Dear Santa, Make me Skinny, Please!

Dear Santa,
It's been a long time since I wrote you a letter.  I remember as a child I used to spend days making sure I had my letter and more importantly my list complete before mailing it off.  Nothing was better than running out Christmas morning and finding all the presents.  It always seemed like a Christmas Miracle.  Since you always made my childhood dreams come true, I thought maybe you could help me with a little something.  I would really like a new wardrobe, but the problem is that I want it several sizes smaller than my current one.  Which brings me to the second part of my Christmas Wish, in order to fit into the new wardrobe, I need to lose 50 lbs.  I've been pretty good this year so I'm hoping you will grant me this one, well two, Christmas wishes.  Thank you and I can't wait to wake up Christmas morning to the new skinny me. 
Yours Truly,
(Insert name here)
PS:  No offense, I think you look great, but I just want to lose some weight. 

Why not?  How crazy is it to ask Santa to grant this wish?  Christmas is coming up and since a majority of the population is now overweight or obese and Chronic Diseases are on the rise, there are a growing (no pun intended) number of people who might ask for this wish.  On the surface it seems childish to ask Santa for something like this and yet we do it all the time.  We look for the miracle weight loss formula and there are plenty of vendors willing to supply the next great thing.  We are constantly bombarded with stories of people losing incredible amounts of weight with the latest, greatest, easiest thing ever.  No work involved! Don't change your diet! No need to exercise!  Don't suffer through eating salad!  Just take our new Santa's Miracle Weight Loss formula and you will be skinny by Christmas morning!  Now, we can just sit back have some cookies and wait for the present to arrive.  How good does it feel to know that soon Santa will be on his way and will magically make us lose weight and then our health will improve and then we will be happy and then...  (Sound of screeching brakes).   Reality check!  We all know that >95% of diets fail, but surely if you were given this gift and miraculously lost 50 lbs.  you would never actually regain the weight, right?

Let's look at an example from another fantasy shared by many people around the world, winning the lottery.  Imagine it you wake up one day with the winning lottery numbers in your hand!  Your dreams have all come true, you are instantly a millionaire with more money than you could ever have imagined!!  Suddenly the world is yours and you can finally buy the things you've always wanted and be happy and..(sound of screeching brakes and a collision)  "According to a 2010 study by researchers at Vanderbilt University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Pittsburgh, the more money you win in the lottery, the more likely you are to end up bankrupt." (Yahoo Finance, Riches to rags:  Why most lottery winners end up broke.  Golden Girl Finance).  The not so funny part is that the more money people win the more likely they are to end up bankrupt.  Now let's contrast this story with the recent one of Jack MacDonald who died in September at the age of 98, he left a $187.6 million charitable trust.  Mr. MacDonald amassed his fortune secretly and by various news accounts many people thought he was homeless.  He had a career as an attorney but chose to live a different lifestyle.  He lead a frugal lifestyle and apparently had a knack for picking stocks but think about the discipline he had to continue with his lifestyle even after he had success. 

So, why do lottery winners become bankrupt?  For exactly the same reason that 95% of diets fail, a lack of a plan and a lack of discipline to make the necessary lifestyle changes.  We can sit around and wait for Santa or some other weight loss fairy to come grant us our wish just like people buy lottery tickets against astounding odds or we can choose to take accountability and begin to make changes necessary to create the life we want.  The odds of winning the lottery are 1 in 100 Million and we continue to buy tickets.  The odds of developing type 2 Diabetes will soon reach 1 in 4 and yet we continue to ignore the warnings.  Over 80% of type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease are preventable but it comes down to making the choice to do something about it or waiting for Santa to deliver a gift.  If you think the odds of winning the lottery are high try calculating the odds of Santa granting this wish.  The holidays are a great time to gather with family and friends, and create cherished memories.  It really comes down to what you value most in life?  We are all on a life journey of our own creation, the question is does it match what you value most or is it time to map out a new journey? 

