Are You Lying to Yourself - How the Truth Will Set you Free to Lose Weight

Losing weight is not easy. Ask anyone who has ever tried, especially when they are at the beginning or the end of the journey. The beginning is always a struggle with getting motivated and the end is always that last 10 vanity pounds. With so many things against you, at times it can almost seem impossible.

Yet, losing weight is possible. Look around you and see all those who have done it successfully in the past. Maybe they figured out the secret, or maybe they just got lucky. But I bet they look great and you are so proud of what they have done. Now you are wishing you could do the same.

That is when it gets depressing. You keep trying and trying and nothing seems to be working. You wonder, if losing weight is so easy for some, why doesn't it work for you? If you have done it before, you might even wonder, how come you can’t repeat the past. What is so different now? What has changed?

If those techniques that have worked in the past are no longer working it might be the time to ask yourself one final question - Are you lying to yourself?

Lying seems to be such a bad word. After all, it sounds like a malicious act and if you are doing it to yourself, it seems even worse. The reality is, you might be lying to yourself without even realizing it. Subconsciously, you are hiding any bad decisions or habits so you don’t even realize you are doing it.

It is almost like that little white lie - You don't think it is going to hurt anybody. Only this time, that little white lie is bringing you down. It is what is sabotaging all your efforts. So how do you identify what the issue is and how do you get it to stop?

When I first started my weight loss journey, I used writing as a means of motivation. It started with P90X. I wrote about my journey each and every day. I knew it would keep me accountable.

Afterwards, I decided to try Turbo Fire, a program that is centered around cardio and high intensity interval training. Both programs are uniquely different. However, they are set up in a way to make you as successful as possible.

Losing weight is a journey and it is not one that should be taken lightly. If you are serious about getting those extra pounds off so you can feel better about yourself and be a healthier and happier version of you, it is time to take action. This should be a lifestyle change and not just another fad that will disappear tomorrow.

Maybe you have been on this journey for awhile and are suddenly at the dreaded weight-loss plateau. Or maybe you have been working your tail off and nothing seems to make a difference. You may be beginning to feel like you have no choice but to live this way. You are your own worst enemy and it is time to figure out why you are getting no where.

This may seem like a weird question, but are you sure this is what you really want? I am not saying a person would necessarily enjoy being heavy set or even unhealthy. But maybe they are comfortable and moving out of that comfort zone just isn’t for them, at least for right now.

One sign of this is eating habits. Are you not willing to give up your delicious bowl of ice cream covered in a half gallon of chocolate syrup? Do you refuse to eat breakfast because you just aren’t hungry in the morning? You might have even told others that you are just not a “breakfast” person. If bad eating habits are not something you can change, or that you are willing to change - chances are good you are not ready for this journey.

How about your lifestyle. Do you think exercise is only for athletes? Do you think making small changes, like walking around the block, just won’t make the difference? Do you always use the excuse that there just isn’t enough time in the day? If you want to lose, you have to move! And while you may not be an “athlete” you can do something small each day for exercise.

So now that you are in the mindset, you have to make a decision. Are you willing to make changes? If you not willing to throw out those bad habits, chances are good you will become frustrated before you ever get where you want to be.

Nobody is telling you that you have to make these changes. This is a decision that you have to come to on your own. After all, your spouse probably isn’t going to comment on those 10 vanity pounds and your mother and father isn’t going to love you any less if you weigh 50 pounds more than what your goal is. This is a decision that you have to come up with on your own. The sure fire way to fail is to do this journey for someone else.

So if you are ready and you are making changes, how does this in anyway mean that you are lying to yourself?

The answer is simple. If you were not looking forward to changing your food habits, subconsciously you might be sabotaging yourself. Take this example for instance:

• You are busy in the morning getting the kids ready for school. You pour each kid a bowl of cereal - your favorite kind that combines a sugar coma with every bite. As you pour this bowl of cereal the wonderful smell creeps into your sniffing range. Now you look at the calorie count and realize this bowl of cereal only gives you ¾ cup for 150 calories. (What a ripoff!) That doesn’t even include pouring some milk on it. You also realize you never actually eat only one serving of this in a bowl. Last time you measured, what you are used to eating is closer to two full servings. That is 300 calories down the hatch! So you have told yourself you aren’t eating this anymore since you are sticking to healthier options. But that doesn’t stop you from grabbing a handful and popping some into your mouth.
• As you are making the kids lunch, you decide to give them a treat. You have a container of Chocolate Chip Cookies in the cupboard. If you give them to the kids for dessert, they won’t be there to tempt you. However, you give them each a couple and there is one odd cookie left over. One cookie won’t hurt and you shove it in your mouth.
• Lunch time rolls around and your toddler is begging for yet another peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You have been running around all morning doing household chores and even though you are starving, you will get to eating lunch after you finish one more task. So you make the sandwich and then lick the peanut butter off the knife. Now your toddler hates the crust and you hate wasting food - so in haste, you finish off the remainder of the sandwich.
• Dinner rolls around and you are starving. You haven’t had a bite to eat all day long (or at least that is what you have told yourself. So naturally, you are nibbling as you prepare. A little taste here, a little taste there. After all, you are the chef and you have to make sure that this meal is perfect for the family. And then as you finish off your meal, you need to literally be rolled away before you spend an evening sitting in front of the TV watching sitcom television with the family.

Now this might not be your typical day, but can you see the errors in this person's daily diet. I am not suggesting what they are doing is wrong in anyway. However, if they are forgetting about these small little nibbles throughout the day, these little bites could be adding up. The problem is they are not being accounted for. Therefore, even though they have had some cereal, a cookie and a good gob of peanut butter, by the time dinner rolls around they will tell you they haven’t eaten all day long. The reality is, the calories don't slid off just because they ate it on the go. These calories count too! If you are closely following a calorie count, these extra calories could be the difference between losing, maintaining or gaining!

