Rebecca Turner: Lose weight the healthy way

We live in a world obsessed with instant success. Celebrities, supplement companies and the media have rebooted the idea of good health so much so that it's become unrecognizable. Headlines make bold claims about real results, real fast. Today a poisonous idea persists that you can and should be able to lose weight and get fit overnight. Americans have become impatient, because we see a magic number on the scale as an end in itself.

Without question, many will take a pill, omit entire food groups, and drink shakes, wear wraps, and attempt to detox their way out of an unhealthy lifestyle. Believing a strict dietary challenge will fix complex food and self-image issues in a short time. But it's a seductive mirage that isn't working.

There are no overnight tricks, diets or supplements that lead to true health. Everything worth having, including well being, comes with a time invested cost.

Until the past few decades, most people who achieved good health and a tone physique followed the same basic path: a healthy eating plan and regular physical activity. It wasn't easy, and it was never meant to be. The discipline to stick to a long-term plan paid off with a lifetime of benefits including low-chronic disease risk, better mobility, age defying skin, and strong mental agility. Our quick-fix culture undercuts the process of change that anyone must undergo to achieve the true health deeply desired.

It is sad to hear a story of someone who has lost significant weight to eventually gain it back, plus pounds. Or, choose to fight obesity with surgery and end up with a new destructive habit like drug or alcohol abuse. Too often, people get caught up in losing the weight they forget to learn anything valuable about true behavior change, good food choices, or realistic exercise routines along the way. Countless people get to their skinny dream too quickly and are simply not really ready for it.

When weight loss is in the fast lane, character change is often in the slow lane. Playing the game and taking pills, sipping shakes, and skipping meals, doesn't mentally prepare the person to make the most of the new body image and lifestyle. Time must be invested to learn how to menu plan, shop for nutritious groceries, navigate social settings, and incorporate a manageable workout regime into a hectic schedule. Anyone can hustle their way into skinny jeans, but they'll find out quickly it takes specific behavior skills to maintain the lifestyle. Without warning individuals inevitably back slide, leaving them heartbroken and disappointed.

If this is even somewhat an accurate description of your wellness journey, then take heart in knowing you can still succeed at achieving a healthier lifestyle. Today, come to grips that there are no shortcuts, make a promise to get serious about going to battle against unhealthy behaviors, and commit to getting healthy from the mind down. Gain the mental strength to choose a healthier approach and obtaining a healthy weight will be inescapable.

Workout program routines