Some answers to follow.

First off, Its January 18.  How are you doing on your 2010 resolutions & goals?  Have you given up hope?  I hope not.

Image: 'tuffo' http://www.flickr.com/photos/16608866@N00/97138308

If we think about the root word of resolution.  One who is resolute will be characterized by firmness and determination. If I look in the the simpleweight archives, back in 2007, I described Dalai Lama’s 7 steps to positive lifestyle change: Learning, Conviction, Determination, Action, Effort, Habit, and Eliminate Negativity.

Behavior and lifestyle changes require self-motivation, self-discipline, and Determination!  We must persevere through the difficult times in order to enjoy the fun and easy times.

For myself, I’ve labeled 2010:  the year of Action. I am going to “DO” in 2010!  If you think about it, in order for anyone to achieve their fitness goals,  They must ACT.  You must do!  You must move! Weight-loss or weight-gain will not happen on their own.  You have to act on your goals rather than just talk about your goals. So, what have I done?

I put a plan in place for exercise. Everything else must fit in around it. Weight Lifting (alternating muscle groups) six days a week in the morning prior to the kids get up in the morning.  Cardio (walking, running, and elliptical) six days a week in the evening after the kids go to bed.  Swimming when I can get to the pool which will likely be once a week for now. For the past two weeks, I have implemented that plan, and I have exercised more days than I have not.  It feels good.

If you have been following Simpleweight at all, you know that Food In = Food out.  I have increased my Food Out part of the equation.  That’s what I wanted to focus on first.  One Step at a time.  For the Food In part of the equation, I have tracked my food most of the days.  Although, I have yet to make a major change in my eating habits.

Why have I told you what I did rather than what I am going to do?  Mid to late December, I ran across Derek Sivers blog post titled:  Shut up! Announcing your plans makes you less motivated to accomplish them. This blog post contradicts what I hear from most self-help experts.  They say:  Tell everyone publicly what you are going to do.  It motivates you and makes you more committed.  Yet, when I read this article, a red brick hit me in the face. I recommend you go read it, but here’s a quick quote for those of you who don’t want to click through.

Tests done since 1933 show that people who talk about their intentions are less likely to make them happen.

Announcing your plans to others satisfies your self-identity just enough that you’re less motivated to do the hard work needed.

Wow.

Here’s the abstract of the recent study  “When Intentions Go Public: Does Social Reality Widen the Intention-Behavior Gap?”

ABSTRACT—Based on Lewinian goal theory in general and self-completion theory in particular, four experiments examined the implications of other people taking notice of one’s identity-related behavioral intentions (e.g., the intention to read law periodicals regularly to reach the identity goal of becoming a lawyer). Identity-related behavioral intentions that had been noticed by other people were translated into action less intensively than those that had been ignored (Studies 1–3). This effect was evident in the field (persistent striving over 1 week’s time; Study 1) and in the laboratory (jumping on opportunities to act; Studies 2 and 3), and it held among participants with strong but not weak commitment to the identity goal (Study 3). Study 4 showed, in addition, that when other people take notice of an individual’s identity-related behavioral intention, this gives the individual a premature sense of possessing the aspired-to identity.

Now, that is powerful stuff. It contradicts everything I have thought of when it comes to the power of intention.

Let’s break it down in plain english.  You tell your friend you are going on a diet, and plan on losing weight.  You now feel satisfied, because you’ve done step one.  You’ve made your goal public like many experts state.  However, just because you have taken a step and made it public, you start to feel like you are already attaining your goal.  So, since you feel like you are already losing weight, you actually don’t work as hard to attain your fitness goal.

So, what can we do?  Well, if you are going to make your goals public, don’t state them as if you achieved anything.  Like, I joined a gym or I weighed myself today.  Make it more where the person you are sharing said goal with will actually motivate you.  For example, if I share with my wife that I want to eat less, I can say:  at dinner, please ask me if I am really hungry before I get up for a second serving of dinner.  Use it more in an active motivating process rather than a congratulatory process.

Currently, I am self-experimenting with this theory this month and beyond.  Instead of telling people, what I am going to do.  I just do it, and then tell them what I did.  I ACT.

Now, you know why I have been silent here on the blog. I wanted to do something first and then talk about it afterwards.  2010 – Year of Action.