Life Pioneers: The Edge of Possibility! by Tim Terrio (Oct 18, 2013)    

Available on Amazon and at All TERRIO Physical Therapy-Fitness locations.  www.myTERRIO.com

 

Does History Really Repeat Itself?

The turkeys are being thawed and the preparations are ramping to a fevered pitch as we anxiously await the convergence of family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving Day!  A great American tradition of gathering together and giving thanks for all that we have. If there is one thing that has remained the same since the first Thanksgiving in 1621, I think it is this. While we are excited to be with the family that will gather and celebrate, we are reminded of those who cannot be with us, those who are unable to travel or those we have lost.  Of those who originally departed on the Mayflower less than 50% were around to celebrate the following year.  This year some people will celebrate great successes while others will celebrate simply surviving.  The real cause for celebration that first Thanksgiving was the second, not only had they survived a tremendously difficult year but they had new hope of a better life that came from a more stable food source.  The most basic of human needs was restored to them.  While most people know the story of  the pilgrims leaving England to escape religious persecution, I think there is more we can learn from their story and the history of Europe leading up to 1620.  The "Act of Uniformity" was actually passed in 1559 by the English Government making it illegal to not attend services at the Church of England with fines for missing each service and more severe punishments for practicing any other faiths.  A group known as the 'separatists' wanted to practice their own version separate from the churches  teachings and two of their early founders were executed in 1593 for their 'crimes.'  But notice the time frames, it was 34 years before the founders were executed and another 27 years after that before the pilgrims sailed. And all of this transpired 128 years after Columbus discovered America.  So, if things were so bad why the delay?  Two of your founders are executed for trying to set up a new religion, which by the way was still based in Christianity, and that isn't enough to cause urgent action instead you choose to wait 27 years then finally figure out you have to leave?  I don't think it took 27 years of planning to get 100 people on a single boat.  There were a various excursions to the new world, so there were multiple chances to escape this unbearable oppression.  But, maybe that isn't the point.

Let's look at another astounding historical example of the human response to unbearable circumstances and the response.  The "Black Plague" or "Black Death" was a pandemic that spread across Asia and Europe reaching its peak between 1346-1353.  The estimates range from 75-200 Million deaths which equates to 30-60% of the European Population falling prey to this disease.  These are astounding numbers and yet the real story of the plague is really more about what happened before to even make it possible and the lack of response.  The events prior to massive outbreak created the perfect environment for this deadly pandemic.  The combination of malnutrition due to famine of various causes coupled with a lack of sanitation in large cities allowed for the rapid spread of a disease.  I know, not exactly Thanksgiving dinner conversation but the point is just like the pilgrims what seems to be missing is the sense of urgency.  In both cases, I wonder what the discussions were, "well, we've lost 20% of the population, I wonder how much worse it can get?"  then a year later, "well, we've lost 30% of the population, maybe this is serious?"  For some reason, we human beings tend to disregard the warning signs and take early action instead deciding to see if it will get any worse before we act.  So why is this important? 

As George Santayana famous quote says  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  When is it time for alarm or to take action?  How many millions of people need to become ill with a disease before we decide to take action?  How bad to things need to get before we decide to sail to a new world?  Will history really repeat itself?  Consider this, it is now estimated that 24 Million Americans have type 2 Diabetes.  It is a slow insidious disease that is spreading across the world.  But, maybe 24 Million people isn't enough to really worry about.  Then let's add in the 78 Million American's who are in the pre-Diabetic category and without changes will become Diabetic in the next few years that gets us to over 100 Million Americans who will have Diabetes or about 1 in every 3-4 Americans.  The good news is that more than 80% is preventable with lifestyle changes.  So, as you celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday and give thanks for everything you have remember to also think about your ability to make choices.  We are seeing the warning signs of bad nutrition leading to the next pandemic but will we take early action or wait to see if things get better? 

Change will only come with accepting the responsibility for our circumstances and deciding that taking action is more important than the comfort of staying in the world we've created. 

