Losing that First Five Pounds

Go into your kitchen or a grocery store and pick up a 5 pound bag of sugar or flour. Carry it around. How's that feel? You probably want to put it down, don't you? Wouldn't it be nice to let go of just five pounds of weight yourself? If you put your mind to it, you can achieve a five or more pound loss in a couple weeks (even quicker in the beginning of a weight loss plan).

We set such lofty goals:
>> I want to be in the best shape of my life.
>> I want to look like I'm a teenager (except I'm over 40).
>> I want to have washboard abs (I don't exercise).
>> I want to be as thin as a runway model (but I love to eat)

Yet when all is said and done our actions show we want to stay the same. We say we want change, yet we don't want anything to be different while we pursue change. It's no wonder people buy products promising things they can't possibly deliver like instant success, or effortless change. We live in a "take a pill and everything will be better" world, yet history demonstrates it is by diligent effort that real change happens.

Start now by making a realistic plan for tomorrow, next week or even the first of January. Not a resolution list, but a realistic plan. Something you can and will achieve. Small mini-goals that will lead you toward the bigger goals as each day goes by. Follow this outline and you'll achieve whatever goals you set.

Step 1 - Decide you want a change, and what that change will be (you want to lose 10 pounds in three months is a realistic goal, losing that same 10 pounds over the weekend is not).

Step 2 - Use EFT on the immediate feelings and fears that come up. That will help you deal with the inevitable "I don't know what to do" and "this isn't fun" feelings. (Instructions for learning EFT can be found in the resource box below)

Step 3 -- Ask yourself the following questions and answer honestly:

1. Can I do this?
This means do you believe yourself capable of achieving the goals you're setting? If you believe you can, you more likely will

2. Will it hurt me or others?
Are others involved? Will there be obstacles? You need to think through your plans including others who are involved.

3. Do I want to do this?
Is this what you really want or is this what someone else wants for you? It must be your decision to get heathier. Even a doctor's warnings won't do it, unless you want what you say you want.

4. Is there anything I must have before I begin or can I just get started right now?
If you have lots of rules and requirements that must happen first, yet you aren't likely to put them into place, you're setting yourself up to fail from the start. A gym membership is nice, if you use it, but if you don't have time, then think about other alternatives. I bulit a home gym over more than 15 years starting with a pair of Smartbells (dumbells painted pink for girls!).

You'll notice as you write your questions down, and perhaps repeat them softly to yourself, the answers come forth on their own. You'll hear yourself say, "Of course I can do this. It's just a matter of making better choices. I'm not talking about starving myself or deprivation any more. I'm not going to be concerned with calories but quality. This will be fun. I can't wait to get started."

What a difference five pounds can make. Work on those pounds one at a time, one day at a time and the bigger goals will also be met, in time.

About the author:
Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP & EFT Practitioner, Weight Loss Coach, Author "Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss," teaches how to use EFT for weight loss. Get The Daily Bites and Get Started Losing Weight here.