I know that our simpleweight tools and the menu bar across the top has been intermittently working. I have nothing to announce right now.  Let’s just say, keep telling us about it, and tell us what we can do to help you achieve your fitness goals?

Remember:  Food In = Food Out.  Take Action to change that equation, and you will achieve your goal.

“When are you going to get serious about your weight loss?”, asked my wife

I was kind of surprised by the question.  I mean, I measure my activity, my biometrics, and some of my food everyday. I talk about weight loss and overall fitness often.  I think about it, read about it, and sometimes even pray or meditate about weight loss.

My response was, ” I am serious.”

My wife then asked,  ”Are you?”

I have let this stew for weeks.  In fact, I don’t remember the date of the conversation.  It could have been months ago, but it feels more recent than months.  So, I put weeks.  The fact that I don’t remember the date, but vividly remember the conversation details is telling. Turning that question over and over in my head.

Serious Contemplation -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/75199686@N00/3479743029

Am I serious about my physical fitness?

I’ve watched a few other bloggers struggle recently with this same question.  It often times is when we go dark.  What I mean by dark is when we’re not posting details, when we’re not measuring, when we’re not checking in publicly.  There is value in that.  Still, it reminds me of a conversation that I read about Knowing vs Doing and personal finance.  What I mean by that.  There is a difference of reading and learning about fitness and weight loss and actually doing it.  Knowing doesn’t make you lose weight.  Knowing doesn’t get you physically fit.  Knowing is just that.  You know.  Doing, now that is the difficult part.  Anyone can know what to do.  Doing takes disciplined action.

So, I thought to myself.  So, my wife doesn’t think I’m serious.  Well, Am I serious about physical fitness?  I’ve been formulating this over and over again.  My first thought then is.

What does it mean to be serious about physical fitness?

1. Move Everyday! I’m not talking about getting up, walking the few steps to the shower, then the few steps to kitchen to eat breakfast, then the few steps to the car, and then the few steps to the office, etc.  I’m talking about actual moving. Measurable Physical Activity.  Do I make it a priority in my every day routine to be active?  I have to say No.
2. Eat less food by eating only enough food until I’m not hungry. I do not do this at all. This is probably the biggest challenge for me. I always eat until I am full. I love food too much. I think, oh I have to have more of this.  its so good.  So, No.
3. Measure my progress to track trends. I weigh myself everyday.  I weigh some of my food everyday.  I don’t do enough physical activity to measure. Although, I measure items, recently, for the first time in a long time, I have not actually tracked the data except for the mental head check.  So, No, I don’t track the trends.
4. Control emotional eating by keeping a food journal. Nope, don’t do that.
5. (optionally) Eat healthy food. Eat Mostly plants (fruits, vegetables).  Stay away from sugary items, and get plenty of protein and fiber.  For the most part i do this.  I mean, I often eat Turkey based Chili, Tacos, Pasta Sauces.  I often eat vegetables at every dinner and lunch.  I often have fruits at lunch.  I eat whole grain breads, whole wheat pastas, and brown rice.  I try to eat poultry for protein with the occasional beef product thrown in there.  We use mostly olive oil based items rather than butter.  My snacks are rarely candy, although sometimes I splurge.  The issue for me is two fold:  I eat too much (see number 2) and sometimes I eat an over abundance proportionally of carbohydrates.  So, I’ll say yes.  I eat healthy food.
6. (optionally) Get enough sleep. Studies dictate that sleep helps with everything.  It helps keep the mind fresh which in turn helps keep you mentally sharp to deal with the day to day psychological struggles over eating. For the most part, I do sleep fine. Although there are times where work dictates fewer hours of sleep.

I have to say; it’s not looking good on my part.  Am I serious about my physical fitness?  The facts may dictate that I Know what to do, but my actions dictate that NO, I am not serious about my personal physical fitness.  You might have different criteria for being serious, but whatever they are.  I’d say if I look objectively at my situation, then No, I am not serious.  My actions speak louder than my words right now.

My next thought to myself, that I’ve been struggling with is:

Why am I not serious about physical fitness?

I mean, I have a fitness website.  I encourage everyone around me everyday to be active, to eat healthy, and to measure progress.  Begin with the end in mind, as Stephen Covey wrote.  Why?  What’s off in my motivations?  I finally came to the conclusion, that I don’t know.  I know it seems like a cop out.  It is.  Yet.  I have to be honest with myself first.  If I am not ready for it, then move on.  Am I ready to make the conscious effort that is necessary to change many years of bad fitness habits.  why now?  Why ever?  Good question.