Life Pioneers: The Edge of Possibility! by Tim Terrio (Oct 18, 2013)    

Available on Amazon and at All TERRIO Physical Therapy-Fitness locations.  www.myTERRIO.com

The Age of Distraction!

I've received several questions about why I didn't write a book about physical therapy or wellness. This is the introduction to my new book Life Pioneers and hopefully this answers those questions. 

Is anything really possible? Can you really have anything you desire?  Is the American Dream alive? If it is, can anyone access it, or is it just for a select few?  In all honesty, these weren’t questions that I ever asked as a child. I grew up in a working class family, and there seemed to be a certain order to the world. Like all kids, my siblings and I talked about what we were going to be when we grew up and the dreams we had for our lives but, as the years went on, we began to realize there is a difference between dreams and what is actually attainable. Our conversations focused on what kind of job we would get, what city we’d live in, if we’d still have the same friends, and would they be our neighbors.

 It seems strange now, when I think back to my childhood and the dreams we had. It’s even stranger to think about my brothers and sister and the fact that we all grew up in the same home with the same parents and, yet, our life paths have been radically different. As I reflect back, I can’t seem to find anything that would have hinted at the divergence. I didn’t have a secret mentor that gave me access to any secrets of life. There was no businessman who took me under his wing and taught me the ways of business. There was just our family, and we all learned the same lessons, went to the same schools, and even had a lot of the same teachers. Nevertheless, my sister married a farmer, and they run a good sized farm in my home state, Montana; my brothers are both steadily employed in our home town, Helena; and I sit in the back yard of my home in California on a beautiful fall day pondering how, out of all of us, I have built a business with over 200 employees (www.myTERRIO.com). I have traveled to a lot (although not nearly enough)of incredible places but, most importantly, I see so many more possibilities to explore. 

Is anything possible? Sitting here now, I believe that it absolutely is. Can you really have anything you desire? I have come to believe that you can, given a few caveats. Is the American Dream alive? There is no doubt! I know because I have lived it and, yes, it is accessible to anyone willing to learn and grow.

I’ve come to understand that one of my talents is the ability to connect pieces of complex and seemingly unrelated information and make it useful for others. I first realized this with my physical therapy patients. I quickly learned that they weren’t interested in all of the complex anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, they just want an understanding of what is wrong and what they need to do to fix it. I took the path into business of being a really good practitioner of my skill but, as the business grew, I realized that I wasn’t equipped with the knowledge and understanding I would need to continue growing my business. To correct this, I started learning from as many sources as possible: books, tapes, seminars, coaches, and mentors. I used my talent to apply what I was learning and continue growing the business through various stages.

With success in business, I have been privileged to join YPO, Young Presidents’ Organization, and meet wildly successful presidents of companies from around the world, which has exposed me to even more possibilities. 

While the business success has been great, I realized that there were other areas that needed energy and attention. I have been blessed with an incredible wife and three amazing kids. I decided long ago that I wouldn’t miss their sporting events or school programs for business and especially not for any of my personal endeavors. I have taken the time to coach each of my kids in the sports of their choice and have enjoyed all of their plays and concerts. Could my business have been even more successful if I had focused solely on it? Maybe, but I don’t care because I wouldn’t trade the time with my kids. Could I have spent more time with my kids? Yes, and I hope that they understand that, when I did work long hours, it was to build opportunities for them that I never had, show them what is possible with hard work and determination and, yet, balance having time with them. 

Over the years, I have also become acutely aware of the need to stay healthy and how not devoting time and attention to this area can hurt all the other areas of our lives. As a medical professional, I have seen firsthand the impact of poor health, not to mention the incredible costs associated with it. I truly believe that health is the underlying foundation of all the other areas of our lives. Without good health, we do not have the energy to maximize the other areas. It is vital to make sure that we take care of ourselves so we can then take care of others. I am also a firm believer that health is not only physical but also mental and spiritual.