When it comes to losing weight, 80 percent of your success will be dependant on your eating habits. If you put it in your mouth, you need to account for it. If you don’t, you are lying to yourself.

So if you are meticulous about eating the right foods at the right times and you still find yourself in a plateau, what could possibly be the problem?

Since each person is different, each person will require a different amount of calories to be successful. However, there are two ways to be completely unsuccessful. The obvious of the two ways is to eat in excess. Anybody that eats too many calories is biting into a time bomb. Eventually their metabolism will not be able to keep up and the weight will creep in. However, the opposite can be true as well. If you are not eating enough calories, you will end up in a weight loss plateau as well. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid eating less than 1200 calories a day without the supervision of a doctor. When you eat less calories than that, you will end up putting your body into starvation mode. That means ever calorie you eat will stick to you! Avoid that and eat. The pain it takes to get your body back in the right mode is not worth it!

Exercise is worth 20% of your weight loss efforts. However, it is a great way to be able to earn back some calories. After all, if you are coming from a diet high in calories and suddenly cut down to almost nothing, you are going to feel restricted. Who would have thought your spaghetti dinners were costing you so many calories and your waistline.

That being said, when it comes to weight loss, exercise is not necessary. It will help speed up the process or make the process easier, but losing weight is possible without it.

So, when you are out walking the block, you are probably wondering, if I am moving, how can I be lying to myself about moving?

Maybe you are not really lying to yourself about the actual fact of doing it. Maybe the issue is the intensity - what you put into your workouts.

When it comes to working out there are so many different things you can do. Some may prefer walking or running, some may prefer lifting weights, some may prefer bike riding, and some may prefer workout videos. Each person is going to be different. Not only in what they are going to want to do for a form of exercise, but also in how fit they are and how hard they can and will push themselves for that period of time. Some may be able to make it through a workout video barely breaking a sweat, however if they went for a run, they look like death in running shoes. (That is me!)

When I first started my weight loss journey well over a year ago, I could barely make it through programs I now do with ease. Until I got my heart rate monitor, I would have never known the difference that meant in the calories burned. Therefore, if you are serious, I would highly recommend a heart rate monitor to track the calories burned. Even if it isn’t 100 percent, it is better than guessing.

When I first got my heart rate monitor, I did a program and burned 965 calories. Now, I burn about 500 for the same program. That is NOT bad thing. That means I am getting healthier. However, it can also mean a plateau if things don’t get changed.

While we are on the whole exercise bit, note that the intensity is very important. You can’t just push play. You have to show up and you have to do it. I know for a fact that watching a workout video while eating ice cream is not beneficial in any way. I also know that you can do a video and never see any results if you don’t give 110%.

I never really understood this statement before. But the reality is, if you want to get yourself to the next level, you need to push yourself beyond what you think you are capable of. Most people stop short of what their full potential is. They think they can’t do one more push up or one more sit up or whatever exercise they are doing.

Now I am not suggesting you push yourself to injury. You need to know when enough is enough. When it comes to exercise it is a hard concept to realize it is almost as much mental as it is physical. If you let your mind tell you it is too hard, you will believe it. However, if you tell yourself you can do one more, you will probably believe it too. In the end, if you aren’t tired when you are done, was the workout really worth the time you invested into it? If you answered no to this question, chances are good you are lying to yourself about how good of a workout you really had.

Losing weight is a very personal journey. What it comes down to is really what you want. It is not a requirement or a necessity.(Unless of course you have been instructed by a doctor to lose weight for health reasons.) In today's society there has been an overwhelming amount of push toward being skinny. This is a relatively new trend. So normal people are striving to look like super models and that is probably a reality they will never see, nor should they strive for it. It really should be a push toward being healthy, and skinny is not always the answer to that.

I am a veteran when it comes to weight loss issues, self esteem issues, etc.... and that isn't a good thing. But through my many journeys I have realized one thing. It is healthier to be comfortable in your own skin than it is to obsess over the numbers on the scale.

This article is a guide if you are on your own personal journey. It does not and never will replace the advice of a medical doctor. It is just what I have learned along the way. It also does not advocate that it is necessary to have six pack abs or be skinny. We are all made differently and because of that, we will all look different.

Just remember, when you are down to those last few vanity pounds, maybe it is time to reevaluate what is important. Losing those ten pounds or learning to accept yourself. For me, I will always have my "thunder thighs" and my "budha" belly. It is just the way I am. And I am fine with that. I just want to be the best that I can be and show my kids and my family that being healthy is a mindset. I am confident in who I am and how I look. And Confidence will always be much sexier than showing off your bones!

A fellow writer and hubber Julie DeNeen started a controversy the other day. So she has started a campaign she has entitled "Enough!" It is about empowering us against the body-conscious, extreme fitness, dieting crazed culture we have come to know. Unfortunately, this is just demanding perfection out of women and mothers.

While I am a fitness nut, first and foremost I believe in being healthy and loving yourself. I think this is a great mindset. So click her to check out why she has had Enough!

Barbergirl28 is a wife of 12 years and a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful girls and one handsome little boy. After high school, she joined the Army to become a photojournalist. To this day, she continues to have a passion for writing and photography. After leaving the military, she obtained a license in Cosmetology and also studied Massage Therapy. Her passions include writing, photography, cooking, crafts, health, and fitness. Currently, she is working on a book and freelancing at Hubpages.

If you would like to earn money by writing for Hubpages, click here to sign up.

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