So.  I know what I need to do.  I need to move, I need to eat less, and I need to measure my progress.  Will I do it?  stay tuned.

Are you Serious about Weight loss?  Ask yourself:

1. Do I move everyday?
2. Do I eat less food?
3. Do I measure my progress?
4. Do I control my emotional eating?
5. Do I eat healthy food?
6. Do I get enough sleep?

Let us know how we can help you get serious about your physical fitness.

If the first plan which you adopt does not work successfully, replace it with a new plan; if this new plan fails to work, replace it in turn with still another, and so on, until you find a plan which does work. Right here is the point at which the majority of men meet failure, because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those whose fail. … No man is ever whipped, until he quits — in his own mind.
Napoleon Hill. Think and Grow Rich

I have had a recent set-back in my Groundhog Resolution plans. There is a reason I am not a garage door repairman. I hurt my finger pretty good while repairing the garage door opener motor. My painful experience put a big cut in my Pick and commit a time to exercise 10 minutes a day plan.  Don’t worry though, The doctor says I’ll be okay and everything will return to normal with time.

In my persistence for fitness, I am required to find a plan that works for me and you for that matter. We must keep trying and trying until we hit the mix of exercise and healthy eating that’s proper for our individual bodies.

So, a new plan?

Sacrifice: an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy as defined by Apple Computer Leopard’s Dictionary.

Sacrifice

I’ve talked a bit about different motivations for fitness. We all are unique, and consequently we have to find what will motivate ourselves. Weight Loss and Fitness is as much as a physical battle as it is a mental battle. Re-thinking old habits and building new healthy habits takes time, persistence, and motivation. Sometimes, we need a little extra help with motivation and our sacrifice to fitness.

• By giving up eating too many calories, we can achieve a healthier body.
• By giving up sleeping an extra 30 minutes in the morning, we can exercise and achieve a physical fit body.
• By giving up unhealthy habits, we can create healthy habits.

We must give up and sacrifice in order to create new.

Now when I hear sacrifice, I usually think Religion.

Most religions require some sacrifice during your religious calendar. Jews have Yom Kippur, Muslims have Ramadan, and Christians have Lent. Each is a time to fast and atone for sins and a way to teach patience, sacrifice and humility. These Religious periods offer a perfect time for those motivated by God to offer up healthful-based sacrifices.

If you have Faith, make a promise to God to abstain from sugary sweets, chocolate, alcohol, French Fries, Coca Cola, or other unhealthy habits. I think that would be one promise you’d want to keep. No on wants to make God unhappy with broken promises.

If you don’t have Faith, then make a promise to your most motivating best friend to abstain from some unhealthy habit.

Back Story

Lenten Sacrifice is exactly how I gave up drinking Coca Cola. I used to drink almost a two liter of Pop (Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, etc…) a day. I decided during lent of 2001, that I would give up Pop as a sacrifice to God. After 40 days abstaining from Coke, I decided to see how long I could go. It is now 2009, and I have about two cans of pop (usually Sprite or 7-up) a year and no Coca Cola.

So, I suggest you and I use the next 40 days to focus on eating habits.

What can you sacrifice that is valued in your diet that may be unhealthy?  Is it Starbucks Coffees?  is it French Fries?  Is it Candy?  Is it Alcohol? Make a promise to the most important person in your life, possibly God for some of you readers, that you will abstain from that unhealthy eating vice.

Let’s Review:

1. Who’s the most important person/entity in your life now?
   • God, Spouse, Best Friend
2. What are the unhealthy items in your life/diet?
3. Make a promise to sacrifice your unhealthy vice for the next 40 days to your most important person.

Hmm, let me think, What are the some things I commonly over-indulge in lately?

• Peanut M&M’s
• French Fries
• Ice Cream
• Brownies, Cakes, Cookies
• Starbucks Hot Chocolates
• Fast Food

I guess there is no rule that says, I can’t cut them all out.

So, a new plan.  What’s your Sacrifice for Fitness?

Image: 'quiet I'm thinking' www.flickr.com/photos/28801512@N00/292262245

Our goal in the next two weeks is to get ourselves so worked up and convinced that we can be healthier and meet our weight loss goals that it becomes inevitable.  Even if you have failed in the past with dieting or exercise regiments, we must overcome that negative karma in order to generate our the positive self-image required for the arduous tasks ahead.