It seems, in this information age or, as I like to call it, the ”age of distraction,” that our mental and spiritual health is suffering right along with our physical health. The percentage of obesity continues to increase and, along with it, chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. But we are also experiencing a chronic deprivation of spirituality and increasing mental stress. Our health needs to be a complete package. 

Finally, I believe it is vital to get involved in the communities we live in and seek out opportunities to help others. The world is waiting for people to step up and get involved, and it’s amazing the difference a little creativity mixed with action can make. I have helped to start two non-profit foundations. The League of Dreams, which is a recreational sports league for children with disabilities (www.ourleagueofdreams.com), and one that we just started working on, the Nathan Garcia Childhood Cancer Foundation. 

It has been an amazing journey so far, and there is a lot left to accomplish but, then again, that is the path of a Life Pioneer! It doesn’t matter where you are starting; the most important thing is to begin the journey and set sail to the edge of possibility …

Life Pioneers: The Edge of Possibility! by Tim Terrio (Oct 18, 2013)

Available on Amazon or at all TERRIO Therapy Locations.

 

 

 

Count the Costs! Can you afford it?

Can you really be healthy?   Will I ever be able to lose weight and keep it off?  The percentage of Americans that are now considered overweight or obese continues to rise, in some areas of the country passing 60%, but at the same time there are reports that 95-98% of diets fail.   You might think “So what! Yeah I could stand to lose a few pounds but what’s the big deal.”  OK but consider this…Can you afford to be fat?   Can you afford to be unhealthy? 

A recent study from George Washington University added up the cost of being overweight and obese and found, “The individual cost of being obese is $4,879 a year for women and $2,626 for men.”  They considered obese as anyone with a BMI of 30 or higher.  But wait there’s more…they also found that Obese workers had a 76% increase in risk for short-term disability as well as a decreased life expectancy of five years in men and four years in women.  But wait there is still more…
A study from Ohio State University found that for everyone unit increase in a young person’s BMI (again starting at 30 was associated with an 8% reduction in net worth.  As if those numbers were not scary enough consider this, the increasing percentage of people becoming overweight and obese are causing other statistics to change.  From 2007 to 2012 there has been a 41% increase in costs associated with Diabetes.  If you are overweight and either have type 2 Diabetes or are on the road to being diagnosed with it adds these costs to your number.  The average medical costs for people diagnosed with diabetes is $13,700 per year.  But wait there is still even more…indirect costs of having type 2 Diabetes include:

• increased absenteeism ($5 Billion per year in the USA)
• reduced productivity of working adults ($20.8 Billion per year in the USA)
• inability to work as a result of the disease ($21.6 Billion)
• lost productive capacity due to early mortality ($18.5 Billion)

Now let’s consider another disease with a direct link to being overweight or obese, Heart Disease:

• 1 in 4 deaths in the United States is due to heart disease.
• 1 in 3 adults (80 million) in the United States have some form of heart disease, stroke, or other blood vessel diseases.
• Number of heart attacks and strokes that occur in the United States: 1.5 million/year.
• Heart disease and stroke cost the nation $312.6 billion*/year in health care costs and lost economic productivity. 
• At the current rate of growth heart disease will triple in the next 20 years.

As you can see the economic impact of being overweight or obese is substantial and yet we are faced with the stark reality that 95% of diets fail so is there really a sustainable solution to this problem?

We are immersed in the information age, with unprecedented access to information and yet we are failing at an extremely high rate.  There are a variety of opinions out there about how to lose weight and get healthy, everything from 'the law of positive attraction', to 'prayer', to reading books or attending seminars with 'experts.'  Is the secret to success and having what you want really as simple as sending out a 'prayer' or simply creating a desire for something you want and then it will find you?  Most 'experts' tell us that the key is to write goals, not just any goal but a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based).  Most New Year's Resolutions are perfect SMART goals..."I will lose 30lbs by June".  Is that goal specific, yes.  Is it Measurable, yes, just have to step on the scale.  Is it Achievable, absolutely! Is it Relevant, it is if you have more than 30 lbs. to lose and is it time-based, yep, by June.  Does it fail?  Only 95-98% of the time.  What if suddenly the priority changed and it was no longer something you wanted to do to look better, but something that a loved one needed to do?

