotional - you need to identify 1 or more things that are rooted very strong feelings: happiness, sadness, anger or fear.


3. Spiritual - you need to find your why (outside of yourself).

Your Subconscious Mind Will Ultimately Drive Your Daily Behavior

Behavior that you want to turn into health habits.

Even if you succeed with the purely physical approach, (the conventional “diet and exercise” mantra), you will probably gain your weight back, without having a handle of your mental state.

So, now let’s move on to the circle of health.

Think of the 360-degree weight loss plan as a wheel with 8 spokes.

The wheel needs to have all 8 spokes to be perfectly strong so that the wheel functions properly.

Your health is a defensive mechanism that needs to be strong from all directions (thus 360-degrees). You need to approach it from all angles.

Any weak spot can be exploited by your environment, and that will be the beginning of the end of your health.

Whether you realize it or not, whether you accept it or not, your extra weight was gained because of the weakness of one or more distinct spokes of your health wheel.

The 8 Pillars of Weight Loss

In the order of importance, the 8 spokes or all-around defense mechanisms are:

1. Mental fitness


2. Water


3. MACRO-nutrition


4. MICRO-nutrition


5. Exercise


6. Recovery


7. Breathing


8. Vision

Today, I will provide a brief overview of each. Then we’ll discuss them one by one in more detail in the next coming editions of your weight loss coaching program.

In the sequential order of presentation:

Mental Fitness

We’ve been discussing this extensively for the past few emails. I cannot underestimate the importance of this:

The only way to achieve lasting and permanent weight loss is to change your thinking.

I will incorporate this philosophy throughout the course of the weight loss coaching program.

Then we’ll revisit it again at the very end before your “graduation”.

MACRO-Nutrition

While this is #3 in terms of importance, this will be the topic in detail in our next chapter.

There are so many myths and misconceptions about carbohydrates, proteins and fats, that it is important to tackle them first to set a framework for future discussion.

This is actually a broad area, so it may take several chapters or emails to cover everything from fast foods, to food labels, eating habits, smart choices, calories, etc. etc.

Exercise

While this is #5 in importance, again, this is one of those topics where a lot of people get so confused about.

Actually, intimidated might be a better word.

There is such a widespread belief that in order to lose weight, you have to “sweat your heart out”.

In this topic, we will discuss why your body needs exercise, and if you’re the lazy type like me, what is the minimum required that
you can get away with.

Water

In the physical realm, water is the most important element in your weight loss journey.

Unfortunately, because it is available everywhere, and it is practically free (particularly in the US), it is very easy to take it for granted.

It’s chemical structure is so simple (H2O). As a matter of fact, it is deceptively simple that even scientists and medical professionals take it for granted.

This is going to be a fascinating discussion - because believe it or not, not all water are the same.

Some are better than others, therefore, will have different effects on your weight loss progress.

Did you know that in an investigation research conducted by the Associated Press, that pharmaceutical drugs were found in the tap water supply in 28 of 35 major cities?

Substances like: medication for pain, asthma, epilepsy, high cholesterol, mental illness, sex hormones, and antibiotics.

We’ll discuss how these drugs might be contributing to weight gain, as well as other possible health ailments.

We might even touch on the “curative” powers of spring water, and a possible scientific explanation.

MICRO-Nutrition

Lately, there has been some encouraging discussions in the media about vitamins, minerals, enzymes, biotics, etc. etc.

These are chemical compounds and living micro-organisms that most of the scientific research community, don’t yet have a full understanding of their importance.

Consequently, the health practitioners, who are facing the average health consumer - YOU - are not being informed of the critical importance of MICRO nutrition.

Here’re some food for thought:

• Do you belong to the majority who DO NOT take your vitamins regularly?


• Did you think that you’re OK with 100% of the recommended daily allowance?


• Do you know how to identify quality vitamins?


• Do you know why you might have belly fat?


• What do you think is the probable cause of colon cancer?


• What do antioxidants do for you, particularly weight loss?

Recovery

While exercise can be seen as the expenditure of energy, recovery is simply recharging your energy.

There are 2 ways to recover, sleep is one of them.

Again, this is another one of those things that are easily taken for granted. The US is a sleep-deprived society, probably because of the wide-spread use of the alarm clock.

We are so strapped for time, with the unending list of demands that we put on our shoulders, that we just “steal the time” from our bed.

However, there is more to recovery than just sleep.

Recently, I just finished reading a book that talks about the idea that periods of mini-recovery within the day is just as important as the primary recovery at the end of the day.

The authors have worked with professional athletes and corporate executives to come up with this conclusion:

In addition to managing our time, we should pay attention to the management of our energy discharge and recharge throughout the entire day.

This approach will enable you to focus on your tasks more effectively, synchronizing with your body’s natural rhythm.

Breathing

This is one physical behavior that is controlled by both your conscious and subconscious minds.

Oxygen is fuel. A fire struggles to keep burning without enough oxygen.

Your cells struggle without sufficient oxygen. When your cells struggle, they cannot perform their normal metabolism duties.

Vision

Your vision is responsible for 80% of your perception of your world.

You’ve probably taken this for granted most of your life, and you’ve just come to accept that you’ll need prescription glasses.

Am I right?

What does this have to do with weight loss?

Well a study was in the news just this past year.

Chances are, I can predict your weight if you tell me the weight of 5 of your closest friends, including your partner/spouse.

Because you’re a social human being, your perception of your world is influenced by what you see regularly.

Let me ask you a question, and be honest with yourself.

Have you ever had this conversation in your mind? “If my buddy Jack has a waistline of 45 in., then I’m still OK since my waist is only 44 in.”

I think you get the point.

However, there is more to vision that just weight loss. I’ll show you techniques to get rid of your prescription glasses - naturally.

Summary

Healthy weight loss is NOT ABOUT ONE thing. I’ve mentioned 8 different spokes, and some of the elements within each of these areas.

Your ultimate goal is to address all 8, maybe not all of them at the same time, but probably start with the easiest.

Your approach will be unique and different to you.