Really?  Arduous tasks?  What’s so arduous about our tasks ahead?

In the future, we’re going to have to break down all our bad habits and replace them with good healthy habits.  The only way we can do that is to be in a positive emotional state leaving our baggage behind.  Don’t worry about these arduous tasks, for when we’re done, we’re going to make these tasks be the easiest things you’ve ever did.

Huh?  wait a minute, did you just say that we’re going to make our weight loss goals and exercise habits the easiest thing we ever did?  How the heck are we going to do that?

The right frame of mind.  That’s what we have to do in the next two weeks.  We have got to convince ourselves, by 02-02 (Feb 2), that there is no way we will fail.  No way.

One of the reasons we built simpleweight was to help everyone manage their own fitness.  When I say everyone, I include myself in this list.  Have you ever seen a Fitness Expert, Diet Book Author, or Diet and Weight Management website owner be unhealthy, unfit, and generally obese?  Neither have I. So, my brother and I built simpleweight to help us maintain our own physical fitness and healthy body weight.

Now, I wouldn’t call myself obese by any means, in fact, its borderline whether I’m fat or not, but I’m also not the symbol of fitness a weight loss website owner should be.  When I follow my own advice, I lose weight, I feel better, I look better, I save money, and I eat less.   When I don’t follow my own advice, I do the opposite.  Well, what have I done, I haven’t gained weight, but I haven’t lost weight either.  So, I have failed at meeting my weight loss and physical fitness goals, but I don’t like to call it failure.  It’s just taking me longer than I expected.  I will succeed, because I will act.  Action must come before the success.

Around the web, people are losing their way with weight management.  For example,  Oprah recently went on her show and discussed her weight issues. Oprah now weighs over 200 lbs. (I am surprised and happy to hear that I weigh less than her.  Then again, she is worth a billions of dollars, and I am not. Of course, money does matter.)   I have followed the fellas at getfitslowly.com on their journey for weight loss.  I’m totally surprised that their experiences almost mimic my own progress.  They are eating better, they feel better, but they are not meeting their own weight loss goals. In fact, they had a discussion just this last summer about what it means to be healthy and fit, and whether you can be fit and still be overweight.  Ultimately, I’d say they are healthier and with God’s good grace, they will live longer because of their efforts. Starling

Many of us, fluctuate.  We get on the horse ride a bit, then fall off, and we forget to get back up on the horse again for too long.  We let our bad habits take over our good habits.  It takes a long, long time to turn bad habits into good habits. However, it takes perseverance.  I know I will do it, and I know you can too.

So, How do I get back my Positive Outlook?  How do I turn the tide and return to the healthy habits of daily exercise and eat until satisfied rather than eat until full.

I generate positive inertia by re-focusing on the long-term.

I’ve been analyzing it by comparing Weight Loss and Fitness to other Common Business and Personal Problems.  For Example,  David Allen with Getting Things Done suggests that there are 6 levels for reviewing your own work. He compares our work to altitude.  At the Runway level, we have the immediate next action.  In other words, what am I going to do right now at this very moment in order to achieve the larger goal of projects which operate at the 10,000 foot level.  Projects below to our Areas of responsibility at the 20,000 foot level.  Which hopefully are moving us toward are One to Two Year Goals at the 30,000 foot level.  Working us towards our 40,000 foot level of 5 year vision which leads us to the 50,000+ Foot Level of the Big Picture, and other Purpose for Living Life Goals.  For some people, Not knowing your purpose or not knowing your one to two year goals, they can operate just fine.  In other words, They can fly the plane just fine even though they don’t know where they are going.  I am not one of those people.

I need to have a very, very clear focus at where I want to go at the 40,000 foot level otherwise, my plane is all over the runway and probably won’t even take off.  If it does take off, then it’s all wobbly while it reaches the 10,000 foot level.  I need that Long Term Crystal Clear Vision or Mission.

Let’s look at another example, in Stephen Covey’s books: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First, he provides “Begin with the End in Mind”  as habit number two and the need for us to have a moral compass.  We need this compass in order for us to find direction.  Without our moral compass, we too often live in the day to day doing not important urgent tasks rather than the not urgent very important projects.