It all starts with a full understanding of yourself, why you believe what you do, where you want to go and preparing and executing that journey.  "Life Pioneers:  The Edge of Possibility" can get the process started (available on Amazon and all TERRIO Therapy Locations).  I will soon be announcing new programs to help people get control of their health and create the life they have always dreamed of but start planning out your journey today!!

Life Pioneers: The Edge of Possibility! by Tim Terrio (Oct 18, 2013)

• $19.95 $16.88 Paperback
• Order in the next 22 hours and get it by Monday, Nov 18.
• $9.95 Kindle Purchase

The Missing Step in Success.

Hello world, how've you been?  It has been a while since I last posted and its time to reconnect. 

In my last post I talked about the secret of success and how to get anything you want.  Who doesn't love to hear a good story about the dreams we have and 'what we are going to be when we grow up.'  As a child I used to sit around with my brothers and sister and we all talked about where we would go, who we would be and where we would live, it was awesome to have the whole world and limitless possibilities at our disposal.  But as we age we are told to stop dreaming and get realistic.  We are told and we begin to believe that there are not limitless possibilities and the whole world isn't accessible to everyone.  We grow, we learn and for a majority of people we learn that there are barriers and obstacle that will block us.  We hear stories about people who have tried to find a better life only to come back discouraged and the dangers that await out there.  But, we also learn about a brave few people who defy all odds and find a new world, something that no one has ever thought of before, something we didn't know existed.  What is the difference?  What allows a select few to beat the odds and discover a new world?   I believe the missing step is action, well with a twist.

I have always enjoyed the stories of pioneers.  Those courageous enough to leave the comforts of what they knew in search of something better but over the last couple of years I have a new found appreciation for these people.  Take Christopher Columbus, as we all know he discovered America (well almost) but I think the missing story is that sometimes failure leads to something unexpected and maybe even better than what we intended in the first place.  He completely failed in his original mission of finding a new route to India and yet he changed the understanding of the world and claimed a lot of land for the queen.  It was precisely his ability to act in a different way and to challenge the conventional wisdom.  He was willing to actually see if the world was flat and if there were edges but what about the untold story which also happens to be the twist necessary for success.  Think about this, Columbus was taking a route never successfully attempted before.  There is no way he could have known the length of the journey and thus the amount of supplies to take.  He had to prepare for the journey with whatever information and past experience he could find.  He didn't just jump on a ship one day without any provisions to see how far they could go; that would have been a recipe for disaster.  I think the real lesson we can learn from Columbus is prepared action.  First, we must learn as much as possible about the journey we are going to take.  Who has attempted similar journeys and what did they learn?  Do we have the knowledge and skill necessary to make the journey a success?  Take the time to prepare and thus give yourself the best chance of success.  In this information age there is no excuse not to access to the information necessary to prepare, the problem is that we have moved from the information age into the 'distraction age'.  If we want to prepare for a new journey we must concentrate on that and not be distracted by everything else.  Longer journeys require more preparation and thus more focus. The preparation is never the fun part, all of the planning, but it is a vital step in the process.   At some point, you have to actually set sail with the understanding that there is no way you could know every possible challenge that will pop up.  It is easy to get stuck at this stage, uncertainty leads to fear and fear leads avoidance.  This is the moment of truth, if you have done your preparation and are ready to leave then you must actually start the journey.  This is the personal philosophy behind our companies mantra, "Get informed. Get Moving. Get Better!' 

I truly believe that the secret of any success that I have had is embodied in this statement.  We must learn and prepare, then take action if we are to improve.  Over the last two years I have completed my Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Served as Chairman of the Board for the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, served as Chairman for my local Young Presidents' Organization, worked on developing a community wide wellness program, continued growing my business, coached my son's football team and written my first book ("Life Pioneers").  "Life Pioneers:  The Edge of Possibility" is an autobiography of my life journey to help others map out their life journeys and is available on Amazon.  All of this is to continue my life journey of trying to help others fulfill their personal potential.  I have been preparing for the next journey and now its time to set sail. 

