"Carrots:" Weight Loss Motivation for the Week

This paragraph is a MAJOR edit. I messed up and posted this blog on the wrong site. It also appears at http://the-biggest-winner.blogspot.com/ as part of our weight loss blog. I thought I'd deleted the posting here, but have decided just to leave it. If you're interested in a weekly posting on weight loss, you can sign up for our (my wife Tami and I's) special blog at the above site. You don't need to be doing "Take Shape for Life featuring Medifast" (the company we represent) to enjoy that site! Blessings - Mike

One of the key issues in weight loss is motivation...

Wow, that's an understatement...one of the key issues in life is motivation!

We have three children in the Johnson household. Each one is uniquely different and responds in different ways in our attempts to bring "course correction" for their lives.

You know, ‘discipline’…

One child may respond to friend privileges being taken away for a period of time; another may respond to game system controllers being hung from a very conspicuous place in the home with a sign dangling from them that says, "Don't touch!" You know the drill. You've got to find what the proverbial "carrot" is.

Speaking of carrots, they're not on my diet...too much sugar...no kidding.

This week's motivational weight loss thought is to set a goal to enhance your relationships. Instead of a negative deterent, we need to find something positive on the horizon to keep us focused. As a target, you can use an event or future image in your mind about something you want to do when you’re with those special people in your life. You want to leverage this goal as your carrot - something that will keep you on track to overcome our common struggle against weight.

My family loves cruises. We've come to the place where it is either cheaper or a wash for us to take the Johnson five on a cruise than it is to drive to Disneyland or some other big deal vacation. Besides, our kids like this trip better. And for my wife and I, we realize that our food bill alone on vacation is not only remarkable for three teenagers, it'll break the proverbial bank. But I digress.

Let's see, cruises...

On our last trip (February '08) I had set up an excursion with my boys. We were in Cabo San Lucas (Mexican Riviera) and we were to get into kayaks and paddle around on a guide-led trip from the beach to the famous stone arch near the harbor, made famous once again in the first Johnny Depp “Pirate” movie. We were 50 feet off of the beach when I realized that I would never make it. I was too big, too out of shape, and couldn’t sit in a stabilizing, upright position (I had no "core"). I had to go back to the beach. The entire tour was stopped for me to get out of the kayak. I waited on the beach for my boys to return for nearly three hours.

I had a lot of time to think about my physical situation that day...

When they returned they talked about how hard it was, how they got tired and struggled when the wind came up, blowing them out to sea. It should have been one of those shared experiences where I would have spurred them on as “the dad” and told them how proud I was of them that they didn’t give up when the wind rose up. I would have been able to recall with them time and again the day the wind came up while they were paddling around in the Pacific Ocean in a little plastic boat with nothing but a stick in their hands and how they perservered…

On the beach that day I thought about how much more I would enjoy these family trips, and how much more I could do with my kids. I thought about the memories I was leaving with my kids. The truth is there are fewer and fewer of these trips left as they are growing up. As I write, six months from now they will all be in high school. Six years from now I’ll have two in college and one will likely be married. They need for me to be with them now, participating now.

My son’s play baseball. Throwing the ball in the backyard with them became nearly impossible a several years back. I couldn’t throw, couldn’t go for very long when I was able to get the little sphere back, and found myself making excuses for my lack of physicality.

I think you’re tracking with me. This “carrot” is the ability to live a “full life” with loved ones.

I know, I like hanging out with my wife and kids; sitting around watching the tube, sitting on the patio, sitting here, sitting there… Guess what? There can be more to life than just sitting around. For those of us with daughters, there is SHOPPING. In the past I viewed shopping as a workout of my body and wallet. Having lost the weight, now the focus is shopping and being with my family...and watching my kids spend their OWN money...!

Speaking of being with family, I’m in love with my wife. We’ve been married now for 23 years. I soooo enjoy being with her. My dream is to be walking hand-in-hand with her in our later years, NOT THINKING ABOUT HOW I LOOK to the neighbors; instead I want to know and focus on how great if feels to be with her. I want my thoughts to be on what her hand feels like in mine and not about stuff like, “When is this walk going to end? Why is this block so long? My overburdened knees are killing me.” I know this thought classifies me as a romantic but I don’t care what you think about that. My “carrot” is to enjoy HER on that walk, and not think about or have to deal with my weight.

My last thought on relationships as a motivation is grandkids. I've known lots of great grandparents. In fact, my kid's grandparents are some of the greatest people you'll ever meet. They have given our kids wonderful memories and experiences. But where I was headed before my weight loss was to be “grandpa-sit-around.” Instead I want to be “grandpa-going-after-an-active-life.” My grandkids need for me to be that guy. I wish this carrot for you as well!

When times get tough on our diets, when the ice cream in the freezer or the cookies in the jar on the counter start calling (what is that stuff doing in our houses??!!), you’ve got to make the choice that a moment’s worth of pleasure pales in comparison to a lifetime of memories with the one’s we love. Get your “carrot” out in front of you…and allow it to completely obscure any sight or vision of failure or fallback on your diet. If you blow it for a day or a week (heaven forbid!), let your carrot lead you back on track. Focus on your relational carrots, allowing them to guide you back on the path to good health!