So, our homework as we prepare for Groundhog Day New Year’s Resolutions is to create a moral compass and identify with clarity what we want to happen with our fitness and eating habits.

Ask ourselves these questions:

• What do I want?
• How do I want to feel?
• What do I want to look like?
• What will my portion sizes look like when I eat?
• How will it feel to be exercising every day?
• What am I willing to give up to achieve my new habits?
• What will people say to you?
• If a friend walks up to you after not seeing you for a while, what are they going to say when you achieve success by meeting your Ground hog day resolutions?
• Why?, Why?, Why?, Why?, Why?, Why?  (Ask yourself why repeatedly six or more times until you are precise with an answer.  it helps when you have a 3 or 4 year old ask you. )

Image: 'Spiral-Bound Pad' www.flickr.com/photos/49503155381@N01/2475849569

Homework Assignment:

Our Goal for this homework assignment is to write down in crystal clear vivid imagery what do we want to be and achieve.  We will need to write in present and/or past tense.  I often suggest you find magazine or website pictures of buff women or men and photoshop or paste your head on your ideal body.  Build that vivid image that is so clear that you’ll be experiencing it.

Visualization Assignment:

Now clear your head by breathing in and out sitting on a firm but comfortable chair.  Listen to your breath in and out.  Count 15 even average breaths from fifteen slowly down to one.  Now, imagine you are stepping onto a scale. You see the toes and feet perfectly shaped without any excess weight stepping on the scale.  As you wait for the scale to spin to your ideal size, you notice how lean you feel and how strong your heart is.  re standing on a scale.  You look down and see that you are weighing the exact amount for your ideal body image.  The scale then scans your Body Fat % and calculates your BMI.  More waiting, and you see the body fat % is exactly as it should be and the BMI is right in your healthy range.  As you step off the scale, you look at a full length mirror and notice your body is the perfect picture of health and vitality. You notice your calves are strong lean and give your body shape.  Your thighs are not big, but not skinny.  They’re just right for your height, the waist and hips curve just perfectly to give you a beautiful look and fit your thin stomach right into your perfect chest.  Your arms are toned and the strength you have to do daily tasks that were so difficult before are now just as easy as floating a feather.

It helps to know where we are going, before we get on the plane.  We may have to take some twists and turns due to unforeseen circumstances, but we still have the end in the mind.

If you want to share, post your answers to the homework below.  If you want more privacy, but still want to share, email me your answers to coach [at] simpleweight [dot] com  –or– use our contact us form.

What is my the image of my perfectly healthy me in present tense?

Every year, Most people break their resolutions by U.S.’s Groundhog day,  (Feb 2)

Image: 'Happy Groundhog Day!' http://www.flickr.com/photos/62943723@N00/377567731

What are you going to do about breaking your resolutions?

I resolved this year, not to make resolutions until Groundhog day (a la David Seah).    Now, you ask why?  The Party Forces are against you. Think about it.

• From Thanksgiving until Christmas, there are parties galore with all sorts of food and drinks.
• After Christmas, you’re eating up all the left-over cookies, candy canes, chocolate, and other wonderful goodies.
• New years, you’re partying it up.  Drinking and eating.
• New Year’s Day, with all the New Year’s American College Football games, who’s not going to over-eat chips and salsa, pizza, and beer on New year’s day?
• Then, we have a week of BCS college football games, NFL Playoffs, and then on to the Super Bowl Parties.

Wow, what a stacked load of over-eating bonanzas face us before Groundhog day.  Now, who’s ever heard of over-eating at Lincoln’s birthday parties?  or Valentine’s day nachos?  Heck, The Academy Awards are more of Tea and Wine Party than a bowl of chips and hot dogs.  Granted, for the typical party-goer, Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras throw a wrinkle in the plans of avoiding the over-indulgent parties. Additionally, Toss in the most wonderful TV time of year known as College Basketball March Madness and the parties are still coming.

Yet, those can be seen as hiccups in the spring along the way to summer BBQ’s.  So, What’s the best time to join a gym?  It sure isn’t January 1st when the wait for the cardio machines changes from a December 0 mintues to a January 30 minutes.  I suggest you Join the Gym in February when everyone else is fizzling on their New year’s resolutions and annoyed by all the January Joiners.  You can avoid the wait and be clean of the major party events.