The Secret of Having Anything you Want!

Is anything really possible?  Can you really have anything you desire?  Can you really be happy?  Is the American Dream still alive?  In the last blog I talked about why New Years Resolutions fail but a further look at the statistics shows that our failures don't end with resolutions.  It is now reported that 95-98% of diets fail.  The failure rate of new businesses is reported to be around the same number 95% (depending on which businesses your include in the sample set).  With all of this failure around, is anything really possible?  What is the secret of the 5% who success against seemingly overwhelming odds?  I truly believe that we live in the greatest Country in the world with amazing opportunity all around so what's up with the failure rate?

We are immersed in the information age, with unprecedented access to information and yet we are failing at an extremely high rate.  There are a variety of opinions out there about 'how to get everything you want', everything from 'the law of positive attraction', to 'prayer', to reading books or attending seminars with 'experts.'  Is the secret to success and having what you want really as simple as sending out a 'prayer' or simply creating a desire for something you want and then it will find you?  Most 'experts' tell us that the key is to write goals, not just any goal but a SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-based).  Most New Year's Resolutions are perfect SMART goals..."I will lose 30lbs by June".  Is that goal Specific, yes.  Is it Measurable, yes, just have to step on the scale.  Is it Achievable, absolutely. Is it Relevant, it is if you have more than 30 lbs to lose and is it time-based, yep, by June.  Does it fail?  Yea, a majority of the time our goals fade away and die.  So, what's the secret?

Let's start with looking at our current situation. We all live in a personal reality that was 100% created by us.  We are 100% responsible for where our life is and where it is going.  Yes, we are an accumulation of past experiences and circumstances but we are the ones who apply the meaning to these events.  We all live through various experiences and some people endure horrible, unthinkable experiences,  but it is precisely the meaning that we assign to them that determines who we are.  As we sit in our present situation and try to determine what action to take, we constantly reference our past experiences for guidance.  Acknowledging and learning from the past is very important, but too many people become victims of their past and they limit their decisions today based on what happened in the past.  We have a lot of help along the way, parents, teachers, coaches, family and friends all help us define who we are...'he's a great athlete', 'she's very uncoordinated', 'she's very smart', 'he's not the sharpest tool in the box' and on and on.  If we allow ourselves or others to define us and what we are capable or incapable of doing, then our window of opportunity is immediately decreased.  "Why don't you go to college?" and the story comes back "no one from my family ever went to college."  "I really want to lose weight but I've always had a weight problem."  and thus we further entrench ourselves in our proverbial 'Box.'   Opportunity does not live in our 'box', it does not live in the information that we know.  It lives in the realm of information that we either know, we don't know or that we don't even know that we don't know it.  Thus, the reason that the more we learn the more we realize that there is even more to learn.  OK, so by know you're probably saying OK, great, we need to learn more and we need to be open to opportunity, but what's the Freaking secret. 

The secret of having anything that you want or desire can be found in five simple questions.  Starting from your current state (complete honesty is essential) decide specifically what it is that you want and then ask your self:
1.  What am I willing to start doing that will move me closer to my goal?
2.  What am I willing to stop doing that is keeping me from moving toward my goal?
3.  What am I NOT willing to start doing to help me move forward?
4.  What am I NOT willing to give up?
5.  Am I willing to have the discipline that it will take to keep moving toward my goal.

Usually, the thing that stops us from getting what we want is not what we are willing to do to achieve it but what we are NOT willing to give up.  Is anything possible?  Living in America, the answer is yes BUT only if you are willing to do what is necessary to achieve the goal including giving up on the things that are holding you back.  Realize that success is a journey and not a destination and that our choices not luck or circumstance will determine our destiny.  It is not an easy road and it will take perseverance and determination to navigate, the question is how important is it to you??

Life Pioneers: The Edge of Possibility! by Tim Terrio (Oct 18, 2013)    

Available on Amazon and at All TERRIO Physical Therapy-Fitness locations.  www.myTERRIO.com

Why New Years Resolutions Fail!!

The holidays are passed and we look forward to that one last party to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012.  The typical American adds several pounds over the holiday season thanks in part to the excessive holiday parties and holiday treats.  The New Year also brings forth that wonderful tradition of New Year's Resolutions!  Hope springs eternal, especially at the start of a New Year, this will be the year that I lose that 30lbs. or this year I will quit smoking or drinking.  And off we go, to the gym or out to start jogging only to see our resolution slowly (sometimes very quickly) disappear.

 In the book "Nudge" the authors compare humans to a person riding an elephant.  If you have ever seen someone riding an elephant you realize that the control of the elephant is merely based on training and if the elephant decided to no longer follow instruction then the person would be helpless.  The 'rider' represents our analytical side and the 'elephant' our emotional side.  Thus, if the 'rider' decides that the 'elephant' is going to go down a new path but fails to prepare the path he is set up for failure.  The first time the elephant (our emotional side) decides to turn around and go back or wander off the path the man has limited ability to redirect the elephant.  Why is this important?  It is exactly the reason that 98% of diets and New Year's Resolutions fail!  We are all creatures of habit and we have just spent the last 30+ days letting our elephants roam free, doing as they pleased.  Now we decide it is time to reign in the elephant and have him walk on a strange new path that he has never had to walk on.  Then, we are surprised when the elephant decides that he doesn't like the new path and wants to return to roaming freely.  Our 'rider' tries to force the elephant to stay on the new path but soon runs out of energy trying to fight the beast and gives in.  But, wanting to save face the 'rider' soon starts to rationalize the situation..."well, it really wasn't that important"  or "OK, I'll only have one cookie, how much harm can that do" and on and on.

So, do we stand any hope of reeling in our out of control 'elephant' and making the changes we realize that we really must make?  The first step is an interview with the 'rider' face to face (in a mirror).  You must have full awareness of the situation at hand and a completely honest assessment of where you are and where you really need to be. What is the specific goal of what you want to accomplish?  General goals are easy to change, specific ones pin point down a specific outcome on a specific date.  If you need help, then go to your MD and get a physical, those are real numbers you can't avoid or ask a trusted friend or loved one. Now the rider knows exactly where they are going.    Next, what is the emotion behind the change? What is it that you are missing in your life that you could accomplish if we were to meet the goal you set?  What pain is caused by your current situation?  What are you afraid of losing if don't make a change? Again specifics are crucial, not lose weight so 'I feel better' but lose 35 lbs and decrease my cholesterol to be healthy enough to go hiking with my children.  You see this is all part of prepping the 'elephant' for the trip, let him know where you are going and why. 

The next step is to clear the path for the 'elephant' by removing any obstacles in the path.  The more obstacles you clear the better chance of keeping the 'elephant' moving forward down the path.  This can be anything and everything that could cause an issue.  Is there someone else who can help you clear the path?  Is there someone else who wants to take their 'elephant' down the same path?  Is there someone who is putting obstacles in your path?  Take a serious inventory of the "reasons" (excuses, stories, justifications) that you have used in the past to not continue and start removing them.  If you don't know where you're workout clothes are, put them next to your bed.  If you don't have the right food in the house, go get it.  If the idea of working out for an hour is too much then start with a 5 minute walk.  The point is that you have to get things moving, even if it is small steps at first. 

Making a real change in our lives is not an easy thing to accomplish but remember we are all creatures of habit and the only way to make a change sustainable is to replace one habit with another one.  If you can replace an unhealthy habit with a healthy one then our 'elephant' is actually working with us and not against us.  This year instead of a  New Year's Resolution, plan out a New Year's Solution and if it includes losing weight or getting healthier then sign up for our 5 Ton Challenge and commit to completing the challenge and we'll help clear the path for your 'elephant'