To be honest, what’s the best time for Resolutions? it’s now, when you have convictions and motivation.  Do it Now, this Second, and resolve to be the new thin you.  Believe it, Dream it, Visualize it, and Feel it.

Not Convinced?

Well, I’m giving you (and myself) 14 days to become convinced.  You have to become so convinced and motivated that you will stick with your new habits at least until you achieve your goals and reach your swimsuit size by summer beach time.

How are you going to prepare yourself to begin the journey of healthy eating, healthy exercise, and a healthier you?

…stay tuned…

Of course, it has something to do with the Slow Weigh, but that’s enough of that for now.

Upon returning from vacation, my writing time, my family time, my work productivity, my exercise habits, and my simpleweight development time have been competing for attention as demonstrated by my recent drop off in simpleweight posts. It’s amazing when one’s commitments begin to compete how people react.

• Some people buckle down, pick one thing and get right to it.
• Other people multi-task, and do little things from every piece.
• Other people become overwhelmed by the forest of projects that the tasks that are trees get lost and ultimately procrastination sets in.
• Other people trim their obligations.
• We all follow our Inner Eye trained by our Habits.

Since humans are creatures of habits, regardless of your response, all of us tend to slip in to old habits.  I know I have.  My eating quantity is up, my exercise is down, and my emotional state is directly related to that.  While reading the web as I love to do, I noticed this:

When the schedule gets squeezed, exercise and diet are the last things to cut from my daily routine.  –some commenter on some blog somewhere.

That’s a great mind-set.  Health and Fitness should be one of your top priorities.  I know I can help improve it.  In fact, I believe when you improve your diet and exercise, the rest of the commitments tend to fall in place.  It’s a balance between your passions, your fitness, and your spiritualism/science.  When one is of out whack, the rest of them follow suit.

Here’s a good analogy:  While driving a car or riding a bicycle, if you look to the right, you will start to move towards the direction you are looking.  It’s a balance.  The same came be said for our fitness habits.

If you let one of your habits veer off course, the rest of your habits will follow.  The reverse can be said.

For example, I noticed if I start exercising, I feel good, and then without thinking I start to become conscious of my eating habits.

Another example, a friend of mine and I went to a baseball game.  I ate a hot dog, and he ate a salad.  — Huh? A salad at a ball game?  Well, the backstory is the friend is highly motivated to eat healthy and exercise.  In no uncertain terms, his doctor said exercise and eat healthy.  Wow, what motivation.

Now, my friend asks, instead of how am I going to fit that run in,  how am I going to fit in everything around my running time.  The exercise time is non-negotiable.  By changing your self-questions, one changes their habits and ultimately creates the healthy balance.

Where is your inner eye looking?  How has that impacted your fitness habits?

Mosquitoes Attracted to Obese

Big is definitely beautiful in the eyes of a mosquito. Research shows that obese people or even those who are overweight may be more likely to attract mosquitoes and, therefore, be subjected to more mosquito bites than those who are not obese. This does not bode well for people in the waterlogged Midwest or other areas of the US hit by recent flooding, where mosquitoes are out in greater numbers than usual.

According to Jerry Butler, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Florida, one in 10 people are highly attractive to mosquitoes. Although genetics and the odors people exude play large roles in attracting mosquitoes, recent findings suggest that being overweight may make you more attractive to mosquitos for several reasons. In a June 2007 WebMD article, entomologist John Edman, PhD, and spokesman for the Entomological Society of America, explained that mosquitoes target people who produce excess amounts of uric acid. According to Mayo Clinic hematologists, one of causes of high uric acid levels in the blood is obesity.

Furthermore, Edman explains that mosquitoes can smell their targets from more than 150 feet away, a skill that can be troublesome for people who emit large quantities of carbon dioxide.

“Even over long distances, carbon dioxide is attractive to mosquitoes,” says Joe Conlon, PhD, technical advisor to the American Mosquito Control Association.

Research shows that larger people give off more carbon dioxide than smaller people. So, when given a choice, mosquitos will choose an adult to bite over a child or an obese person over a nonobese person. Pregnant women are also at increased risk, as they produce a greater-than-normal amount of exhaled carbon dioxide.

In addition to being overweight, Mayo Clinic lists additional factors that may attract mosquitoes, including:

• Movement
• Heat
• Having type O blood
• Being a Man

Want to lose some weight this summer and fend off mosquitoes in the process?

Check out these simple summer weight-loss strategies.

Visit WebMD for more suggestions on how to avoid mosquito bites.

So, here’s the point:

When you share your weight loss and make it public you hold yourself more accountable. For many people, its easy to let yourself down, but they wouldn’t dare let someone else down.  Think about it, when you want to get somewhere that involves other people, most people try to arrive on time.  When you want to get somewhere by yourself, you meander and take your time.  Why?  It’s that peer pressure.

So, With the latest release,  We created a public page for every user.

When you log into simpleweight, your home page has a link that you can send to your friends and family to help you reach your goals.

How a URL might look:
http://www.simpleweight.com/health-club/{insert – your – simple weight user name here}.

—  Now, I recently read an article that stated:

But then we looked at the response to this question:

“Have you ever had regular mentorship from someone who was in the exact shape you wanted to be in?”

Note: In this context, regular mentorship is defined as constructive and impartial feedback and direction, on a near-daily basis, for a continuous period of at least 3 months.

And check this out: 77% of the 5’s said “Yes” (37 out of 48)
Only 17% of the 3’s and 4’s said “Yes”

And less than 5% of the 1’s and 2’s said “Yes”

source: Mentorship, Support, Accountability – Part 1 Who’s Your Nutritional Mentor?

What does this mean?
First: The article surveyed a group of individuals. In that survey, Users were asked to identify their happiness as related to their physique and fitness. The survey used a scale where 5’s are people who are Extremely Happy with their physique. 1’s were Extremely Unhappy.

So, of the people where were extremely happy 77% of them used a coach, mentor, friend to give them constructive and impartial feedback and direction, on a near-daily basis

This unscientific research study demonstrates the impact of making your weight loss social. Some keys:

• Find a mentor or coach who is positive
• Find a mentor or coach who are successful at body weight management
• Try to hang around healthy people
• Receive consistent scheduled daily feedback
• Be receptive to constructive criticism. You may not always like what you hear.

With simpleweight, you can email your coach, mentor, family, friends, co-workers, everyone, about your weight loss. Send them to your health-club page. Ask them to keep tabs and give you fair and balanced (positive and constructive) comments.

Who is your mentor? Join Simpleweight now so you can share your Health Club Page with your social network and increase the likelihood of your weight loss success.

On rainy days, like today in Chicago-land area, motivation can be fleeting. It seems to be common around the internet.  I’ve seen two or three posts today on how to fight doldrums, stay motivated, and be productive.

I ran across this rather funny take on motivation titled:  Decrease your Likelihood of Being Hit By a Meteor.

Here’s the top 3 funniest motivations for losing weight that I saw:

Reason #4: To Decrease your Likelihood of Being Hit By a Meteor
Reason #5: To Decrease Your Likelihood Of Being Eaten By Cannibals
Reason #8: Get Drunk Quicker

The post is funny, but a poignant reminder we have to constantly focus on our own motivation for managing our weight.

Some people have a very life or death reasons for weight gain or weight loss, cancer, heart issues, diabetes, bone structure, and many more.  The Doctor told them, you need to eat right and get in better shape or you will die. In that scenario, it’s a pretty compelling reason to change your habits. Other people don’t have that motivation, they might not see it that way, and only want to use fitness as a way to get more money, power, better looking, etc.

Regardless, whatever the motivation, The motivation has to be internalized. If the motivation is outward pressure from your boyfriend, husband, girlfriend, wife, mom, dad, children, dog, chicken, slug, or favorite trilobite, you will likely return to your normal habits. Repeat this to yourself: What is my motivation for weight loss? I have to find my own motivation.

NEXT ACTION:

Take 5 minutes to Breath, Close your Eyes, and Think: `What are my 10 motivational reasons for physical fitness?`. Write them down and revisit those motivating reasons everyday! Make sure your reasons are sustainable for a lifetime!

Tell me: What motivates you to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Side note:

Ryan and I are in the middle of a simpelweight.com redesign and refresh. As I always ask, What is the number one thing simpleweight.com can do to help you with you achieve your physical fitness goals?

another side note: 3 other interesting articles.

The No-Diet Diet from Real Simple.

How zenhabits.net Leo is going to get in shape

Join Simple Weight for easy to use physical fitness tools.

Well, a recent NPR Article, Hotel Maids Challenge the Placebo Effect, describes the weight loss effects of Hotel Maids. If you are not familiar with the placebo effect, the placebo effect is when you think something is going to happen and it happens even though whatever you did really did not cause it.

When you think of a Hotel maid, they’re doing working all day. Would you call that work exercise?

What about a roofer or construction worker? Is that work considered exercise?

Most of us would say yes, but to the Maid, they just think its their job. So, the Maid is not aware of the physical exertion he or she is doing on a daily basis. What the article demonstrates is that if you think you are not doing exercise, your body acts like you are not doing exercise.

Wow- What a negative placebo effect. You mean if I am carrying my 6 lb baby around the house all day, and I don’t think that is exercise, then I don’t benefit from the exertion.

That’s what the Harvard psychologist states in the NPR article.

I’d personally like to think I would probably benefit from the exercise, but maybe not as much if I think carrying a baby around is exercise.

Can we do the opposite? If I think my work, which consists primarily of desk work, is exercise, will my body react by losing weight?

Sure why not? As long as you can convince yourself that your day-to-day activities actually burn calories, then yes, I think you would have some positive effect from the placebo.The key is Can you convince yourself with honesty? You have to make the vision so realistic and so vivid that you convince yourself as well others.

So. Can you think and lose weight?

Yes! That’s an emphatic Yes! In fact, I say if you don’t think you will NOT lose weight.

So, let’s think, think, think (as Winne the Pooh says)

So many diet plans say,

• Lose weight without trying.
• Lose weight the easy way.
• Lose weight by eating the same foods.
• Lose weight without making any changes.
• Lose weight without thinking.
• Lose weight by surgery.
• Lose weight with diet pills.
• Lose weight without going to the gym.
• Lose weight with only 7 minutes a day.
• Lose weight…. etc.

How can any diet, exercise, fitness plan make these claims? If I read that, I have to NOT think to believe those claims. Everyone knows to lose weight one must eat less food than they expend.

My take from the NPR article is: The only way to lose weight is to think.

By thinking, we live consciously. Some examples:

• Think: that food going into my mouth is good for me and helps me lose weight.
• Think: the bouncing of my leg while working at my desk helps burn extra calories and stimulates weight loss.
• Think: the standing up straight and smiling is more difficult to do than slouching and frowning so it uses more muscles and I burn more calories providing better weight loss.
• Think: Before I take this bite of food, Am I full? Can I live without it?
• Think: At the restaurant, that plate of food sure is big, before I even take a bite, Can I get a to-go box?
• Think: I am losing weight therefore I am.
• Think: My clothes are starting to feel big on me.
• Think: While doing exercise, think how many calories you are burning and how great it feels to burn those calories. Stay focused. Remember, if you are doing the exercises mindlessly, you might as well be a hotel maid doing work.

By Thinking, you will actually begin to create habits. By creating habits, that’s when you can lose weight without even knowing it.

Many people shoot down books like The Secret, Think and Grow Rich, and Creative Visualization, because they tell the reader you can think to achieve some goal. But, really, You have to think.

Another example, I have to think to remember to record my weight every day. I have to think don’t eat all that fatty restaurant food, because they’re just giving you a ton to make you feel like you had a good value.

So, yes, for every action, there is an equal reaction.

You can Think and Lose Weight!

You don’t believe me, do you?

Here is a challenge:
Before you go to bed tonight, Write down your weight loss goal in present tense and describe in vivid detail you in your perfect form. When you wake up tomorrow morning, read your goal out loud. Do it again the next day, and I do literally mean physically write out again your weight loss goal and perfect body in graphic present tense detail. Then wake up in the morning and recite the goal. Repeat these steps every day for 30 days.

For example,

By entering my weight into simpleweight, tracking my activities, and by logging the calories I ate daily, I am losing 2lbs this week while eating less and thinking my activities are burning calories. I have a size xxx pants, and the feeling of my flat stomach in the form fitted shirt makes me confident, etc… I am burning calories by standing up straight, walking to work by parking my car in a far away parking spot, and walking up two flights a stairs each day, etc…

The key here is try to be as specific as possible and do some variation from day to day reflecting what you visualize for the next morning.

By taking this action daily of writing down your goal at night and reciting your goal in the morning, you will Think and Lose weight.

Photo Credit: ‘why yes I love him, but keep it secret!’ via Flickr, by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³